The NIF Manifesto
We started New Industry Focus because we believe the music industry needs a new kind of news outlet. One not shaped by advertisers, publicists, or behind-the-scenes favors. One that doesn’t revolve around the same handful of artists, execs, and companies year after year. One where you don’t have to question who paid for what, or why it’s being covered. One that isn’t owned by a giant corporation.
At the very least, one where you can actually read an article without swatting away 20 shitty pop-up ads first.
The new music industry needs, and deserves, something better: more modern, more transparent, and genuinely independent.
After years of complaining about the status quo, we finally said: "f*ck it. Let’s build it.".
Although NIF is currently in beta, these are the principles we hold ourselves to now and always:
1. No Pay-for-Play
NIF is part of The ROSTR Group (TRG), but our editorial decisions are made independently. TRG itself is independently owned, with no outside corporate or investor influence. We don’t accept pay-for-coverage or let advertisers, friends, or partners shape our reporting. If there’s a potential conflict, we disclose it. Every story includes a Transparency Block* so you know why it’s being covered, where it came from, and what (if any) relationships exist.
2. A Wider Lens
The music industry is more than a few superstar artists and major labels. We cover the people, companies, tools, and trends shaping what’s next — whether they’re headline-makers or working quietly behind the scenes. Our lens is wide, because the new music industry is wide.
3. Reader Experience Comes First
Our priority is getting information to our readers clearly, quickly, and without noise. That means clean, fast-loading pages, mobile-native design, and no pop-ups or autoplay videos. We’re not optimizing for clicks, SEO hacks, or ad impressions. We’re optimizing for clarity, trust, and usefulness. While we’re hesitant to say “never,” our intent is to avoid putting news behind a paywall.
4. Respect and Invest in Writers
We treat our writers well. They’re always credited, always paid fairly and on time, and their work is never interrupted by in-article ads. Writers are encouraged to link to other work and build visibility through NIF. We’re also committed to developing new and emerging voices.
5. Advertising With Boundaries
Advertising will help sustain NIF, but it will never dictate what we cover or how we present it. We don’t use ad networks or algorithmic placements. Every advertiser is hand-approved by our team. We won’t interrupt readers with pop-ups, cluttered overlays, or ads jammed into the middle of a story. If your brand needs to hijack attention to get clicks, this isn’t the place for you.
6. Use of Artificial Intelligence
We use AI tools to support research, workflows, fact checking and editing. We also use AI to generate some contextual information including descriptions, summaries and to suggest relevant tags and themes. However, every article is written by a human and we're committed to keeping it that way.
🔍 Transparency Block
What is this?
Every article on NIF ends with a Transparency Block like this one. It’s our way of letting readers know where a story came from, why we decided to cover it, and whether any relationships might have shaped it. These blocks will vary depending on the story, but they typically include:
Where the story came from: e.g. original reporting, press release, a tip, something surfaced in ROSTR data etc.
Who the story came from: if the story was pitched to us we'll include who pitched it here. This means if you're PR company pitching us, you will show up here. If you don't want to, please don't pitch us.
Why we covered it: why we felt the story was worth your time
Any disclosures: such as if the subject is a friend, former colleague, partner, customer, or advertiser.
We believe transparency builds trust, and these blocks are a small but important part of that.
Manifesto Transparency
Where this came from:
This manifesto was written by the founding editorial team at NIF, with input from across The ROSTR Group. It represents our internal conversations, frustrations, and hopes for how music industry coverage can be better. The team used AI tools to help organize thoughts and improve clarity.
Why we published it:
We believe principles are only meaningful if they’re public. This manifesto is our promise to readers.
Disclosures:
NIF is operated by The ROSTR Group. Members of the ROSTR team contributed to this document. No external contributors, funders, or advertisers were involved.
Last Updated:
The Manifesto was first published and last updated on May 17th 2025. Any future updates to the Manifesto will be itemized here.