Editing Pitchfork (website) (section)

==History==
=== 1996–2003: Early years ===
''Pitchfork'' was created in February 1996 by Ryan Schreiber, a high school graduate living in his parents' home in [[Minneapolis]].<ref name="Rogers-2006">{{Cite web |last=Rogers |first=Jude |date=2006-11-24 |title=Site seers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/nov/24/popandrock1 |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref> Schreiber grew up listening to [[indie rock]] acts such as [[Fugazi]], [[Jawbox]] and [[Guided by Voices]].<ref name="Itzkoff">{{Cite magazine |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |author-link=Dave Itzkoff |date=2006 |title=Inside ''Pitchfork'', the site that shook up music journalism |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/10/the-pitchfork-effect/ |access-date=2024-01-29 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> He was influenced by [[fanzine]] culture and had no previous writing experience.<ref name="Littleton-2015">{{Cite web |last=Littleton |first=Cynthia |date=2015-10-13 |title=Q&A: ''Pitchfork'' founder Ryan Schreiber on Condé Nast sale, indie roots and expansion |url=https://variety.com/2015/biz/news/pitchfork-founder-ryan-schreiber-qa-conde-nast-1201616909/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Schreiber initially named the website ''Turntable'', but changed it after another website claimed the rights.<ref name="Leonard-2017" /> The name ''Pitchfork'' was inspired by the tattoo on the assassin [[Tony Montana]] in the film ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''. Schreiber chose it as it was concise and had "evilish overtones".<ref name="Itzkoff" /> The first review was of ''[[Pacer (album)|Pacer]]'' (1995) by [[the Amps]],<ref name="Pitchfork-2021">{{cite web |date=May 25, 2021 |title=The History of Pitchfork's Reviews Section in 38 Important Reviews |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-history-of-the-pitchfork-reviews-section-in-38-important-reviews/ |access-date=25 May 2021 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref> and the record store [[Insound]] was ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s first advertiser.<ref name="Leonard-2017" />

Early ''Pitchfork'' reviews focused on indie rock and were often critical. The ''[[Washington Post]]'' described them as "brutal" and "merciless", writing: "The site's stable of critics often seemed capricious, uninvested, sometimes spiteful, assigning low scores on a signature 10-point scale with punitive zeal."<ref name="Richards-2024">{{Cite news |last=Richards |first=Chris |date=2024-01-18 |title=The end of Pitchfork is an ugly omen for music journalism's future |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/01/18/pitchfork-layoffs-gq-magazine/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Schreiber said the site's early period "was about really laying into people who really deserved it", and defended the importance of honesty in arts criticism.<ref name="Washington Post">{{cite news |last=Freedom du Lac |first=J. |date=April 30, 2006 |title=Giving indie acts a plug, or pulling it |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/28/AR2006042800457.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425215349/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/28/AR2006042800457.html |archive-date=April 25, 2017 |access-date=April 27, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> In 1999, Schreiber relocated ''Pitchfork'' to Chicago.<ref name="Hogan-2024">{{Cite magazine |last=Hogan |first=Marc |author-link=Marc Hogan |date=2024-01-18 |title=Pouring one out for ''Pitchfork'' — 9.2 music publication in a 3.7 digital media world |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/pitchfork-music-gq-1234949447/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |language=en-US}}</ref> He estimated that ''Pitchfork'' had published 1,000 reviews by this point.<ref name="OralHistory">{{Cite news |last1=Kois |first1=Dan |last2=Pahwa |first2=Nitish |last3=Winkie |first3=Luke |date=2024-03-19 |title=The oral history of ''Pitchfork'', from the careers it made to the bands it killed |url=https://slate.com/culture/2024/03/pitchfork-oral-history-music-festival-conde-nast-review.html |access-date=2024-03-23 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |language=en-US |issn=1091-2339}}</ref>

