Music Industry Online was founded by Josh Adler in November 1999 as PC Music, with Adler himself as its editor Initially, PC Music, would send a monthly newsletter to about 50 subscribers, explaining the basics of using personal computers to make electronic music. The first issue was sent out in December 1999.The headquarters is in Johannesburg. In 1998 Adler partnered with Jeff Fletcher - who had founded a discussion list for South African electronic musicians on the Hivemind Network, to create a small community of subscribers and a simple website. For a while, the PC Music newsletter would be distributed electronically each month, and then archived on the website. As the mailing list grew, Adler invited two of his computer science classmates in January 2001: Asher Lipson and Sam Hutchinson The decision set in place an entirely new phase for PC Music, which then changed to Music Industry Online in 2005. This witnessed an influx of resources in the form of writers who updated the site with regular news and feature content, drawing audiences both South Africa and abroad. Forums and discussion boards were introduced and moderators elected to keep a watchful eye on the use of offensive behavior. The content also started undergoing subtle changes, from being information based purely on how to make electronic music, to incorporating other music genres and all sectors of the music industry, namely Djing, Artists, Music Business, Education, Events, Music Reviews and the Music Tech sections. It 2005 two more journalists joined MIO on a full-time basis; Taryn Lee-Bigger and Phathu Ratshilumela. Richard Rumney joined MIO as editor in chief in 2007. In 2007 Adler and Hutchinson decided to focus on MIO’s mother company, Prefix Technologies, which they co-own and left MIO in the hands of Rumney and Ratshilumela. The same year, MIO was registered under a new umbrella term: MIO Media. Adler and Hutchinson are still active partners. From October 2008 to early 2011, MIO and the Southern African Music Rights Organisation ran a section called SA Music Good News, which only focuses at writing about positive developments in the South African Music Industry. Rumney remained MIO’s Editor in Chief until October 2009, when Ratshilumela took over. Music Industry Online is only accessible on the web and sends a regular newsletter. It is seen as one of South Africa's major online music magazines. The magazine generally strives to be a catalyst for growth in the SouthAfrican music industry and this has seen a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging the South African music industry. After a period of lower growth, in October 2014, Music Industry Online relaunched under new ownership. In 2014, MIO was bought from the current owners by 882 People Media and Zethu Zulu took over as editor.
