NME magazine will become a free weekly magazine from September 2015 thanks to poor circulation figures.

NME magazine usually costs £2.60 per issue, and recorded an average weekly circulation of 15, 384 in the second half of 2014.

This, however, is a loss of more than 75, 000 copies in the last 10 years.

As of September 18th 2015, around 300, 000 free copies of NME will be distributed nationally.

These copies will be handed out at rail stations, universities and a select few retailers.

In a statement, Time Inc UK said "NME will dramatically increase its content output and range, with new original as well as curated content appearing across all platforms, including print. Other highlights will include an expansion in live events, more video franchises and greater engagement with users on new social platforms. NME will also continue to grow its global footprint."

Editor of NME, Mike Williams, said "NME is already a major player and massive influencer in the music space, but with this transformation we’ll be bigger, stronger and more influential than ever before. Every media brand is on a journey into a digital future. That doesn’t mean leaving print behind, but it does mean that print has to change, so I’m incredibly excited by the role it will now play as part of the new NME. The future is an exciting place, and NME just kicked the door down.”

This announcement echoes the 2012 announcement that London Time Out would be becoming a free magazine.

London Time Out had poor and ever-declining print sales in 2012, and responded by going free; the title now has a free circulation of 300, 000 copies.

On the news that NME would be going free, chief executive of Time Inc. UK, Marcus Rich said: “This famous 63-year-old brand was an early leader in digital and has been growing its global audience successfully for the best part of 20 years. It has been able to do so because music is such an important passion and now is the right time to invest in bringing NME to an even bigger community for our commercial partners.”