Around the turn of the millennium, the American music press was dominated by monthly print magazines such as ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', creating a gap in the market for faster-moving publication that emphasized new acts.<ref name="Cardew-2015">{{Cite news |last=Cardew |first=Ben |date=2015-10-16 |title=What did ''Pitchfork'' get right when most music magazines are losing sales? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/16/pitchfork-music-magazines-nme-q-mojo |access-date=2024-01-28 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' could publish several articles a day, greatly outpacing print media.<ref name="Lopatto-2024">{{Cite web |last=Lopatto |first=Elizabeth |date=2024-03-19 |title=''Pitchfork'' lived and died by the internet |url=https://www.theverge.com/24070565/pitchfork-gq-conde-nast-music-industry-change |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en}}</ref> New technologies such as [[MP3]], the [[iPod]] and the file-sharing service [[Napster]] created greater access to music, and music blogs became an important resource, creating further opportunity for ''Pitchfork''.<ref name="Lopatto-2024" /> The contributors Mark Richardson and Eric Harvey said this was an important part of ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s early popularity, as music fans could share and listen to new music while reading daily updates.<ref name="OralHistory" />

In 2000, ''Pitchfork''{{'}}s 10.0/10.0 review of the highly anticipated [[Radiohead]] album ''[[Kid A]]'', written by Brent DiCrescenzo, generated a surge in readership and was one of the first signs of ''Pitchfork'' becoming a major publication.<ref name="Littleton-2015" /><ref name="Leonard-2017">{{cite web |last=Leonard |first=Devin |date=3 May 2017 |title=''Pitchfork'' grows up |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-05-03/pitchfork-grows-up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121120412/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-05-03/pitchfork-grows-up |archive-date=21 November 2018 |access-date=21 November 2018 |website=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref> One of the first ''Kid A'' reviews published, it attracted attention for its unusual style.<ref name="Enis-2020">{{Cite magazine |last=Enis |first=Eli |date=2020-03-26 |title=Everything in its right place: how a perfect 10.0 review of Radiohead's ''Kid A'' changed music criticism 20 years ago |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/radiohead-kid-a-pitchfork-review-brent-discrescenzo-2000-9342543/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Lynne Segall |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' described it as "extremely long-winded and brazenly unhinged from the journalistic form and temperament of the time".<ref name="Enis-2020" /> While it was widely mocked, it boosted ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s profile.<ref name="Enis-2020" /> Schreiber said he understood the review would make ''Pitchfork'' subject to ridicule, but "wanted ''Pitchfork'' to be daring and to surprise people".<ref name="Enis-2020" /> In 2001, ''Pitchfork'' had 30,000 daily readers.<ref name="Itzkoff" />

=== 2004–2005: Growing influence and professional growth ===
In 2004, ''Pitchfork'' hired its first full-time employee, Chris Kaskie, formerly of the satirical website ''[[The Onion]]'', to run business operations.<ref name="Hogan-2024" /> Kaskie later became the president and co-owner.<ref name="Lopatto-2024"/><ref name="Chicago Tribune-2017">{{Cite web |last=Swartz |first=Tracy |date=2017-07-20 |title=Outgoing ''Pitchfork'' president reflects on evolution of the Chicago media company |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-pitchfork-festival-chris-kaskie-20170720-story.html |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> ''Pitchfork''<nowiki />'s first professional editor, Scott Plagenhoef, was hired shortly afterwards.<ref name="OralHistory" /><ref name="Hogan-2024" /> Kaskie and Plagenhoef are credited for turning ''Pitchfork'' into a professional operation. It began to scale quickly, investing in the more money it made, the more resources it had for reviews and articles.<ref name="Lopatto-2024" /><ref name="OralHistory" /> 

As of 2004, ''Pitchfork'' had eight full-time employees and about 50 freelance staff members, most of whom worked remotely and co-ordinated through phone and internet.<ref name="Frey-2004">{{Cite web |last=Frey |first=Hillary |date=29 November 2004 |title=''Pitchforkmedia.com'' music dudes dictate culture from Chicago |url=https://observer.com/2004/11/pitchforkmediacom-music-dudes-dictate-culture-from-chicago/ |website=[[The New York Observer]]}}</ref> Writers were unpaid for their first six months, after which they could earn $10 or $20 for a review or $40 for a feature. In 2004, following staff tensions about Schreiber's advertising income, ''Pitchfork'' started paying writers from their first articles at a slightly improved rate.<ref name="Frey-2004" />

