Popular Woodworking

What Popular Woodworking does

Popular Woodworking is a woodworking media brand founded in 1985 and published by Active Interest Media (AIM), the diversified hobbyist and craft media company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. The company produces a bimonthly magazine (six issues per year) in print, digital, and combined formats, priced at $14.99 to $24.99 per year for US subscribers, alongside a premium PopWood+ membership that bundles access to a 10,000+ page archive, exclusive video content, and a 25% discount on the company's e-commerce store. Its audience is primarily hobbyist and DIY woodworkers, with secondary readership among professional furniture makers, newcomers to the craft, and shop equipment enthusiasts.

The product portfolio extends beyond the magazine to include downloadable project plans with SketchUp 3D models, a comprehensive techniques and tools library (wood encyclopedia, glossary, finishing guides, joinery, safety), structured online courses via a Kajabi-powered e-Learning platform, and the weekly ShopNotes Podcast co-produced with sister AIM title Woodsmith. The technology stack is a standard content-and-commerce web platform: a CMS-driven site, a separate e-commerce store, Kajabi for course delivery, and standard digital edition distribution. No proprietary AI, ML, or advanced technical differentiators are evident in the disclosed stack.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring magazine subscriptions (print, digital, and combined, with auto-renewal), the PopWood+ recurring membership, one-time product sales via the online store (project plans, videos, back issues), and advertising including affiliate referral commissions from tool manufacturers. Distribution is predominantly direct-to-consumer through the website, with print copies distributed in the US, Canada, and internationally, and no enterprise or B2B sales motion indicated.

Name

Popular Woodworking

Legal name

Active Interest Media

Website

https://popularwoodworking.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Popular Woodworking is a 1985-founded woodworking media brand and bimonthly magazine, published by Active Interest Media, serving hobbyist and professional woodworkers with subscriptions, premium PopWood+ membership, project plans, e-Learning courses, and the ShopNotes Podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions with 6 issues per year. Subscription options include print-only, digital-only, and combined print+digital packages. Auto-renewal subscription model with discounts up to 50% off cover price.
2. PopWood+ Membership: Premium membership program offering exclusive video content, 10,000+ pages of expert woodworking knowledge, and 25% discount on the entire Popular Woodworking store. Includes access to latest magazine issues.
3. Product Sales: Online store selling project plans, videos, magazine issues, and woodworking-related products. Products available include digital downloads and physical items.
4. Advertising Revenue: The website and magazine generate revenue through advertising from woodworking tool manufacturers, material suppliers, and related brands. Affiliate links are used for product recommendations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Popular Woodworking is a woodworking media brand that publishes a bi-monthly magazine in print and digital formats, a premium membership program (PopWood+) with exclusive video content, downloadable project plans with SketchUp 3D models, and a weekly podcast (ShopNotes). The company sells subscriptions, digital products, and educational content targeted at hobbyist and professional woodworkers, supported by an e-commerce store and tool review editorial.

Product overview

Popular Woodworking is a woodworking content publication and media company offering a multi-product portfolio centered around its core magazine (print and digital), a premium membership program (PopWood+), and a weekly podcast (ShopNotes). The company provides digital products including downloadable project plans with SketchUp models, video-based e-learning courses, and a comprehensive library of woodworking technique articles and tool reviews. The magazine serves as the primary content anchor, with PopWood+ providing enhanced access to the full content library and store discounts, while the ShopNotes Podcast extends engagement through audio content featuring woodworking discussions and interviews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ShopNotes Podcast: Weekly podcast featuring woodworking inspiration, shop stories, and news from Popular Woodworking and Woodsmith editors.
• PopWood+ Videos

