12 issues of the magazine

The first issue of The Wire was published in 1982. Four decades on the magazine remains committed to reporting on an international spectrum of underground sound and music by publishing journalism and photography by some of the subculture’s most original critics and observers.

A subscription is the most economical and effective way to receive copies of The Wire as subscribers get each issue delivered by direct mail. If you live in the UK you’ll receive each issue within 3-5 days of it being published; if you live in Europe or the US or anywhere else in the world, you’ll receive each issue by airmail within 1-3 weeks of it being published.

Access to the complete online archive

Every back issue of The Wire since issue 1, summer 1982, is available to all subscribers online and via the iPad, iPhone and Android apps. That's more than 400 issues and 40,000 pages of experimental and underground music history.

Each digital issue is an exact copy of the corresponding print issue, with the additional bonus that the text is fully searchable. Digital issues are published as hi-res PDFs and can be viewed on a web browser as well as on apps for Android, Kindle Fire and iPhone and iPad.

To see the archive on your desktop click here.

To try the app for iOS click here, for Android click here.

If you are already a print subscriber, click here to access the digital archive.

CDs & downloads

Below The Radar

Compiled by The Wire staff, Below The Radar is a series of download compilations showcasing some of the underground musicians covered in recent issues of the magazine. New downloads are made available to all subscribers four times a year. All volumes in the series are archived and are fully accessible by all subscribers.

You can browse all the albums in the Below The Radar series here.

The Wire Tapper

Also compiled by The Wire staff, The Wire Tapper is a series of CD compilations of new underground music. The CDs are issued three times a year and are sent to all subscribers by direct mail. Subscribers also receive each CD as a download. All volumes since Vol 25 are archived as downloads and are fully accessible by all subscribers.

You can browse all the albums in The Wire Tapper series here.

Discounts

All subscribers get money off back issues, our special edition T-shirts and hoodies, and the music books stocked in our online shop.

All Subscription Options