That year, ''Pitchfork'' published a positive review of the debut album by [[Arcade Fire]], ''[[Funeral (Arcade Fire album)|Funeral]]''. The album became a bestseller and is cited as the first major example of ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s influence on independent music, attracting coverage of ''Pitchfork'' from outlets such as the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref name="OralHistory" /> The contributor Jess Weiss said the review "changed everything".<ref name="OralHistory" /> By 2005, ''Pitchfork'' was attracting around one million readers a month, with an annual revenue of around $5 million.<ref name="Leonard-2017" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pierson |first=David |date=2005-03-07 |title=The zeitgeist guys |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-07-et-pitchfork7-story.html |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> That year, Schreiber said he was uninterested in selling ''Pitchfork:'' "It would change into the antithesis of the reason I started it. This is something I am so in love with—this is my entire adult life's work."<ref name="Frey-2004" />

=== 2006–2010: Expanding operations ===
[[File:Slint_at_Pitchfork_Music_Festival.jpg|thumb|[[Slint]] at [[Pitchfork Music Festival 2007]]]]
By 2006, traditional music media, such as print magazines, music video channels and radio stations, had declined or changed focus, but music listeners still sought a reliable source of recommendations.<ref name="Itzkoff" /> Without the limitations of print media, ''Pitchfork'' was able to champion emerging independent acts that major print magazines, which had to sell millions of copies every year, could not.<ref name="Itzkoff" /> Schreiber felt the magazines were "not even trying to discover new music ... Publications used to take more chances on artists, putting bands on the cover that they thought deserved to be there."<ref name="Rogers-2006" /> He said ''Pitchfork'' was able to take risks as it was not interested in appeasing bands, record labels or advertisers.<ref name="Rogers-2006" />

In 2006, ''Pitchfork'' had 170,000 daily readers and was publishing five album reviews a day, with six full-time employees.<ref name="Rogers-2006" /><ref name="Itzkoff" /> Schreiber said that ''Pitchfork'' was able to sustain paid freelancers and eight employees, though they were "always cutting it close".<ref name="Washington Post" /> He said he had attracted interest from investors, but wanted to retain control and that journalistic integrity was his priority.<ref name="Itzkoff" /><ref name="Washington Post" /> In August 2006, an internal ''Pitchfork'' server containing promotional copies of hundreds of albums was hacked, including the forthcoming [[Joanna Newsom]] album ''[[Ys (album)|Ys]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Dodero |first=Camille |date=September 13, 2006 |title=The Joanna Newsom leak |url=http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid22637.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630130530/http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid22637.aspx |archive-date=June 30, 2017 |access-date=October 17, 2017 |website=[[The Phoenix (magazine)|The Phoenix]]}}</ref>''

In the mid-2000s, ''Pitchfork'' expanded its operations. In 2006, it launched the annual [[Pitchfork Music Festival]] in Chicago.<ref name="Richards-2024" /> The first Paris Pitchfork Music Festival was held in 2011.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ng |first=Philiana |date=2011-07-05 |title=Pitchfork Music Festival heads to Paris |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/pitchfork-music-festival-heads-to-paris-1177212/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Kaskie said it was exciting to see acts ''Pitchfork'' had championed playing to large crowds: "We start to see these bands playing in front of audiences 10 times the size of their biggest show ever. That's the goal, man. To put fucking [[Titus Andronicus (band)|Titus Andronicus]] in front of 10,000 people."<ref name="OralHistory" /> In April 2008, after acquiring the live music show ''Juan's Basement'', ''Pitchfork'' launched ''Pitchfork.tv'', a website displaying interviews, music videos and feature-length films.<ref name="Buskirk-2008">{{Cite magazine |last=Buskirk |first=Eliot Van |date=April 5, 2008 |title=''Pitchfork.tv'' takes a stab at music videos |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/04/pitchfork-tv/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |language= |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> In November, it published a book, ''[[The Pitchfork 500]]'', covering the preceding 30 years of music.<ref name="Suddath-2008">{{Cite magazine |last=Suddath |first=Claire |date=2008-11-26 |title=The Skimmer: ''The Pitchfork 500'' |url=https://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1862151,00.html |access-date=2024-02-10 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> 