Products and services

• Popular Woodworking Magazine Flagship print and digital woodworking magazine published 6 times per year, providing expert advice, project plans, techniques, tool reviews, and step-by-step instructions for woodworkers of all skill levels. Available in print-only, digital-only, and combined print+digital subscription tiers.
• PopWood+ Premium Membership Premium membership program providing access to 10,000+ pages of expert woodworking knowledge, exclusive videos from top editors and craftsmen, latest magazine issues, and a 25% discount on the entire Popular Woodworking store.
• ShopNotes Podcast Weekly woodworking podcast hosted by John Doyle, Logan Wittmer, and Phil Huber, featuring shop stories, project discussions, tool news, and interviews with woodworking experts. Produced in collaboration with Woodsmith magazine under Active Interest Media.
• Woodworking Project Plans Downloadable digital woodworking project plans covering furniture projects, jigs and fixtures, shop projects, workbenches, and shop storage solutions. Many plans include companion SketchUp 3D models for visualization and construction reference.
• Popular Woodworking e-Learning Online video learning platform hosted on Kajabi offering structured woodworking courses and tutorials taught by expert editors and craftsmen, covering topics such as gluing and clamping, built-in furniture, live-edge slab tables, CNC woodworking, milling lumber, and bandsaw techniques.
• Digital Editions Digital versions of Popular Woodworking Magazine accessible on tablets, computers, and mobile devices through an online viewer. Sold via subscription or individual back-issue purchase.
• Popular Woodworking Online Store Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling digital project plans, instructional videos, back issues of Popular Woodworking Magazine, and related woodworking products. PopWood+ members receive a 25% storewide discount.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lee Valley ToolsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLee Valley Tools partners with Popular Woodworking to offer free woodworking downloads on the website. This provides value to readers with additional project resources while promoting Lee Valley products.
• Woodsmith MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoodsmith magazine and Popular Woodworking are sister publications under Active Interest Media. The ShopNotes Podcast features hosts from both publications (John Doyle, Logan Wittmer, Phil Huber) discussing woodworking news and projects from both magazines. Cross-promotional content between the publications.
• Fine WoodworkingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFine Woodworking is a sister publication under Active Interest Media's Home Arts division. Both woodworking publications share educational content and cross-promote under the same parent company umbrella.
• Active Interest MediacoreOthersPopular Woodworking is owned and published by Active Interest Media (AIM). AIM is a multi-platform media company publishing multiple hobbyist and enthusiast titles across collectibles, home arts, home building, and writer's digest categories.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• The Wood Whisperer: Digital-first woodworking media brand with a popular YouTube channel, online courses, and membership community; competes for the same audience's attention and subscription dollars via a more video-native, lower-overhead model.
• Mortise & Tenon Magazine: Independent subscription-based woodworking publication focused on hand-tool work, traditional techniques, and high-quality editorial; competes for the premium enthusiast subscriber willing to pay for niche woodworking content.

Broad incumbents

• Fox Chapel Publishing: Established hobbyist book and magazine publisher covering woodworking, crafts, and DIY; competes for shelf space, author talent, and reader mindshare across the broader hobbyist publishing space Popular Woodworking operates in.
• Taunton Press: Long-established hobbyist publisher of woodworking, homebuilding, and craft titles; historically the home of Fine Woodworking and a model peer for the editorial, subscription, and book-publishing business Popular Woodworking operates.

Others

• Make: Magazine: Print magazine and digital media brand covering the broader maker and DIY community including woodworking, CNC, and shop projects; not a direct competitor but addresses the same hobbyist persona with overlapping editorial territory.

Direct peers

• Fine Woodworking: Sister publication to Popular Woodworking under Active Interest Media, covering project plans, techniques, and tool reviews for serious hobbyist and professional woodworkers; the two titles directly compete for the same subscriber base and advertiser dollars.
• WOOD Magazine: Long-running US woodworking magazine with a comparable mix of project plans, tool reviews, and technique articles; targets the same hobbyist DIY woodworker segment as Popular Woodworking and is a direct subscription competitor.
• Woodsmith Magazine: Sister publication under Active Interest Media focused on project-based woodworking, shop tips, and techniques; the editors of Woodsmith co-host the ShopNotes Podcast with Popular Woodworking, and the titles share audience and advertisers.
• Woodworker's Journal: Print and digital woodworking publication offering project plans, techniques, and tool reviews; competes for the same hobbyist readership as Popular Woodworking with a similar subscription-based content model.

Regional players

• British Woodworking Magazine: UK-based woodworking magazine with comparable editorial coverage of projects, techniques, and tool reviews; serves the same niche audience in a different geography and represents a peer model rather than a direct North American competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pweditors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/active-interest-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Popular Woodworking