Spin, the music magazine, makes Liza Lentini its editor-in-chief

Spin has made Liza Lentini its editor-in-chief, moving her up from executive editor. The magazine says she is the first person to hold the title outright under the ownership of Jimmy Hutcheson and his Next Partners group, which is a more specific claim than a routine promotion announcement usually carries.

Lentini has been at the title since 2020, when she arrived as features editor. Spin credits her with bringing in new writers and with a run of exclusive interviews and long pieces, many of which she wrote. Six years in one building is long enough for a promotion to read as continuity rather than a change of direction.

Two editorial franchises are named as hers. 5 Albums I Can't Live Without is the older of the two, and Deep Cut Friday, which works through an artist's catalogue rather than their singles, is recent. Both are the kind of recurring format a site builds a habit around, which is what a music publication competing for repeat visits actually needs.

The move also settles a question about the top of the masthead. Bob Guccione Jr had been acting editor-in-chief; he stays with the company as a consultant and edits the print magazine, which Spin revived and now publishes quarterly. Splitting the print and digital roles this way gives each one a person rather than leaving both to an acting title.

Her background sits outside music journalism as much as inside it. Spin describes more than two decades of editing with a focus on long-form work, says she is an award-winning playwright, and notes that she helped found the luxury travel site Wonderlust in 2017.

Kunj Shah, Spin's chief strategy officer, put the reasoning in commercial terms. "Liza has helped shape what people come to SPIN for: great stories, a distinct point of view," he said, adding that the editorial base matters more as the company grows.

Spin has been building out its business as well as its masthead, and we covered one recent example in the partnership with the studio The Wild Honey Pie.