NME is to be taken free and given a circulation boost to 300,000, as publisher Time Inc UK looks to breathe new life into the struggling music magazine.

The title, which was launched in 1952, has seen weekly sales plummet in the last decade with a paid circulation currently just over 15,000.

The £2.50 magazine continues to see sales fall at a rate of 20% annually, and Time Inc is seeking to revitalise the title by taking it free from September.

“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,” said Marcus Rich, chief executive of Time Inc UK. “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.”

The distribution model is similar to the strategy successfully adopted by titles including ShortList, Sport and Time Out, with issues being handed out at tube stations, as well as in selected retailers and, in the case of NME, by students at schools and campuses.

The magazine is also aiming to cash in on the rise in popularity of NME.com, which will get an overhaul ahead of the print edition going free.

“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,” said Mike Williams, editor of NME. “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.”