SPIN Magazine is coming to Canada. The iconic music media brand, a fixture of American music culture for more than 4 decades, announces a dedicated Canadian editorial presence built around local artists, culture, and live music.
Leading the expansion is Michael Hollett, veteran Canadian media executive and NXNE founder, named editor-in-chief of SPIN Canada. Hollett brings decades of experience championing Canadian music to a platform with genuine global reach. “I’ve spent decades in journalism championing Canadian artists and musicians,” he says, “and finding fresh new voices to tell these stories in SPIN will be incredibly satisfying.”
SPIN Canada launches June 10-14 with the debut of the SPIN Canada Stage at NXNE, timed to FIFA World Cup programming week in Toronto. The festival brings together more than 350 artists and offers SPIN an immediate, high-profile platform to spotlight emerging and established Canadian talent right out of the gate.
While SPIN’s U.S. edition already reaches Canadian readers, this is something different. SPIN Canada builds a localized editorial operation dedicated entirely to Canadian artists, audiences, and cultural coverage, with original reporting, artist features, and cultural pieces tailored to the market, while plugging local talent into SPIN’s broader global network.
SPIN CEO Jimmy Hutcheson frames the expansion as a natural extension of the brand’s momentum. “From our recent 40th anniversary celebration during Art Basel in Miami, featuring Chance the Rapper and Clipse, to collaborations with brands like Urban Outfitters and Aviator Nation, the demand for SPIN continues to grow in new and unexpected ways,” he says. “Canada is a natural next step.”
The launch also builds on SPIN’s recent acquisition of Live For Live Music, which deepened the company’s footprint in live events and community-driven programming. SPIN Canada follows that same path, with live events in Canada already part of the longer-term plan.
Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard U.K. and Billboard Canada/AMG, sees the timing as ideal. “SPIN has such a strong legacy in music journalism and culture,” he says, “and we see this as an exciting opportunity to help spotlight emerging artists, especially through a festival platform that brings together music fans from around the world.”
SPIN Canada is a significant moment for Canadian music media. The country has never lacked for talent. Now it has a publication with the muscle to match.