Musos' Guide or musosguide is a UK-based online magazine. It was launched in 2003, and has been re-launched four times. It is an editorially independent magazine.
Contents
History
Muso's Guide was first launched on June 30, 2003, by then amateur journalist, Holly Noseda.
According to the site’s About Us page, “it was launched for a number of reasons, namely the lack of coverage of classic music alongside new releases, the oh-so-obvious press release drivel in a lot of music mags at the time, the desire to create a website full of city guides with music tourists in mind and the desire to get to listen to promo CDs all day."
"In November 2012 ownership of the site passed from Holly to Joe Watson and long-time contributor Kenny McMurtrie with a view to maintaining the already high quality of coverage and expanding the site’s reach. We still want to cover the classics and the best new music. We still bristle at the press release drivel and regurgitated guff but city guides have died a death. Now we listen to Rdio all day and have resurrected our Underexposed tab to get closer to the grass roots of the music scene. How things have changed ..."
Staff
The online magazine has 150 registered contributors, but a smaller fraction of these are active.
Since 2003 the site has had a number of editors in all areas - Catherine Wilson, Natalie Shaw, Greg Salter, Louise Coles, Paul Brown, Russell Warfield, Hayley Scott, Danielle Gibson and Holly Seddon née Noseda.
As of December 2016 the Editorial Team consists of:-
Kenny McMurtrie - Editor-in-Chief
In November 2008 Kenny felt the need to contribute in writing to the music industry. No one tried to stop him and look what it's led to ... He has a day job, is older than he looks & lives in Edinburgh.
Joe Watson Jnr - Performance Manager
Joe operates out of Barrhead in Glasgow & will clean the table with you at both chess and poker.
Rosie Duffield - Managing Editor
Cat Schaupp - Features Editor
Cat lives and lurks in Edinburgh, where her lowly life of academic research is enlivened by fiction writing, foraging for new records, and drinking endless cups of tea.
Dave Beech - Live Editor
Having spent the last three years cutting his teeth at various online publications as both a writer and editor, 2015 saw Dave regain at least some of his soul by handing his notice in at a retail job in order to enter the glamorous world of A&R and live promotion. Not that he's giving up writing though, he's far too arrogant and would miss seeing his name atop his articles.
Kyle McCormick - Albums Editor
Marky Edison - News Editor
Lee Hammond - Photography Editor
Carris Boast - Deputy at Albums
Awards
In November 2009, Muso's Guide was shortlisted for Best Digital Publication and Best Blog in the Record of the Day Awards.
Versions
The original version of the website was produced using Microsoft FrontPage and each new article had to be manually created, there was no content management system.
The next version was launched in 2004 and had a PHP content management system.
Another version was launched in 2008, and was built using WordPress.
Following the corruption of the Wordpress version by an as yet undiagnosed cause the latest version was launched in 2014, and was built using Joomla. At this time the apostrophe moved to the other side of the second S in Musos.
Offline activities
In October 2009, Muso's Guide put on its first offline event, Muso's Guide presents... Extradition Order, Arrows Of Love and Bethia Beadman.
On 30 October 2009, it put on its first Pic n Mixx event at the Buffalo Bar in London. The event's promotion was bolstered by Everett True contributing a mix tape.
On 20 January 2010, it hosted its tips for 2010 Cats and Cats and Cats, Stairs To Korea and Ute at The Monarch.
Media appearances
In June 2009, days after Michael Jackson died, then Muso's Guide editor, Natalie Shaw, was invited onto Sky News to discuss the singer's musical legacy and impact.
Exclusives
On 4 May 2009, Muso's Guide contributor, Paul Wilson, was given access to Lynval Golding and John Bradbury of The Specials.