By the end of the 2000s, ''Pitchfork'' had become influential in the music industry, credited for launching acts such as Arcade Fire and [[Bon Iver]].<ref name="Richards-2024" /> Employees at record labels and record stores would use it to anticipate interest in acts.<ref name="Washington Post" /> It was also attracting large sponsors such as [[American Express]] and [[Apple Inc.|Apple]].<ref name="Leonard-2017" />

=== 2010–2014: Diversification, declining influence and sister publications ===
The influence of ''Pitchfork'' on music careers declined around the turn of the decade, as [[Streaming media|streaming]] and [[social media]] fractured audiences and reduced the need for gatekeepers.<ref name="Brown-2019">{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=August |date=2019-01-09 |title=''Pitchfork'''s Ryan Schreiber shaped internet music journalism and now leaves it behind |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-pitchfork-ryan-schreiber-20190109-story.html |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Barshad-2018">{{cite web |last1=Barshad |first1=Amos |date=1 May 2018 |title=What was it like when critics could kill? Most musicians still don't want to talk about it. |url=https://slate.com/culture/2018/05/when-a-negative-pitchfork-review-could-end-a-career.html |access-date=5 October 2021 |website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |language=en}}</ref> Streaming services began to fulfill ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s function of helping new artists find audiences, and independent music criticism moved to podcasts and [[YouTube]].<ref name="Brown-2019" /> Declining music industry revenues reduced advertising spending, and ''Pitchfork'' faced competition from advertisers such as [[Facebook]].<ref name="Lopatto-2024" /> According to the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', "The internet era that birthed ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s blend of saucy writing, outre tastes and massive popularity [was] by and large over."<ref name="Brown-2019" /> 

Over the following decade, ''Pitchfork'' shifted its editorial range and style.<ref name="Powers-2024">{{Cite news |last=Powers |first=Ann |author-link=Ann Powers |date=24 January 2024 |title=With ''Pitchfork'' in peril, a word on the purpose of music journalism |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1226293958/pitchfork-layoffs-music-journalism |access-date=7 February 2024 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref> It began running news and features alongside reviews, coming to resemble a more conventional music publication.<ref name="Powers-2024" /> It also diversified from indie rock to cover mainstream music including pop, rap and metal, and began covering issues of gender, race and [[Identity politics|identity]] in music, influenced by movements such as [[MeToo]] and [[Black Lives Matter]].<ref name="Brown-2019" /><ref name="Kornhaber">{{cite web |last1=Kornhaber |first1=Spencer |title=Why Condé Nast wants ''Pitchfork'''s 'millennial male' readers |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/conde-nast-buys-pitchfork-for-the-millennial-men/410341/ |website=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=31 August 2024 |language=en |date=13 October 2015}}</ref> Schreiber said that "our tastes broadened with age and experience", and that ''Pitchfork'' could make a difference to social causes.<ref name="Brown-2019" />

