Worldwide interest lifts online magazine

Contact Music, which is based at Burley-in-Wharfedale, attracts six million unique visitors a month and wants to increase turnover by 50 per cent this year.

Dom Harrison, 34, the managing director, said the firm was set up 11 years ago for new bands to showcase their work but soon switched to a mainstream music website, because fans did not spend a long time listening to emerging bands online.

“I liked music but I didn’t have a clue about the internet at the start. I realised it was not going to work so I went into the mainstream.”

Today it runs reviews, interviews and music videos as well as reviews of films, such as the Oscar-winning King’s Speech, and clips from new releases.

It covers artists ranging from REM and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks to hip-hop artists and runs pictures of presenters such as Kate Garraway and Fearne Cotton.

Mr Harrison said turnover for the 12 months to January 31 was £450,000 and they hope to raise that by half as much again this year.

Internet users are directed to the website through search engines, social media and referrals from other news sites and online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

“Social media is the area for real growth... because it is from a friend it is more likely to interest you,” he said.

Only about 20 to 25 per cent of traffic comes from Britain, with 50 per cent coming from America and the remainder from the rest of the world.

It is the 604th largest website in America when measured by traffic, Mr Harrison said.

It has nine full-time staff in Yorkshire and then a network of freelancers in Leeds, Manchester and London.

Contact Music is majority owned by businessmen Kevin MacDonald and Geoff Harrison.

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