Overview:
Launched in May 1997 as a free Los Angeles music and nightlife publication, No Cover evolved from a FREE paper to the largest West Coast music magazine to eventually becoming an internationally distributed full color glossy newsstand publication. No Cover is the guide to new music, action sports, and is widely regarded as the music world’s primary tastemaker giving many now gold and pl
atinum selling artists/bands their first magazine cover. No Cover is back as an online publication and FREE No Cover Event Guide, giving new music an opportunity to shine once again. Putting the No Cover stamp of approval has built a strong trust among its readers as No Cover will praise the unsigned local artist and criticize a major label artist. It’s this trust with our readers that we now let our audience vote and pick our next unsigned artist magazine covers and No Cover Girl centerfold. No Cover has one of the Web’s most loyal audiences, comprised of highly engaged influencers who see the site as their primary music reference. No Cover’s must-read album reviews start the discussion on emerging and established artists alike, while its in-depth features and artist interviews, breaking music news, streaming MP3s, No Cover Girl centerfolds and original online video content make the site the largest and most authoritative independent music publication--on or offline. No Cover has also created partnerships with Jagermeister (producing the 1st “Official” Jagermusic Tour Magazine in 2003 with 100,000 copies distributed nationally with Slayer on the cover). In addition, a new partnership in 2011 with Musicati/AMI network (over 20,000 jukeboxes nationwide) and with Synergy Global Entertainment producers of the Jagermeister Music Tour, Rockstar Energy Mayhem Music Festival, Rockstar UPROAR Music Festival, Rockstar Taste of Chaos Music Festival nationally and internationally in over 20 countries. In 2009, No Cover produced their own music festival called California Music Fest in Ventura, CA which featured more than 200 artists and attracted fans from 45 states and 3 countries. No Cover also curated a stage at the Las Vegas Eat’m Music Conference and hosts its annual hotly anticipated party at SXSW in Austin with artists such as Pepper (Atlantic Records), Living Things (Jive Records) Chuck Regan (SideOne Dummy Records) and Pro BMX Rider/ESPN Host Rick Thorne. Other notable shows included Action Sports Retail convention (Unwritten Law), The Lashes (Columbia Records), Tom Gabel of Against Me (Warner Bros. No Cover’s must-read album reviews start the discussion on emerging and established artists alike, while its in-depth features and artist interviews, daily updated breaking music news, streaming MP3s and original online video content make the site an authoritative independent music publication. Reviews
No Cover’s opinionated--and sometimes contentious--Reviews section is the site’s foundation and its most popular content, with a unique 10.0-point scale and a willingness to explore records at length that have become the site’s hallmarks. Unlike most major music media, No Cover is willing to offer both unadulterated praise for previously unknown bands and to skewer sacred cows. No Cover’s honest, untainted opinions have given it one of the publishing world’s most devoted and loyal followings. News
No Cover News is the Web’s one-stop source for independent music news, covering tour itineraries and album announcements. No Cover News is updated several times a day with the latest breaking news. No Cover News is essential reading for anyone keeping up with the music industry. Features
No Cover's unique Features section includes in-depth writing, original commentary, incisive interviews and original columns. The section includes some of No Cover’s most widely read content in music, action sports and lifestyle concentration. No Cover National also publishes interviews with some of music’s biggest stars, athletes and actors. This section has become a favorite stop for readers seeking out engaging, lively commentary and insight on our reader’s world. Best new music
The one-stop spot for the cream of the crop, No Cover’s Best New Music section has become a virtual shopping list for discerning listeners. Highlighting upward of 100 new records and tracks each year, BNM is the place to find the albums, singles and newly released reissues that we can't stop spinning. With more than four years of archived album selections, readers can easily locate the record we've been most enthusiastic about over the years. Whether rock, hip-hop, dance, or something more left-field, we award this honor to our favorite releases and our readers keep tabs on those records, and this section, throughout the year. Action sports
No Cover is the first documenting actions sports, covering the best upcoming athletes and legends of the sports in Surf, Skate, Snow, FMX, Moto-X and MMA. Lifestyle
No Cover is dedicated to bringing our readers in-depth coverage and reviews of things that interest there lives such as art, tattooing, movies, and video games. Why No Cover
For 14 years, No Cover has been the leading online voice in independent music developing a fiercely loyal audience with more than 1 million magazines published and distributed around the world (US, UK, Scotland and Canada). Our insightful content influences the influencers and our long-standing reputation for honesty and independence makes us the most trusted source for music content on the Web. As such, our audience of 18–34 year old tastemakers are the most influential among their peers, helping shape the music, movie, clothing, and brand tastes of their friends. Advertiser acknowledgments
“We had the pleasure of working with No Cover magazine. No Cover produced 100,000 tour magazines for the Jagermeister Music tour which was held in 42 markets nationwide. I felt No Cover did a great job for us on one of our biggest promotions of the year. The magazine was a huge hit among all concert fans.”