In July 2010, ''Pitchfork'' launched ''Altered Zones'', a blog aggregator devoted to underground and [[DIY music]].<ref name="BrooklynVegan-2011" /> In 2011, ''Pitchfork'' relocated to [[Brooklyn]], New York.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hopper |first1=Jessica |last2=Nelson |first2=J.R. |date=December 15, 2011 |title=The last of Pitchfork's local editorial staff heads to Brooklyn |url=https://chicagoreader.com/music/gossip-wolf-the-last-of-pitchforks-local-editorial-staff-heads-to-brooklyn/ |access-date=January 18, 2024 |website=[[Chicago Reader]] |quote=}}</ref> On May 21, ''Pitchfork'' announced a partnership with the website ''[[Kill Screen]]'', in which ''Pitchfork'' would publish some of their articles.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 21, 2011 |title=Pitchfork Announces Partnership With ''Kill Screen'' |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/42385-pitchfork-announces-partnership-with-kill-screen/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013151041/http://pitchfork.com/news/42385-pitchfork-announces-partnership-with-kill-screen/ |archive-date=October 13, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2016 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref> ''Altered Zones'' closed on November 30.<ref name="BrooklynVegan-2011">{{cite web |date=November 30, 2011 |title=''Altered Zones'' RIP |url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/11/altered_zones_r.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326055841/https://www.brooklynvegan.com/altered-zones-r/ |archive-date=March 26, 2021 |access-date=May 30, 2013 |website=[[BrooklynVegan]] |publisher=}}</ref> On December 26, 2012, ''Pitchfork'' launched ''Nothing Major'', a website that covered visual arts,<ref>{{cite web |date=December 26, 2012 |title=Welcome to Nothing Major |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/49011-welcome-to-nothing-major/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614182322/http://pitchfork.com/news/49011-welcome-to-nothing-major/ |archive-date=June 14, 2013 |access-date=May 30, 2013 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref> which closed in October 2013.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 16, 2013 |title=So Long for Now |url=http://nothingmajor.com/features/92-so-long-for-now/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218214951/http://nothingmajor.com/features/92-so-long-for-now/ |archive-date=February 18, 2015 |access-date=September 29, 2014 |publisher=Nothing Major}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' launched a film website, ''[[The Dissolve]]'', in 2013. It closed in 2015, citing "financial challenges".<ref name="Kois-2015">{{Cite news |last1=Kois |first1=Dan |last2=Harris |first2=Aisha |last3=Hamilton |first3=Jack |last4=Stahl |first4=Jeremy |last5=Martinelli |first5=Marissa |last6=Bloomer |first6=Jeffrey |date=2015-07-08 |title=The Dissolve Is Folding. Here Are Its Best Movie Reviews and Essays. |url=https://slate.com/culture/2015/07/pitchfork-s-online-movie-magazine-the-dissolve-will-be-shutting-down-announced-founder-keith-phipps.html |access-date=2024-02-05 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |language=en-US |issn=1091-2339}}</ref> In 2017, Kaskie said he remained proud of ''The Dissolve'' and that it was "a huge success from the creative and editorial, design and everything else".<ref name="Chicago Tribune-2017" />

In 2013, ''Pitchfork'' won the [[National Magazine Award]] for general excellence in digital media.<ref name="Leonard-2017" /> That year, the rapper [[Chief Keef]] was arrested for violating a probation sentence by using a rifle in a promotional video by ''Pitchfork''. Staff later described the episode as a low point and an example of how ''Pitchfork'' mishandled hip-hop artists.<ref name="OralHistory" /> In December, ''Pitchfork'' launched ''[[The Pitchfork Review]]'', a quarterly print journal focused on long-form music writing and design-focused content. ''Pitchfork'' planned a limited-edition quarterly publication of about 10,000 copies of each issue, printed on glossy, high-quality paper.<ref name="nyt2013">{{cite news |last=Sisario |first=Ben |date=November 21, 2013 |title=With Pitchfork Review, a Music Site Plants a Flag in Print |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/business/media/with-pitchfork-review-a-music-site-plants-a-flag-in-print.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125142539/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/business/media/with-pitchfork-review-a-music-site-plants-a-flag-in-print.html?_r=0 |archive-date=November 25, 2013 |journal=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> About two thirds of the content would be original, with the remaining reused from the ''Pitchfork'' website.<ref name="nyt2013" /> The ''[[International Business Times]]'' likened the literary aspirations to ''[[The New Yorker]]'' and the ''[[Paris Review]]''.<ref name="ibt2013">{{cite news |last=Zara |first=Christopher |date=November 21, 2013 |title=''Pitchfork Media'' takes a stab at print with ''The Pitchfork Review'': can it save music magazines? |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/pitchfork-media-takes-stab-print-pitchfork-review-can-it-save-music-magazines-1481480 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203093345/http://www.ibtimes.com/pitchfork-media-takes-stab-print-pitchfork-review-can-it-save-music-magazines-1481480 |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |journal=[[International Business Times]]}}</ref> ''The Pitchfork Review'' ended after 11 issues in November 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cush |first=Andy |date=February 23, 2017 |title=Sources: ''The Pitchfork Review'', ''Pitchfork''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s print quarterly, is quietly shutting down |url=http://www.spin.com/2017/02/sources-the-pitchfork-review-pitchforks-print-quarterly-is-quietly-shutting-down/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419101551/http://www.spin.com/2017/02/sources-the-pitchfork-review-pitchforks-print-quarterly-is-quietly-shutting-down/ |archive-date=April 19, 2017 |access-date=April 18, 2017 |work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]}}</ref>

