Have your say & ask the experts

Andy Clough:

JoelSim:

Clare Newsome:

It indisputable that we cover more hi-fi products every month than any other magazine.

I will admit the other specialist hi-fi magazines (which sell a fraction of the amount that WHF does)  have more opinion/profile features - fair enough, but we also carry features here online (our blogs section is full of them), as well as - of course - hosting and contributing to these thriving Forums. 

Clare, with all due respect to the customer the ABC figure is really not important.

Really? So if we had a tiny ABC like many of our competitors, we'd obviously appeal to far fewer readers. That makes sense how? And heaven forbid the magazine/website should have to make money to pay for all the services we provide. We're a business, not a charity.

Andy, the ABC figure is of no importance to me. The length of time it takes me to read the magazine is of paramount importance.

And yes I totally understand the business reasons Andrew, Andy and Clare. And the money needed for investment. And that other magzines have much smaller readerships.

And yes you do have a good website, which I enjoy.

But that doesn't make any difference to the fact that WHFSAV is now less relevant to me than other magazines. And would be the first to go should I fall on hard times and need to cancel a subscription. Simply because I don't find enough of interest in the magazine these days as I used to, or as I do in other specialist magazines.

I'm not having a go, I'm just telling the truth; I don;t look forward to getting the mag half as much as I used to because it's full of stuff I have no interest in. That didn't used to be the case when I would read everything.

The ABC figures are pretty conclusive.....

Hi-Fi Choice                           8,479  (Percentage change -15.3%)

Hi-Fi News                         10,013   (Percentage change -11.8%)

What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision  55,373  (Percentage change -6.4%)

Hi-Fi Total                           73,865  (Percentage change -8.3%)

July - December 2008 Source ABC.  Total sales including export.

Looks like WHFS&V has about three quarters of the market sector and is losing readership at about half the rate of it's nearest competitor.

 

In the words of the Average White Band, "Let's Go Round Again!"

 

chebby:

The ABC figures are pretty conclusive.....

Hi-Fi Choice                           8,479  (Percentage change -15.3%)

Hi-Fi News                         10,013   (Percentage change -11.8%)

What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision  55,373  (Percentage change -6.4%)

Hi-Fi Total                           73,865  (Percentage change -8.3%)

July - December 2008 Source ABC.  Total sales including export.

Looks like WHFS&V has about three quarters of the market sector and is losing readership at about half the rate of it's nearest competitor.

 

Is'nt 73, 865 more than 55, 373?

Yeah I agree, what hi fi to me used to be synonymous with hi fi, it was the first thing I bought because I wanted to learn and be informed about hi fi. Now granted I did use the comments of what hi fi along with other television review publications to make my mind up about purchasing a new television. However month after month the content is now packed with television news reviews, and previews and to me this holds little or no interest. I have bought a plasma television and am very happy with it, barring the tv packing in, I intend to keep with the television. Hi fi is not the same, it is one of those things where you do find yourself constantly wanting to learn a lot more and so you can potentially make further upgrades. I don't know about the number of reviews of hi fi compared to other magazines, however certainly content wise, things have been markedly scaled back. I realise the realities of it of course, it's a balancing act, you aren't a single enterprise, you are part of a much bigger corporate group and so it is all about the returns. For me personally though there is nowhere near an even balance being taken. I think the forum is great, it has been a valuable source of information but as someone who first and foremost appreciates hi fi, there no longer seems to be a real incentive for me to buy the magazine other than occcasionally.

al7478:

Is'nt 73, 865 more than 55, 373?

Yes of course it is.  Total sales of all the titles will obviously be more than the sales of one title.

"Hifi Total" is not a magazine title. It is the sales of all three titles added together.

I'd be interested to see the comparative figures for magazines on buying/downloading music rather than gear, ie Gramaphone, BBC Music, Classic FM Mag and the equivalent pop/rock mags.

Most people buy music regularly, but I guess only upgrade their systems every few years.  Are more people interested in reading about the kit they won't be buying than the music they will be buying?  How much of Hi Fi and TV magazine market is transitory for readers only when they want to upgrade, and how much is regulars who just like reading about the kit while (or even instead of!) listening to/watching it?

chebby:

al7478:

Is'nt 73, 865 more than 55, 373?

"Hifi Total" is not a magazine title.

Oops. Well, no prizes for spotting the dunce im afraid folks.

Sorry all. Its been a funny ol' day.

Now, Total HiFi...

al7478:

chebby:

al7478:

Is'nt 73, 865 more than 55, 373?

"Hifi Total" is not a magazine title.

Oops. Well, no prizes for spotting the dunce im afraid folks.

Sorry all. Its been a funny ol' day.

Now, Total HiFi...

Hahahaha! Thank you al that cheered me up no end.

A new rival publication is born!

my pleasure.

Kevin Stephens:

I'd be interested to see the comparative figures for magazines on buying/downloading music rather than gear, ie Gramaphone, BBC Music, Classic FM Mag and the equivalent pop/rock mags.

They're all available on the ABC website.

Surely an indication of passion is in the figures on this website, 95k posts vs 60k posts in favour of hifi. Never forget that they are the long-termers.

 

Andy Clough:

Oh yes indeed!

And actually us punters also provide a service by posting. In our spare time. Free research too.

 

JoelSim:

Surely an indication of passion is in the figures on this website, 95k posts vs 60k posts in favour of hifi. Never forget that they are the long-termers.

Being a bit selective there Joel.

If you total up the  "Home Cinema" and the "TVs & Projectors" forums then you get a much fairer comparison.

You only picked one.

chebby:

JoelSim:

Surely an indication of passion is in the figures on this website, 95k posts vs 60k posts in favour of hifi. Never forget that they are the long-termers.

Being a bit selective there Joel.

If you total up the  "Home Cinema" and the "TVs & Projectors" forums then you get a much fairer comparison.

You only picked one.

Not if you take into account Clare's percentage figures from earlier in the thread it isn't Chebby. Only about 10% of readers are buying hifi in the next year, yet they contribute 50% of the posts. Doesn't that say something in itself?