Rolling Stone Italia
Rolling Stone Italia is the licensed Italian edition of Rolling Stone, operating a digital-first editorial platform covering music, cinema, TV, and culture for Italian audiences, monetized through advertising, branded content partnerships with major advertisers, and print/merchandise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersItaly, Italy
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Rolling Stone Italia does
Rolling Stone Italia is the licensed Italian edition of Rolling Stone magazine, operated under agreement with Rolling Stone LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. The company operates a digital-first editorial platform based in Milano, Italy, covering music, cinema, television, and broader culture for Italian-speaking audiences. Its product portfolio is anchored by the rollingstone.it website and is supplemented by digital cover features with high-profile artists, a print magazine with special editions, curated photo galleries, a podcast editorial section, and dedicated vertical sections covering motors/automotive and food. An e-commerce shop at shop.rollingstone.it sells branded merchandise and print editions.
The business model is a hybrid of display advertising, branded content partnerships, and direct-to-consumer print and merchandise sales. Branded content is the most strategically emphasized monetization stream, with a recurring roster of advertiser partners across automotive (Ford, Renault, Hyundai, Volvo, Dongfeng, Ferrari, BYD), beverages (Jameson/Pernod Ricard, Birra Moretti), retail (Lidl), financial services (Allianz), media infrastructure (Urban Vision), and education (IULM). Distribution is multi-channel, combining the website, social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X/Twitter, and LinkedIn, email newsletters, print newsstand presence, and an owned e-commerce storefront. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.
The company employs approximately 77 people and operates as a content-led media business within the Italian market. Its primary customer segment is Italian readers interested in music and culture, served through a horizontal segmentation approach. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no proprietary technology stack beyond standard web publishing, and no public financial reporting. Strategic emphasis is on editorial brand strength, content vertical expansion, and deepening branded content relationships rather than technology differentiation.
Rolling Stone Italia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rolling Stone Italia
- Legal name
- Rolling Stone Italia
- Website
- https://rollingstone.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Rolling Stone Italia is the licensed Italian edition of Rolling Stone, operating a digital-first editorial platform covering music, cinema, TV, and culture for Italian audiences, monetized through advertising, branded content partnerships with major advertisers, and print/merchandise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rolling Stone Italia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music & Cultural Journalism
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Topic/Interest-Based Content Discovery Apps (MPACAKAB), News & Current Affairs Aggregators (MPACAKAA)
Keywords
Where Rolling Stone Italia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Italy
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rolling Stone Italia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Advertising: Digital advertising through the website including display ads, sponsored content, and branded content integrations with partners such as Lidl, Allianz, IULM, Urban Vision, and others.
- Print and Digital Magazine Sales: Sale of print magazine issues and digital covers through shop.rollingstone.it, featuring special editions on artists like Shiva and Gino Paoli.
- Branded Content Partnerships: Sponsored editorial content and branded content campaigns for partner brands including automotive (Ford, Hyundai, Volvo), beverages (Jameson, Birra Moretti), and lifestyle brands.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Rolling Stone Italia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rolling Stone Italia operates a digital-first editorial platform at rollingstone.it delivering coverage of music, cinema, TV, and culture to Italian readers. The publication is supplemented by a periodic print magazine, digital cover features, photo galleries, podcasts, branded content partnerships, and an online merchandise shop. The content is aimed at Italian consumers interested in music, entertainment, and contemporary cultural topics.
Product overview
Rolling Stone Italia is a media and publishing company operating a multi-channel editorial platform focused on music, cinema, TV, and culture. Its portfolio consists of the core Rolling Stone Italia Website — the primary digital editorial platform delivering news, interviews, reviews, and features across multiple content categories — supplemented by the Digital Cover sub-brand (featured artist cover stories), the print Magazine (special thematic print editions available for purchase via the Shop), the Foto Gallery feature (curated photo collections), the Podcast editorial section (culture and music podcast content), the Motori section (automotive editorial), the Food section (gastronomy culture), and the Progetti Speciali special projects series (long-form editorial and branded content collaborations). The Shop serves as the e-commerce channel for merchandise and print products. Together these products form an editorial-media portfolio spanning digital, print, and experiential formats.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RS Podcast: Rolling Stone Italia's official podcast series featuring interviews and cultural discussions
- Digital Cover
- Shop
Products and services
- Rolling Stone Italia Website Digital-first editorial publication at rollingstone.it delivering coverage of music, cinema, television, and contemporary culture to Italian readers, including articles, digital covers, photo galleries, and podcasts.
- Rolling Stone Italia Magazine (Print) Periodical print magazine carrying Rolling Stone Italia's editorial coverage of music, cinema, TV, and culture, sold at newsstands and through subscription to Italian readers.
- Rolling Stone Italia Shop Online storefront operated by Rolling Stone Italia for the sale of branded merchandise to consumers.