As of 2014, ''Pitchfork'' was receiving around 6.2 million [[unique visitors]] and 40 million [[Pageview|pageviews]] every month, with an expected annual revenue growth of 25 to 40 percent. Its primary revenue came from advertising.<ref name="Singer-2014">{{cite journal |last=Singer |first=Dan |date=November 13, 2014 |title=Are professional music critics an endangered species? |url=http://ajr.org/2014/11/13/music-critics-role-changing/ |url-status=live |journal=[[American Journalism Review]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916084007/http://ajr.org/2014/11/13/music-critics-role-changing/ |archive-date=September 16, 2015 |access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> According to the media analytics firm [[Comscore]], ''Pitchfork'' had 2.47 million unique visitors that August, more than the websites for ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' or ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' but fewer than ''Rolling Stone''<nowiki/>'s 11 million.<ref name="Singer-2014" /> By this point, ''Pitchfork'' was facing mounting financial problems, and Kaskie spent the year searching for funding.<ref name="OralHistory"/>

=== 2015–2016: Purchase by Condé Nast ===
[[File:One_World_Trade_Center_(cropped_9_to_16).jpg|thumb|[[One World Trade Center]], Manhattan, the site of ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s offices since 2015]]
On October 13, 2015, the American mass media company [[Condé Nast]] announced that it had acquired ''Pitchfork''.<ref name="nyt-condenastpitchfork">{{cite news |last1=Somaiya |first1=Ravi |date=October 13, 2015 |title=Condé Nast Buys Pitchfork Media |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/business/media/conde-nast-buys-pitchfork-media.html?src=twr&_r=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709104537/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/business/media/conde-nast-buys-pitchfork-media.html?src=twr&_r=0 |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=October 13, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> At this point, ''Pitchfork'' had about 50 employees, with editorial and video production staff in Brooklyn and advertising, sales and development staff in Chicago.<ref name="Littleton-2015" /> The Condé Nast CEO, Bob Sauerberg, described ''Pitchfork'' as a "distinguished digital property that brings a strong editorial voice, an enthusiastic and young audience, a growing video platform and a thriving events business".<ref name="Cardew-2015" /> Kaskie said "our needs and wants were converging", and that ''Pitchfork'' needed capital and expertise to expand its publication and festivals.<ref name="Chicago Tribune-2017" /> The sale boosted ''Pitchfork's'' value to advertisers.<ref name="Leonard-2017" /> ''Pitchfork'' relocated to the Condé Nast offices in [[One World Trade Center]], Manhattan.<ref name="Leonard-2017" /> Previously, ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s independence had been a key aspect of its image.<ref name="Littleton-2015" /><ref name="Kornhaber" /> Schreiber said it would continue to have "creative independence".<ref name="Littleton-2015" /> The acquisition triggered concern; the ''[[New York Observer]]'' wrote that was a "death knell for indie rock".<ref name="Leonard-2017" /> 

The Condé Nast chief digital officer, Fred Santarpia, was criticized when he said the acquisition would bring "a very passionate audience of [[millennial]] males into our roster".<ref name="Kornhaber" /> The ''Atlantic'' connected the comment to a 2014 [[Nielsen Media Research|Nielsen]] report that found that millennial men were heavy music listeners and were more interested in streaming services than other demographics.<ref name="Kornhaber" /> In 2012, a ''Pitchfork'' poll asking readers to vote for their favorite music found that 88% of respondents were male, and statistics recorded by [[Quantcast]] in 2015 found that 82% of ''Pitchfork'' readers were men, most aged 18–34.<ref name="Kornhaber" /> Schreiber responded on [[Twitter]] that women were "a huge part of ''Pitchfork's'' staff and readership" and that ''Pitchfork'' aimed to reach "all music fans everywhere".<ref name="Kornhaber" /> 

