The Music

The Music (formerly known as and now incorporating Drum Media) is an online Australian music magazine. It previously existed as a street press devoted to long-form music journalism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. In its printed form, it was based in Sydney, NSW and distributed throughout Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle and Canberra, and surrounding areas. The magazine changed its name to The Music (incorporating Drum Media) in 2013, following the merge with two other magazines, Brisbane's Time Off and Melbourne's Inpress, owned by Street Press Australia. In 2020 the print edition was paused. Drum Media Drum Media was founded in 1990 as a free weekly tabloid-sized music magazine (street press). The first issue of Drum Media appeared on 16 September 1990 with a distribution of 40,000 and featured Midnight Oil on the cover. The magazine had been established after the entire staff of the long-running Sydney street press magazine On The Street staged a mass walk out on 6 September after a dispute with the owner over work conditions and pay. Following a meeting at the Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills, it was decided to start a new magazine with editor Margaret Cott and her sister, advertising manager Jennifer Cott, daughters of Mac Cott, Founding Editor of the Southern Highlands News, Bowral, providing the initial capital. The magazine rented its first office in Orwell Street, Potts Point and the first issue was released ten days later. A separate weekly issue began circulating in Perth in September 2006. Publishers Craig and Leigh Treweek bought Drum Media in February 2006 and consolidated it with Melbourne street magazine Inpress under the Street Press Australia banner. Craig Treweek said at the time, "This is a great opportunity to build a strong music media outlet that is supportive of the local music scene at a grass roots level."