ION Indie Magazine is the brainchild of The Fairy Rock Mother Kiki Plesha, who had a "dream for a zine" -- a digital magazine that embraced independent musicians of all genres. Thus, ION (Independent/Original/Newsworthy) was forged in June of 2014 by a dedicated group of volunteers comprised of journalists, photojournalists, and industry professionals who shared a passion for the indie artist and original music. Collectively, they agreed to pool their talents and resources to produce a music publication geared toward today's independent artist, which was not only a source of entertainment and information for its readers but also served as a means to support the careers of the musicians that appeared in our pages. Committed to this initiative, this "think tank" pondered what ION could provide that would truly make a difference to artists. In researching what other publications were doing (or NOT doing), we found that although there were many quality digital magazines available that reported on indie music, most were genre-specific. And while the coverage provided was helpful to the artist, other than the published article or review, the relationship with the featured artist ended after appearing in the magazine's pages. Add to that, very few of these publications streamed songs, thus, the actual MUSIC was missing and remained unheard. So, it was decided that not only would ION Indie Magazine be open to ALL genres of music and provide them valuable media coverage, but our content would be presented in an interactive format that included music. And, the staff of ION Indie Magazine was resolved to work diligently OUTSIDE of the publication's pages toward getting independent music read about, seen, and HEARD!

 

As many of the members of the staff of ION are musicians themselves, our staff possessed a keen understanding of the struggles facing today's indie artist. Due to the digitization of music, downloading and streaming services now ruled the realm, greatly devaluing music. The result was that the average indie artist's music sales were measured in pennies, not dollars. The introduction of the internet had become both friend and foe to musicians. The World Wide Web, although it readily increased an artist's reach, it also contributed to a saturated environment that actually narrowed the playing field. An artist's value or talent was now weighed by Facebook likes and social media followers. Adding to the artist's hardship, the "Pay to Play" model had become the standard operating procedure for many venues. REAL record deals also had become virtually unobtainable, artist development was now a DIY proposition, and effective promotion became as critical as actual musical acumen. The urgency to rise above the fray and garner the attention that would advance music careers made media exposure and radio airplay essential in any artist's arsenal. Meanwhile, artists were hanging up their instruments in droves due to sheer frustration at not being able to eke out a living. Thus, the ION team adopted the notion that this magazine would represent a vehicle that would be a part of the solution to the problem -- and that ION Indie Magazine would be more of a MOVEMENT, than a magazine.

 

To this end, besides providing media coverage, our ION team sought to enlist a network of broadcasters who shared our passion for independent artists and original music and who would be receptive to considering the music that streamed in ION for their programming. With the cooperation of ION's extensive radio partners, artists would now have the potential to their music placed in rotation on numerous quality radio stations from around the world! But why stop there? ION additionally partnered with the popular artist platform ReverbNation, and through campaigns with this industry giant, ION Indie Magazine would not only be served to millions of independent artists, putting ION Indie Magazine in front of the eyes of their target audience...independent artists...but with each issue, one ReverbNation artist would be selected to be spotlighted in the publication.

 

ION's tenacity has created traction for the publication. To date, ION Indie Magazine has not only become a much sought-after presence at many of today's most popular and highly attended music events and festivals, but the magazine regularly lends the ION name to many charitable events in an effort to support a variety of causes. And, as ION has evolved, the publication has attracted some of the top mainstream bands and artists from around the world. No, we have not sold-out, but the stance is this: these recognizable names attract readers who, in turn, then learn about the indie artists/bands within the pages of ION. Hopefully, these readers become new fans of the independent artists we feature! Everybody wins!

 

ION remains steadfast in our commitment to independent music. To date, our publication remains predominately INDIE. Each cover of ION is reserved for an independent artist or band and they receive the first slot placement in the magazine. We have additionally developed an innovative Music Share Program, where we work in cooperation with our family of broadcasters by forwarding the music that streams in our pages. This has resulted in numerous artists having their songs in rotation on radio stations around the world! In addition, we also have our own all-genre magazine-powered, globally syndicated radio show, Eye On Jamz with host Tim Board. Eye On Jamz -- now a reporting station to the World Indie Music Charts. Both our Music Share Program and our own radio show have presented additional opportunities for artists to acquire airplay and exposure outside of the pages of the magazine.

 

Summing up our stance at ION Indie Magazine, at the forefront of it all is the quality of the coverage that ION continuously provides in each edition of our publication. With our exceptional journalistic staff contributing compelling and entertaining content, along with some of the industry's most sought-after photojournalists delivering dynamic photography, the magazine has quickly become recognized as the go-to publication for indie artists around the globe and the fastest-growing all-genre independent music publication today!

 

ION Indie Magazine never presumed to be able to save the music world, but what we could provide is a platform for artists that would have a meaningful and positive impact on their careers. And if realizing the goal we set in our mission statement -- to get independent music read about, seen, and heard -- is any measure of our success...our mission is accomplished!

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IMPORTANT NOTE: ION Indie Magazine provides FREE opportunities for independent artists. We never charge to read our magazine and we do not partake in the practice of paid journalism -- just as we stand opposed to PAY TO PLAY. 

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For inquiries or comments about ION Indie Magazine, you may reach a member of our management team at info@ionindiemagazine.com. 

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To submit for consideration to appear in our magazine, please see our "Submissions" section and follow the guidelines.