On March 13, 2016, ''Pitchfork'' launched its first new design since 2011.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 13, 2016 |title=Introducing Pitchfork's New Website: Our first full redesign since 2011 |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/64116-introducing-pitchforks-new-website/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315182203/http://pitchfork.com/news/64116-introducing-pitchforks-new-website/ |archive-date=March 15, 2016 |access-date=March 15, 2016 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref> That October, ''Pitchfork'' had 4.1 million unique visitors, up from 2.7 million the previous October.<ref name="Leonard-2017" /> With Schreiber aiming to make it the world's best repository for music content, ''Pitchfork'' began creating videos and retrospective articles, covering classic albums released before its founding.<ref name="Leonard-2017" />

=== 2017–2023: Departures of Kaskie and Schreiber ===
[[File:Anna_Wintour_Shankbone_2010_NYC.jpg|thumb|[[Anna Wintour]], the Condé Nast chief content officer, in 2010 |233x233px]]
Kaskie announced his departure from ''Pitchfork'' in May 2017.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Schneider |first=Marc |date=2017-05-30 |title=''Pitchfork'' president Chris Kaskie is stepping down |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/pitchfork-president-chris-kaskie-stepping-down-july/ |access-date=2024-02-05 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US}}</ref> He had been frustrated by his diminished role under Condé Nast and ''Pitchfork''<nowiki/>'s reduced autonomy.<ref name="Tani-2024">{{Cite web |last=Tani |first=Max |date=2024-02-05 |title=How Condé Nast bought and destroyed America's iconic music publication |url=https://www.semafor.com/article/02/04/2024/inside-conde-nasts-breakup-with-pitchfork |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=[[Semafor (website)|Semafor]] |language=en}}</ref> On September 18, 2018, Schreiber stepped down as the top editor. He was replaced by Puja Patel, who had worked at ''Spin'' and [[Gawker Media]], as editor-in-chief on October 15. Schreiber remained as a strategic advisor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Jon |date=2018-09-19 |title=''Pitchfork'' founder and top editor Ryan Schreiber steps down |url=https://www.thewrap.com/pitchfork-media-founder-and-top-editor-steps-down/ |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=[[TheWrap]] |language=en-US}}</ref> He said he later realized that Condé Nast did not understand ''Pitchfork'' and had unrealistic expectations of its performance.<ref name="OralHistory" /> 

Patel came under pressure to cut costs amid declining traffic from social media, and competition from streaming platforms, which offered a new means for listeners to discover music.<ref name="Tani-2024" /> ''Pitchfork'' staff conflicted with Condé Nast over its attempts to monetize Pitchfork Music Festival by making it into a "luxury" experience.<ref name="Tani-2024" /> Santarpia left Condé Nast in 2018, leaving ''Pitchfork'' under the purview of [[Anna Wintour]], the chief content officer.<ref name="Tani-2024" /> Two former ''Pitchfork'' staffers told ''[[The Verge]]'' that Wintour did not care about music or understand the internet.<ref name="Lopatto-2024" />

Schreiber announced his departure on January 8, 2019, saying he wanted to "keep pushing boundaries and exploring new things".<ref name="Brown-2019"/> The ''Los Angeles Times'' said the departure came at a time of "existential change" for the media industries, citing the rise of streaming services and social media and the downsizing of many major music publications.<ref name="Brown-2019" /> That month, Condé Nast announced it would put all its publications, including ''Pitchfork'', behind a [[paywall]] by the end of the year.<ref name="wsj">{{cite web |last=Trachtenberg |first=Jeffrey A. |date=January 23, 2019 |title=Condé Nast to put all titles behind paywalls by year end |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/conde-nast-to-put-all-titles-behind-paywalls-by-year-end-11548244800 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123231402/https://www.wsj.com/articles/conde-nast-to-put-all-titles-behind-paywalls-by-year-end-11548244800 |archive-date=January 23, 2019 |access-date=January 24, 2019 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> It abandoned experiments with ''Pitchfork'' paywalls following criticism from readers.<ref name="Tani-2024" /> In 2020, Condé Nast laid off the executive editor Matthew Schnipper and the features editor and union chair Stacey Anderson.<ref name="Hogan-2024" /> In 2022 and 2023, ''Pitchfork'' had about three million unique visitors a month, down by about 36% from 2021.<ref name="Lopatto-2024" />

