Hal Leonard and Premier Guitar Team Up to Re-Launch Guitar Edge Magazine as Multimedia Network

Hal Leonard Corporation and Premier Guitar have announced the formation of Guitar Edge LLC, a new joint venture company created to expand and enhance Guitar Edge magazine as a multimedia resource for guitarists. The announcement came from Jeff Schroedl, VP of pop and standard publications for Hal Leonard, and Premier Guitar CEO Peter Sprague. The more robust Guitar Edge will make its debut with the September 2009 issue. Published by Hal Leonard, Guitar Edge burst onto the scene in July/August 2006 with the telling tagline "Less Talk, More Tab." The magazine specializes in providing accurate transcriptions in standard notation and guitar tablature for the hottest songs in all styles, along with artist features, performance tips, and gear information. Guitar Edge will be published monthly in a complete digital edition — which will feature viewable tab for ten free songs — and will continue as a bimonthly print magazine. The new Guitar Edge will attract readers via the four-platform multimedia model pioneered by Premier Guitar. This forward-thinking strategy — featuring a print magazine supported by a free online magazine, website and weekly e-newsletter — has gained Premier Guitar a devoted and deeply engaged international audience. Together, Guitar Edge and Premier Guitar expect to reach the largest audience of guitarists of all ages and abilities, serving both companies' enormous number of readers and customers. Guitar Edge will benefit from collaboration between the editorial staffs at both companies. Naturally suited for multimedia distribution, the magazine's exclusive content will reach a greatly increased audience via Premier Guitar's digital distribution resources, and Hal Leonard's unparalleled distribution network of music retailers and consumers. Current subscribers to both magazines can opt-in for the new, free-of-charge Guitar Edge digital content, as can any interested guitarist who responds to offers to do so. Guitar Edge's digital platforms will contain interactive links to Hal Leonard sister sites such as GuitarInstructor.com, the company's highly successful website for downloading guitar tab, lessons, and video instruction. Sprague comments on the deal, "We are very honored that Hal Leonard has chosen Premier Guitar as their partner in developing this exciting new multimedia resource for guitarists. There are tremendous synergies between our businesses, and we look forward to extending our collaborations to a host of new initiatives." Schroedl says, "With its editorial focus on gear, Premier Guitar reaches players at the top of the pyramid in terms of playing experience, while Guitar Edge skews toward a younger demographic, so the magazines are truly complementary. Premier has created an outstanding model for multimedia distribution of content. We're confident that Guitar Edge will find great success in emulating the Premier Guitar delivery models." Schroedl adds, "We are also pleased to provide an additional revenue stream for our publishing partners. Publishers will be paid based on page views whenever readers of the magazines view the free tab songs online."