Junkee Media
Australian digital media company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Junkee Media, formerly known as Sound Alliance, is a digital media company based in Australia.
| Formerly | Sound Alliance |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital media |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia |
Key people | Piers Grove, Publisher |
| Products | Junkee Punkee AWOL |
| Parent | RACAT Group |
| Website | junkeemedia |
History
Junkee Media was founded in 2000 when Matt Callander, Libby Clark, and Andre Lackmann launched their dance music website inthemix.[1] The website began as a part-time hobby for the three,[2] who were soon joined by Neil Ackland. Ackland discovered the site online and got in touch with its creators.[3]
Sound Alliance acquired Mess+Noise in October 2008 from failed media group Destra Corporation.[1] Mess+Noise has been operating since 2005 when it began as a bimonthly print publication.[4] In 2006, Tim Duggan co-founded the national LGBT site Same Same with Sound Alliance.[5]
Sound Alliance launched Junkee in March 2013, an online title aimed at an audience aged 18 to 29 years.[6] Sound Alliance used Junkee to trial native advertising, which is now used across all of its publications as of October 2014.[7]
Sound Alliance formally rebranded itself as Junkee Media in July 2015.[8][9] CEO Neil Ackland told media the name change reflected the company's transformation from being a music-only publisher to becoming a youth-focused lifestyle publisher.[10] In September 2015, Junkee Media sold the LGBT title Same Same to Evo Media.[11]
In 2016, oOh! Media purchased an 85% shareholding in Junkee Media.[12] It acquired the remaining 15% several years later.[13]
In April 2017, FasterLouder was rebranded to Music Junkee,[14] and a new site targeting Generation Z, Punkee, was launched the following month.[15] In November 2018, Junkee Media closed down Inthemix after 18 years.[16]
In December 2021, Junkee Media was sold to RACAT Group. Oh!media retained Junkee's branded content and production arm, Junkee Studio.[17]
Publications
- Junkee, a pop culture and political satire site[17]
- Punkee, is an entertainment and pop culture site aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds [18]
- AWOL, a youth travel site produced in partnership with Qantas, was founded in 2014[19]
Awards
Junkee was named media brand of the year at the 2014 Mumbrella Awards.[20] Qantas and Junkee Media's AWOL was named the content marketing strategy of the year in 2015.[21]
In 2011, Sound Alliance was named to the Digital Media Top 10 Power Index.[22]
Sound Alliance was named one of Australia's best places to work in both 2010 and 2009 by the publication BRW.[23]
Punkee was named the media brand of the year at the 2018 Mumbrella Awards.[24] Junkee Media was named publishing company of the year - large publishers at the 2018 Publish Awards.[25]