Two local independent music-media rivals have announced plans to combine their businesses, leveraging off each other’s print and online strengths to create a single print masthead and online portal.
Under the alliance of X-Press Magazine and The Music, the two businesses will combine to utilise X-Press’s strength in the magazine market and couple it with The Music’s online presence.
X-Press will continue as the magazine masthead, while themusic.com.au will become the online destination for X-Press content and digital advertising.
“This is a great decision for the WA entertainment scene, both for advertisers and readers, the combined editorial strength both in WA and nationally will see X-Press Magazine grow with even greater access to national and international artists, while themusic.com.au will increase its WA content, taking advantage of X-Press’s resources locally,” Columbia Press (publisher of X-Press) managing director Joe Cipriani said.
X-Press will release fortnightly free editions in WA, with a weekly app edition, while The Music’s final WA edition was published yesterday.
The Music’s WA editor, Dan Cribb, will join themusic.com.au’s digital team as an editor, overseeing content for the state, as well as South Australia and Tasmania.
The Music managing director Craig Treweek said the combined business will continue to provide advertisers with the advantages of integrated online and print campaigns.
“As the media landscape continues to change we saw this as a unique opportunity to enhance the coverage of West Australian music entertainment both locally and nationally,” he said.
