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Nightshift magazine secures future with £17,000 online fundraiser
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 2 August 2021
Oxford music magazine Nightshift has announced that its future is secure “for a fair while” following a successful crowdfunding campaign and prize draw which came to an end last week.
Like many independent music magazines, the COVID pandemic was incredibly challenging for Nightshift, which has covered the Oxford music scene since the 1990s. Most music media saw their ad income slide during the COVID shutdown, with venues and promoters often key advertisers for such titles. As a result the usually monthly Nightshift only had five editions in 2020.
As COVID regulations started to relax and the full return of live music was imminent, Nightshift’s publisher explained last month that “the COVID pandemic has meant that a significant proportion of [our ad] revenue has been eroded”, and as a result “a magazine that has so often sailed close to the wind financially faces an incredibly difficult task if it is to relaunch and continue to support Oxford’s music scene”.
Bands including Radiohead, Supergrass, Foals, Glass Animals and Young Knives donated prizes for the draw element of the fundraiser, which passed its initial target of £12,000 in just four days. When the crowdfunding campaign reached its conclusion last week, £17,430 had been pledged.
Confirming that, editor Ronan Munro said: “Well, the Save Nightshift Crowdfunder campaign is over and fair to say, in footballing parlance, we went beyond our wildest dreams. The initial target of £12,000 was passed within four days and the final total exceeded £17,000, which secures Nightshift’s future for a fair while – we can pay our printing bills, phone bills, petrol, postage, web hosting and loads more”.
“So first and foremost – a massive – MASSIVE – thank you to everyone who contributed – whether through prize draws or donations”, he added. “You can’t imagine how appreciated it is”.
Looking forward he said that, beyond getting that prize draw drawn, all efforts are now focused on supporting Oxford’s live music scene which, like all live music scenes, faces many challenges ahead as venues and promoters get properly back to business following nearly eighteen months in shutdown.
“Then it’s back to writing about Oxford’s brilliant but beleaguered live music scene”, he noted. “An online-only issue will appear end of August to cover September, followed by a return to the full print edition for October. You made this happen, so thanks again. You’re all just bloody wonderful”.
