Magazines we like: WholeNote

Some magazines have a sense of mission about them and this certainly seems to be the case for WholeNote, a controlled circulation music magazine which has retained its homemade feel while growing to be a substantial presence in the market.

It's available in Toronto and in a surrounding arc roughly mirroring the Greater Toronto area, with an audited circulation of about 33,000 distributed in more than 1,200 locations. About 5,000 other copies are distributed free at music events.

For a controlled circulation magazine, reliable distribution is key and WholeNote has added its own particular wrinkle, essentially guaranteeing that within its circulation area, there will be a distribution point in every forward sortation area (FSA) , the first three letters of the postal code. If a reader spots an FSA where they're not, they'll establish a distribution point within four weeks or give the person a free, postal subscription.

The magazine has a fairly industrial strength and newspaperish design inside, but it is chockfull of information on all kinds of music. Its premium newsprint stock doesn't detract from the content and, in fact, adds to the magazine's friendly appeal. Well worth picking up.