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{{Infobox company

| name = SpinMedia

| logo =

| type =

| industry = Websites, blog networks

| fate =

| predecessor = BuzzMedia

| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->

| founded = {{Start date and age|1999}}

| founder = <!-- or: | founders = -->

| defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->

| hq_location_city = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]

| hq_location_country = [[United States|U.S.]]

| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->

| key_people = Stephen Blackwell (CEO)

| products =

| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->

| num_employees =

| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->

| parent =

| website =

}}

'''SpinMedia''' (formerly '''Buzz Media''') was an American digital publisher which owned a number of [[popular culture|pop culture]] websites, including ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', ''[[Stereogum]]'', ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'', and ''[[The Frisky (website)|The Frisky]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=BUZZMEDIA Acquires Top Women's Entertainment & Lifestyle Website The Frisky from Turner Broadcasting|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/11/idUS148274+11-Feb-2011+BW20110211|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924151145/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/11/idUS148274+11-Feb-2011+BW20110211|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2015|access-date=4 September 2015|publisher=Reuters|date=11 February 2011}}</ref>

Buzz Media was founded by Anthony Batt ([[CEO]]), Marc Brown, Kevin Woolery, and Steve Haldane under the name Buzznet.<ref name="Batt">{{cite web |title= Interview with Anthony Batt, Co-Founder, Buzznet |work= SoCal Tech" High Tech News and Information for Southern California |date= May 10, 2006 |author= Ben Kuo |url= http://www.socaltech.com/interview_with_anthony_batt__co-founder__buzznet/s-0003953.html |access-date= October 23, 2013 }}</ref>

== History ==

Anthony Batt and Marc Brown started a [[blog]] in 1999, and by 2006, Buzznet had a total of nine employees in the [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] area.<ref name="Batt" /> The Buzz Media name was created as the company started to acquire more pop-culture and music blogs.

The company announced on March 19, 2009, it raised US$12.5 million in funding from [[venture capital]]ists that include companies that had already invested in the company, such as Anthem Ventures, [[New Enterprise Associates]], [[Redpoint Ventures]], and [[Sutter Hill Ventures]], as well as new investor Focus Ventures.<ref name=blogherald>{{cite web |access-date=2010-04-07 |url=http://www.blogherald.com/2009/03/20/buzznet-becomes-buzz-media-raises-125-million-new-funding/ |title=Buzznet becomes Buzz Media; Raises $12.5 million new funding |publisher=Blog Herald |date=2009-03-20 |author=Rivera, Dominic }}</ref><ref name=paidcontent>{{cite web |access-date=2010-04-07 |url=http://paidcontent.org/article/419-buzznet-raises-12.5-million-changes-name-to-buzz-media/ |title= Buzznet Raises $12.5 Million; Changes Name To Buzz Media |publisher=paidContent |date=2009-03-19 |author=Maher, Rory }}</ref>

It acquired Spin Media, publisher of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine in July 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title= BUZZMEDIA Buys Spin |work= SoCal Tech" High Tech News and Information for Southern California |date= July 10, 2012 |url=http://www.socaltech.com/buzzmedia_buys_spin/s-0043738.html |access-date= October 23, 2013 }}</ref>

After shutting down the print version of the magazine, reducing its staff to about 200, and focusing on advertising, it rebranded itself as SpinMedia in March 2013.<ref name="Bill">{{Cite news |url= http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/branding/1554416/buzzmedia-rebrands-itself-spinmedia |title= Buzzmedia Rebrands Itself SpinMedia |work= [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date= March 25, 2013 |access-date= October 23, 2013 }}</ref>

At that time, Steve Hansen became its chief executive.<ref name="Bill" />

In April 2013, it acquired ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite news |title= Vibe Magazine Purchased by SpinMedia, Will Probably Go Online-Only |work= Billboard |date= April 25, 2013 |url= http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/branding/1559605/vibe-magazine-purchased-by-spinmedia-will-probably-go-online-only |access-date= October 23, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Vibe Magazine Is Sold and Likely to Become Online Only |author= Sisario, Ben |author-link=Ben Sisario |date= April 25, 2013 |work= [[The New York Times]] |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/business/media/spinmedia-buys-vibe-magazine.html |access-date= October 23, 2013 }}</ref> In 2014, [[M/C Partners]] became the primary owner of SpinMedia after an [[General assignment|assignment for benefit of creditors]].<ref>{{cite web| title = SpinMedia LLC Acquired By New Investors as SpinMedia Group Receives $10M| work = Billboard| format = Text| access-date = 2017-01-02| date = 2014-02-03| url = http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/5893882/spinmedia-llc-acquired-by-new-investors-as-spinmedia-group-receives-10m}}</ref> That year, Buzz Media had also acquired music sites Property of Zack, [[Absolutepunk.net|AbsolutePunk.net]], Under The Gun Review, and Punknews.org.<ref name="hypebot">{{cite web |title= Fresh Off Spin Magazine Purchase, BUZZMEDIA Buys 4 Top Punk Rock Sites |date= August 27, 2012 |author= Bruce Houghton |url= http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/08/fresh-off-spin-magaizne-purchase-buzzmedia-buys-4-top-punk-rock-sites.html |access-date= August 27, 2012 }}</ref>

In September 2016, SpinMedia sold [[Buzznet]], [[Idolator (website)|Idolator]], and [[PureVolume]] to startup corporation Hive Media.<ref name=Sells>{{cite news|last1=Rys |first1=Dan |title=SpinMedia Sells Idolator, Buzznet & PureVolume to Hive Media|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7518064/spinmedia-sells-idolator-buzznet-purevolume-hive-media|access-date=22 September 2016|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=September 21, 2016}}</ref> In December 2016, [[Eldridge Industries]] acquired ''Spin'', ''Vibe'', ''Stereogum'', and ''Death and Taxes'' via the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group for an undisclosed amount, making Billboard the world's largest music brand in terms of digital traffic and audience share.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-12-22|title=The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group Acquires SpinMedia's Music Brands, Including SPIN, VIBE, and Stereogum|url=https://www.spin.com/2016/12/the-hollywood-reporter-billboard-media-group-acquires-spinmedias-music-brands-including-spin-vibe-and-stereogum/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Spin}}</ref><ref name="adweek-spinbuy">{{cite web|title=Billboard Buys Spin and Vibe in a Quest to 'Own the Topic of Music Online'|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/billboard-buys-spin-and-vibe-quest-own-topic-music-online-175229/|website=Adweek|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> [[Celebuzz]], ''[[The Frisky]]'', and [[The Superficial]] were sold to [[CPX Interactive]].<ref>{{cite web| title = More SpinMedia sites sold (RIP SpinMedia)| work = BrooklynVegan| access-date = 2017-01-02| url = http://www.brooklynvegan.com/more-spinmedia-sites-sold-rip-spinmedia/}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2017}}In January 2020, ''Spin'' and ''Stereogum'' were sold to Next Management Partners and the site's management respectively, as part of a larger focus on Vibe and a music data business.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2020-01-16|title=Billboard-The Hollywood Reporter Media Group Sells Spin, Agreement in Place for Sale of Stereogum|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8548204/billboard-hollywood-reporter-media-group-spin-stereogum-sale|access-date=2020-07-22|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

==External links==

* {{official|http://www.spinmedia.com/}}{{dead link|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:Companies based in Los Angeles]]

[[Category:Blog networks]]

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