NME announced today that it will start circulating as a free magazine. In an open letter to readers, editor Mike Williams described the next phase of the publication. “What we’re giving to you is a major brand transformation… A brilliant new free weekly magazine that will reach more than 300,000 people each week, a new look NME.com that will bring you closer to the stories that you care most about, some shiny new digital products which I’ll be able to tell you more about very soon, plus more live events, new video series and more interaction with you guys on new social platforms.”
NME started in 1952. However, its print circulation had fallen below 20,000 in recent years. The first free edition of the magazine will hit UK stores on September 18.