BUZZMEDIA Acquires Electronic Music Authority XLR8R

LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BUZZMEDIA, the world's fastest-growing digital media company, announced today that it has acquired XLR8R, the digital authority on electronic music and technology.

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XLR8R, universally recognized as the definitive brand in tastemaker-focused electronic music, joins BUZZMEDIA's family of culture-defining properties that reach more than 100 million pop culture enthusiasts a month. Under BUZZMEDIA's guidance, XLR8R will continue to build upon its rapidly growing web and mobile presence, capitalizing on the swift rise of the electronic music scene.

"We are dedicated to creating unparalleled media experiences around the culture that our digital audience lives," said Tyler Goldman, CEO of BUZZMEDIA. "Electronic music and its associated lifestyle have grown massively, and XLR8R has established itself as the go-to place for the ever-growing number of passionate fans of the scene, providing in-depth and highly social coverage. Plus, I can dance like nobody's business."

The trendsetting company has seen a readership increase of 60 percent year-over-year for the past two years. BUZZMEDIA is intent on accelerating that growth, as well as increasing its North American presence to complement the base XLR8R holds internationally, particularly in the U.K. music community.

The acquisition includes a rich history of leadership in electronic music reporting, nearly two decades of print issues and hundreds of highly regarded podcasts featuring soon-to-break artists and trends. This is also the first BUZZMEDIA property with a foot in the sphere of music gear and technology. As a testament to its relevance, XLR8R is credited with popularizing the term for the electronic music subgenre "dubstep" and being the early champion of that style.

Andrew Smith, publisher and editor-in-chief of XLR8R, said, "Our readers are early adopters who seek out emerging movements within music and culture, making XLR8R an ideal addition to BUZZMEDIA's collection of authentic digital brands. XLR8R has a long history of going beyond the music, drawing editorially from the worlds of fashion, fine art, gaming and music production, and encouraging our readers to immerse themselves in a community that's rich with creativity and new discoveries."

"Bringing XLR8R into the BUZZMEDIA fold is another investment in content and in an original voice," said Goldman. "We look forward to growing and amplifying the brand, much in the way we did with Idolator, whose audience has grown tenfold since being acquired from Gawker and recently eclipsed the size of Pitchfork's audience."

About BUZZMEDIA

BUZZMEDIA is the leader in pop culture and millennial audience reach, with more than 100 million monthly unique visitors. BUZZMEDIA publishes more than 35 authoritative brands whose voices define their categories, including Celebuzz, Stereogum, Videogum, Buzznet, TheSuperficial, Idolator, PureVolume, Hype Machine, Absolute Punk, What Would Tyler Durden Do?, SocialiteLife, Go Fug Yourself, Pink is the New Blog, Gorilla vs. Bear, RCRD LBL, TheFrisky!, Concrete Loop, Brooklyn Vegan and Punknews. BUZZMEDIA is currently the fifth largest Web destination among adults 18-24. Via comScore, the company is the second largest digital publisher in Entertainment News and the tenth largest in music. BUZZMEDIA uses its massive reach, deep audience engagement and understanding of the young adult audience to provide customized, innovative marketing and advertising solutions across its branded properties.

For BUZZMEDIA    
Julie Nicholson, Weber Shandwick
(212) 445-8371

SOURCE BUZZMEDIA