SPIN Magazine Is Growing Quickly

In a world dominated by TikTok video unrolling at roller coaster speeds all driven by an algorithm tied to tracking information about your autonomic reactions, it’s reassuring to see the return of the written word as an alternative source of information.

Writing about live entertainment requires story telling. The complication of reducing a live event which lights up your brain with sound and visuals to writing is that it is hard to get energy into a story. The story has to infuse the energy into the readers’ emotions using only descriptive words and pacing.

SPIN is a digital magazine reasserting itself as a journal of record for all things entertainment. SPIN was acquired by Next Management Partners, a Los Angeles based investment firm focusing on tech and media investments. Its CEO is Jimmy Hutcheson, who is also CEO of SPIN.

I spoke at length with Hutcheson about SPIN and how using print across digital media is reviving a classic magazine focused on music and live entertainment. Hutcheson is energetic and enthusiastic. He’s the kind of cheerleader whose effusive manner inspires action, the opposite of the numbing passivity enhancers which now pass through endless cell phones disguised as news.

Google DocsJimmy Hutcheson Sizzle 4K.mov

SPIN is being rejuvenated after its acquisition by Next Management from Billboard. They are building audience by being deeply focused on music, and in particular authenticity. Their focus is less politics or more about building core holdings in Intellectual Property.

The current business model has SPIN as a digital product which is ad supported. This gives free access to the written content published continuously online, along with videos and monthly cover images. SPIN is continuing to build its library of stories, photos and videos as it remains focused on the idea that entertainment related stories retain relevancy over time.

It is a credible business strategy to acquire video, photographs and other IP which can be reused, packaged or redistributed long after its original use as news. Proof of concept was already everywhere: people wearing band logo T-shirts, tourists in Memphis stopping off at Graceland for a quick $100 tour, and even the hologram tours by deceased musicians which began to pop up just prior to the pandemic.

SPIN already has a library of images, stories and video which it enhances constantly. They have 107 writers posting to their site, while they make separate deals with their own teams and outside contributors for video and photographs.

The history of SPIN has been checkered, but they are now toying with their legacy. Bob Guccione, Jr. is back after 23 years away from SPIN. One of his signature pieces is the annual 50 Worst Songs by Otherwise Great Artists. Last year’s #1 “worst” was Billie Eilish’s contribution to the oeuvre of James Bond theme songs.

Hutcheson is also taking SPIN to Web3, including releasing their first NFT last year at South by Southwest (SXSW). He is focusing on the ways in which the metaverse is moving to host music in many forms, including concert and festival formats.

Additionally, SPIN is building brand partnerships through activations, content series and advertorials. They host an event at SXSW each year at Stubbs, and sponsor the SPIN best seats in the house at Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond music festival.

SPIN also has a mission to create impact which is currently focused on four causes: criminal justice reform, freedom of expression, education and mental health. The intention is to drive action in its community as a result of the advocacy and reporting.

Hutcheson is a dynamic personality who in immersing himself in the culture of entertainment. It’s fun to see the evolution of SPIN from what it once was to where it’s going under his leadership. The brand is currently profitable, and is building multiple extensions. They have a deal for clothing with Urban Outfitters, have created SPIN Japan, and are working to launch SPIN TV along with considering the possibility of a SPIN festival in the future. The best use of a deep catalogue of entertainment related Intellectual Property is to continue extending their brand into licensing deals with strong partners.

The history of SPIN has taken it through a myriad of owners, this newest iteration plays out in the hands of Jimmy Hutcheson and Next Management Partners. They seem to be intent on running the business with a deep focus on building authenticity secure in their knowledge that profits will rise as engagement deepens with their core audience. Entertainers and their audiences bond emotionally. Tapping into that primal connection requires a skillful touch which can only come from a deep personal understanding of what it means to be a fan and how to both appreciate the craft and report it. Hutcheson understands that in a world which overwhelmed by spin, SPIN must be uniquely honest. From that insight flows success. Their next year should be transformative.