Vibe is a music and entertainment magazine founded by
producer Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and
hip-hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down
production in Summer 2009, Vibe was purchased by the private equity investment
fund InterMedia Partners and is now issued every-other month with double
covers, with a larger online presence. The magazine's target demographic is
predominantly young, urban followers of hip-hop culture. As of April 2013 Vibe
is currently owned by Spin Media.
The magazine owed its success to featuring a broader range
of interests than its closest competitors The Source and XXL which focus more
narrowly on rap music, or the rock & pop-centric Rolling Stone and Spin. As
of June 30, 2012, Vibe has a circulation of 300,943, of which 202,439 was paid,
and 98,504 was non paid. Advertisers ran the gamut from record labels to
fashion houses to various cognac brands
Quincy Jones launched Vibe in 1993, in partnership with Time
Inc. Originally, the publication had been called Volume before co-founding
editor, and Scott Poulson-Bryant gave it the name Vibe. Though hip-hop mogul
Russell Simmons was rumored to be an initial partner, publisher Len Burnett
revealed in a March 2007 interview that Simmons clashed with editor-in-chief
Jonathan Van Meter. Miller Publishing bought Vibe in 1996, and shortly
afterward bought Spin. Private equity firm, The Wicks Group, bought the
magazine in 2006.
Jonathan Van Meter's successors were Alan Light, Danyel
Smith, Emil Wilbikin, Mimi Valdes, and finally Danyel Smith again. On June 30,
2009, it was announced that Vibe was shutting its doors and ceasing publication
immediately, although according to Essence, Quincy Jones has stated he would
like to keep it alive online.
After shutting down, private equity investment fund
InterMedia Partners, LP bought Vibe Magazine. They have said they "feel
privileged to purchase and resurrect such a storied brand. They added Uptown
magazine to Vibe's parent company, Vibe Holdings. Ron Burkle and Magic Johnson
later invested in the company. Vibe Holdings merged with BlackBook Media to
form Vibe Media in 2012.
On April 25, 2013 it was announced that Vibe Magazine along
with Vibe.com and VibeVixen.com had been sold to Spin Media for an undisclosed
sum. Spin Media was thought likely to shut down Vibe's print magazine by the
end of 2013, which a representative stating: "We’re still trying to find a
print model that makes economic sense in the digital age. Instead, they cut the
magazine's frequency to quarterly.
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