Companies that use Rolling Stone Italia
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rolling Stone Italia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rolling Stone Italia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- LidlminorBranded content partnership with Lidl for campaign 'Un abbraccio di convenienza' featuring four subjects in documentary style with activation on Spotify.
- AllianzminorPartnership with Allianz for branded content coverage of Sfera Ebbasta's concert at Allianz Stadium celebrating 10 years of trap music.
- IULM (Università di Lingue e Comunicazione)minorBranded content partnership promoting IULM Master program for cinema writing, featuring placement with producers and pitching sessions.
- Urban VisionminorPartnership with Urban Vision for 'Urban Echoes' podcast and event coverage including Sanremo 2025 party.
- Jameson (Pernod Ricard)minorJameson Distilled Sounds branded content series featuring music events in Italian cities (Milan, Bologna, Palermo) documenting local music scenes.
- RenaultminorBranded content partnerships covering Viva! Festival 2024 and automotive content connecting music and vehicles.
- FordminorAdventurous Spirit branded content partnership exploring hip-hop culture with Ford vehicles.
- DongfengminorBranded content partnership 'La Prima Volta' during Milano Music Week featuring Dongfeng Box vehicles.
- Birra MorettiminorBirra Moretti 'Così Come Siamo' branded content series featuring artist Tananai.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rolling Stone Italia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Spotify: Global music streaming platform and technology integration partner. Listed as a partner for branded content activations (e.g., Lidl campaign), and is a complementary ecosystem player in music content distribution rather than a direct competitor.
Direct peers
- Internazionale: Italian weekly newsmagazine focused on international journalism, culture, and current affairs. Comparable as a digital-first Italian periodical with strong editorial brand, premium subscription base, and advertising-led revenue model.
- Vanity Fair Italia: Italian edition of Vanity Fair, a peer licensed international magazine covering culture, entertainment, and lifestyle. Comparable audience profile (Italian cultural elites), editorial categories, and reliance on premium advertising and branded content.
- Wired Italia: Italian edition of Wired magazine covering technology, culture, and society. Closely comparable as a licensed international edition of a major media brand operating a digital-first content platform in Italy with similar revenue model (advertising, branded content, events).
- Billboard: Global music industry trade publication owned by Penske Media Corporation. Direct peer in music journalism focus, owned by the same parent company as Rolling Stone, with comparable editorial coverage of music industry, charts, and artist profiles.
- Il Post: Italian digital-first news publication covering culture, politics, and entertainment. Comparable as a digital-native Italian editorial brand competing for the same audience attention and digital advertising spend.
- NME: Global music journalism brand with strong digital presence. Comparable as a music-focused editorial publication with international brand recognition, multi-channel output (digital, print, video), and advertising-driven revenue model.
- GQ Italia: Italian edition of GQ (Condé Nast), covering style, culture, and entertainment. Comparable as a licensed international men's lifestyle/culture magazine competing for the same premium advertising spend and Italian cultural-curious audience.
- Rolling Stone (US edition): The original US edition of Rolling Stone, with which Rolling Stone Italia shares brand identity, editorial positioning, and licensing lineage. Most direct peer in terms of music journalism brand, audience profile, and editorial voice.
Broad incumbents
- Penske Media Corporation: Parent company of Rolling Stone LLC and ultimate licensor of Rolling Stone Italia. Broad incumbent media conglomerate operating Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, and other entertainment media brands across multiple verticals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Rolling Stone Italia social profiles
Digital presenceRolling Stone Italia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rolling Stone Italia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rolling Stone Italia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rolling Stone Italia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rolling Stone Italia
What does Rolling Stone Italia do?
Rolling Stone Italia operates a digital-first editorial platform at rollingstone.it delivering coverage of music, cinema, TV, and culture to Italian readers. The publication is supplemented by a periodic print magazine, digital cover features, photo galleries, podcasts, branded content partnerships, and an online merchandise shop. The content is aimed at Italian consumers interested in music, entertainment, and contemporary cultural topics.
Is Rolling Stone Italia a public or private company?
Rolling Stone Italia is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Rolling Stone Italia founded?
Rolling Stone Italia was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Rolling Stone Italia based?
Rolling Stone Italia is headquartered in Italy, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Rolling Stone Italia make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are print and Digital Magazine Sales and branded Content Partnerships.
Who are Rolling Stone Italia's main competitors?
Spotify is listed as an others. Direct peers are Internazionale, Vanity Fair Italia, Wired Italia, Billboard, Il Post, NME, GQ Italia and Rolling Stone (US edition). Penske Media Corporation is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Rolling Stone Italia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rolling Stone Italia.
What industry is Rolling Stone Italia in?
Rolling Stone Italia's product category is Music & Cultural Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines, with a secondary code of MPACAKAB, Topic/Interest-Based Content Discovery Apps. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 7310.