=== 2024: Merge into ''GQ'' and layoffs ===
On January 17, 2024, Wintour announced that ''Pitchfork'' would merge with the men's magazine ''[[GQ]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Deb |first=Sopan |date=2024-01-17 |title=Condé Nast is folding ''Pitchfork'' into ''GQ'', with layoffs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/business/media/music-magazine-pitchfork-merger-gq.html |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Staff including Patel were laid off, leaving around a dozen editorial staff, including some working on multiple Condé Nast publications.<ref name="Tani-2024" /> Max Tani of ''[[Semafor (website)|Semafor]]'' reported that the remaining staff were "depressed and embarrassed" by the merge.<ref name="Tani-2024" /> One writer who was laid off, Andy Cush, said "there was this real sense of despair ... about ever having a place to do the kind of work you feel like you're good at and that you're interested in again".<ref name="Mullin-2024">{{Cite web |last=Mullin |first=Benjamin |date=15 October 2024 |title=''Pitchfork'' alumni launch new music publication, ''Hearing Things'' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/15/business/media/pitchfork-hearing-things.html#:~:text=Pitchfork%20Alumni%20Have%20an%20Idea,doing%20away%20with%20album%20scores |access-date=15 October 2024 |website=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> As of that month, ''Pitchfork'' had the most daily active users of any Condé Nast publication.<ref name="Rogers-2024" />

Journalists reacted with sadness and concern for the future of music journalism.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-18 |title=Anger and sadness over Pitchfork merger with GQ |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68014108 |access-date=2024-01-23 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> Tani and ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'s}} Chris Richards expressed disgust that ''Pitchfork'', once independent and provocative, would be absorbed into an establishment men's magazine.<ref name="Richards-2024" /><ref name="Tani-2024" /> The music critic [[Ann Powers]] wrote that the merge felt "like a highly conservative move at a time when music has proven to be one of our culture's most beautifully progressive spaces".<ref name="Powers-2024" /> In ''[[The Guardian]]'', Laura Snapes wrote that ''Pitchfork'' had provided a vital "leading example" and doubted that specialist music journalism could survive without it. She lamented the job losses, saying that ''Pitchfork'' had been one of the last stable employers of freelance music writers.<ref name="Snapes-2024">{{Cite news |last=Snapes |first=Laura |date=2024-01-18 |title=''Pitchfork'''s absorption into ''GQ'' is a travesty for music media – and musicians |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/jan/18/pitchforks-absorption-into-gq-is-a-travesty-for-music-media-and-musicians |access-date=2024-01-30 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Schreiber said that commentators were "premature to eulogize ''Pitchfork''", as it retained a skeleton crew continuing its mission, and said he was pleased with the work it had published since the announcement.<ref name="OralHistory" /> 

On July 2, 2024, ''Pitchfork'' named Mano Sundaresan, the founder of the music blog ''No Bells'', as the new head of editorial content. Sundaresan denied that ''Pitchfork'' was "going away", and said he aimed to adapt it to modern media and cater to more specialized audiences.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Leight |first=Elias |date=2024-07-02 |title=''Pitchfork'' names Mano Sundaresan as new head of editorial content |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/pitchfork-names-mano-sundaresan-head-editorial-content-exclusive/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US}}</ref> That October, five former ''Pitchfork'' writers launched the music site ''Hearing Things'', which aims to "capture the original independent spirit" of ''Pitchfork''.<ref name="Mullin-2024" /> In November, ''Pitchfork'' announced that it had canceled Pitchfork Music Festival but would continue to produce events and "create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mier |first=Tomás |date=11 November 2024 |title=''Pitchfork'' cancels annual Chicago music festival after 19 years |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pitchfork-cancels-chicago-music-festival-after-19-years-1235161976/ |access-date=13 November 2024 |website=[[Rolling Stone]] |language=en-US}}</ref>