What Sections and Community Features Does Modern Drummer Offer?

Updated

Modern Drummer's site is organized around four content pillars—news, features/interviews, education, and gear reviews—plus a community layer that includes the Readers Poll, Drummer Hall of Fame, and the Neil Peart Scholarship, and a shop selling back issues, books, bundles, apparel, and artist packs. Most editorial content is browsable without an account; a subscription is tied to the magazine and member benefits rather than to reading the site. The sections below describe what each area contains so you can decide where to start.

Editorial Sections

The navigation groups the magazine's journalism into clearly labeled channels:

Section What it covers
News Drummer news and updates from the editorial team
Features / On the Cover Long-form artist profiles and cover stories
Artist Interviews Dedicated interview archive
Gear Reviews Reviews of drums, cymbals, and related equipment
Education / Drum Lessons Instructional content and lessons
Videos Performance and interview video
Podcasts The magazine's podcast episodes
Cover Archive A browsable archive of past covers
Metal Sticks, Rig Rundowns, VIP Backstage Recurring feature series

The current issue's features give a sense of the mix: a piece on Godsmack's Sully Erna and the "Battle of the Drums," a profile of Mike Mangini ("In Perpetual Motion"), an interview with Cindy Blackman-Santana about her record Coherence, and a Warped Tour retrospective with Joe Sirois (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) and Chris Hesse (Hoobastank). The cover archive and back-issue shop together make the site useful as a historical reference, not just a news feed.

Community Features

The community area is where the site goes beyond publishing articles:

  • Readers Poll — an annual vote in which readers pick their favorite drummers.
  • Drummer Hall of Fame — an archive honoring inducted drummers.
  • Neil Peart Scholarship — a scholarship program named for the late Rush drummer.
  • VIP Backstage / Meet & Greet Entry — listed among the benefits tied to subscribing.

These are the pages to check if you want to participate rather than just read. The scholarship and Hall of Fame pages are reference material; the Readers Poll is the main participatory feature.

Shop and Subscription

The Shop sells back issues, books, bundles, apparel, branded merchandise, and artist packs, with a "Bundle & Save" option and a Legends Collection. Subscriptions are sold separately through the Subscribe page, which currently advertises a new-member offer of two months free with an annual plan, and a promo code (HOLIDAY10) for 10% off subscriptions plus a free Mike Portnoy artist pack. Subscription benefits are listed as gear reviews, exclusive interviews, VIP access, and meet-and-greet entry. Pricing and login requirements aren't specified on the pages reviewed, so check the Subscribe page directly before committing.

Where to Start

  • News and new interviews: the News and Features sections.
  • Lessons and technique: Education / Drum Lessons.
  • Buying advice: Gear Reviews.
  • Historical browsing: Cover Archive and back issues in the Shop.
  • Participating: Readers Poll, plus the Hall of Fame and scholarship pages for context.