- Rick Zeiler Director of Marketing and Brand Development Sidney Frank Importing CO
“No Cover Magazine is a great place for us to advertise due to their great editorial and the ability to offer our music on their CD compilations. We get more bang for our buck!” -Tom Ward, Director of Advertising/Fat Wreck Chords
“I have dealt with No Cover for many years now, and it has been one of the most positive experiences I have had during my time here. All the staff at No Cover are very professional people. The staff is always open to answering any question I may have, and on top of that, it is just a cool magazine and site to have our bands advertise in. If I have a concern I need addressed, the staff does what it takes to make sure that issue is addressed right away.”
-Clint Mayher, Consumer Advertising/Century Media Records and Family Inc.
“No Cover events have been great for sales. We sold over 27 cases of Budweiser in just 2 hours of opening the doors at a San Diego event featuring a Coachella artist.”
-Kellen Flores, Marketing / Anheuser-Busch
“Just wanted to say that it was great to work with No Cover on your California Music Fest. It is evident the tremendous planning and effort it took to put the festival together - not only for the event itself, but coordinating with the city, vendors, bars and sponsors. Throughout the whole thing, you were efficient, professional and a pleasure to work with. If bumps in the road came up, you were quick to find a solution, extremely helpful and willing to do whatever it took to solve it. You truly felt like a partner in making the opportunity as effective as possible for our brands, from the planning stages all the way through to the follow-up. Thank you for your efforts and I'd definitely recommend the opportunity for any future sponsors! Thanks for everything!
- Rachel Furman, Sailor Jerry
Press Acknowledgements
Yahoo Music ranks No Cover Magazine's event with Living Things (Jive/Zomba Recordings) as 1 of the top 5 events during SXSW!!! Partying Like It's 2006 at South By Southwest
Living Things - Thursday 3/16, No Cover Magazine Party
“Admittedly, some lookie-loos may have been lured here to the Drink (a garishly mirror-paneled, main-drag sports bar) for the free Rock Star energy drinks. But it's the set by glammy, greasy St. Louis rabblerousers Living Things that provides the ultimate adrenaline rush. Looking like the eyeliner-caked lovechild of Marc Bolan and J.R. Ewing in a puffed-sleeved, snow-white cowboy suit, singer Lillian Berlin and his band of equally fantastically monikered brothers (Bosh and Eve) completely shake, rattle, and roll the joint with their ass-kicking, groupie-shagging, paint-peeling rawk 'n' soul. Hurtling himself off the stage and into the adoring audience during Motor City-style ball-busters like "Bombs Below," Lillian square dances with willing Texans, demands cocktails from random patrons loitering at the bar (who readily comply), and encourages fans to literally claw the white Western wear off his sweat-slicked, Iggy-skinny body. Thanks No Cover Magazine…Now that's a party!”
-Yahoo! Music
“The California Music Fest, was a premiere independent music event, a reasonably priced summer festival that provided an overwhelmingly positive, comfortable, and fun experience for both attendees and musicians. The two-day, festival featured more than 200 artists across the downtown Ventura 12 music venues, 2- main stage stages, including Unwritten Law, Dj Homicide, Boy Hits Car, Kid Frost, Blackbyrd McKnight, Lil Uno, B-Side Players. The Golden State’s music, surf and art was spotlighted during the California Music Fest in Ventura, a two-day showcase of more than 100 bands, plus a Triple Crown Surf Contest and a giant canvas that artists will paint on while listening to music. “We combine Californians’ love for surf and art,” continued Rasmussen, a Ventura resident who runs a nationally distributed music and sports lifestyle magazine called No Cover, which he started more than a decade ago. Acts slated to perform include Unwritten Law, Boy Hits Car, JetStream, The Muddflaps featuring Gretchen Bonaduce and Chris Doohan, Blackbyrd McNight, SexTapes featuring Chris Pitman of Guns N’ Roses, B-Side Players and Kid Frost. Also, “artists from all over California painting a giant canvas wall to music,” Rasmussen said. “We will also have a military salute and pay respect to our military with a color guard flag ceremony and our national anthem played on electric guitar.”
-www.camusicfest.com - Ventura Star
"No Cover is the only publication that goes for both music and action sports. It’s a niche they are carving offering up, an alternative advertising medium to those independent advertisers who can't afford Transworld or 944 but who can afford No Cover.”
–San Diego Reader
Demographics
55% male and 45% female
Age groups - Readers
20 and under-22%
21-25 - 35%
26-30 - 25%
31-35 - 11%
35 and up 7%
Average Income
20 and under - 15k
21-25 - 25 k
26-30- 40 k
31-35- 60 k
35 +- 80 k
Average reader income 35 k
Education
1% none
5% some high school
7% high school diploma
32% some college
36% bachelors degree
19% advanced degree
Relationship with No Cover
3% since day 1
8% 1 year or less
27% 1-2 years
45% 3-5 years
15% 6 plus years
70% have been reading No Cover for two years or more
95% have been reading No Cover for one year or more
70% of readers consider No Cover their primary music reference
Lifestyles
53% OF OUR READERS ARE MUSICIANS
86% OWN AN MP3 PLAYER
Our readers are active and go out at night
4% daily
36% weekly
77% monthly
Listening habits ranked by preference
Mp3’s
CD’s
Vinyl
Plus we have No Cover Radio.............. Support music and those who make it - be a part of a movement and create a culture!
