Magazine media publisher’s statement filing

Instructions on how to submit your magazine data to AAM.

Filing Due Dates

Filing Period Due Date
 Six months ending June 30 July 31
 Six months ending December 31 January 31

Note: If the due date falls on a weekend, then it moves to the following business day.

 

Accessing AAM's Magazine Media Filing Tool

Log in to the Publisher Filing Center

Notes:

  • When entering your member number, do not include the initial “0” or dashes. For example, if your member number is 01-2345-6, please enter 123456.
  • If you have questions or cannot remember your password, please contact AAM at 224-366-6339. 

Navigation Short Cuts

Save Commands: The Save and Save and Continue buttons are located at the bottom of each page in the filing tool.

Tab Key/Mouse: Use your Tab key or mouse (not the Enter key) to navigate to the next field.

plus_x: Adds or deletes a field or row

calendar: Calendar for date selection

Sections of the Magazine Media Filing Tool

Publisher’s statement filing includes three sections: General Information & Circulation Data, Analysis, and Review & Submit.

The three sections of the magazine filing tool.

Note: For more information on how to update cross-media data or Brand View profiles, visit the Cross Media Filing and Brand View Filing guides.

Section I: General Information & Circulation Data

General Information & Circulation Data sectionThis section includes the following components:

  • Introduction
  • Publication Information
  • Average Circulation
  • Issue-by-Issue
  • Regional & Demo Editions

 

Note: The publication information portion should be completed first, as the information entered is populated throughout the other sections.

Introduction

Provides a preview of the filing tool and links to helpful resources.

Introduction

Publication Information

In this section, you declare the following:

  • Circulation types (i.e., print, digital replica, digital nonreplica)
  • Circulation categories (i.e., paid subscriptions, verified, paid single copy, and analyzed nonpaid bulk)
  • Contact and publication information
  • Geographic data
  • Field served

Publication Information Tips:

  • Only the checked categories will display in the applicable filing tool sections.
  • If a particular category you need to select is greyed out, please contact AAM.
    Check the applicable circulation categories.
  • The contact and field served information is prepopulated based on your previous filing.
  • Check the box confirming accurate contact information.
    Check box confirming accurate contact info.

Average Circulation

On this page, you will enter your six-month average circulation by applicable circulation category and type.

Enter six-month average circulation.

Below is a key to the different types of magazine circulation reporting:

AAM Magazine Distribution Reporting Categories 

Types of Distribution Included

Paid

Individual Subscriptions

Individual, Premiums, Combination Sales, Award/Loyalty Programs, and Deferred Subscriptions 
Membership  Association (Deductible/Nondeductible), Club (Deductible/Nondeductible), Brand Membership Programs 

Multi-Title Digital

Based on unique opens 
Partnership Deductible Subscriptions  Paid subscriptions via a partnership sale 

Sponsored Subscriptions

Sponsored, Schools, Group, and Military Subscriptions 
Verified
Public Place
  • Medical/Dental (i.e., doctor’s waiting rooms)
  • Personal Care (i.e., hair salon)
  • Other Public Place (i.e., hotels) 
Individual Use
  • Individual Requested
  • Other Individually Addressed (i.e., List, Market Coverage, and Delivered with Host Products) 
Paid Single-Copy Sales
Single-Issue Sales Single-Copy Sales
Partnership Deductible Single Issue  Single-copy sales via a partnership sale 
Sponsored Sales  Single-copy sales via sponsored program 
Analyzed Nonpaid Bulk Circulation 

Analyzed Nonpaid Bulk

Issue-by-Issue

On the Issue-by-Issue page, enter the rate base and circulation for each issue.

Rate Base

Rate base section

  • The Rate Base portion requires you to either check the box that no rate base is claimed or, if one is claimed, to provide the details.
  • If you are reporting a rate base, enter your average rate base for the six-month reporting period. If there were issues that had different rate bases during the period (except for special issues, which are excluded from averages), include them in your calculation for a weighted rate base.

Note: The average rate base should match the calculated rate base in the Issue-by-Issue portion of this section.

  • If there was a change to rate base, click the plus sign to add a line and provide the details.
    Click the plus sign if there was a change to rate base.
    • This section also asks you to state the type of circulation included in the rate base claim. If this is a paid and verified only rate base, then check the first box. If this also includes analyzed nonpaid, then check the second box too.
      Check boxes according to type of circulation included in rate base.

    Notes: If you wish to provide more information, such as issue-specific information, you may do so in the text box.

    Issue by Issue

    In the Issue-by-Issue section, enter the circulation for each issue.

    • Under the Assigned Calendar Date column, enter the actual date of the issue (not the on-sale date) by clicking on the red calendar box.
      Enter the actual date of the issue.
    • If applicable, you can import your Rapid Report data by clicking the Import Rapid Report Data button.
    • An analyzed issue must be selected to continue.
      Select analyzed issue
    • Enter the rate base per issue.

    Note: The rate base by issue will appear in the Media Intelligence Center only and will not appear on the publisher’s statement.

    • Enter circulation by distribution category by issue.
    • The averages shown should match the total average reported on the previous Average Circulation page.
      The averages shown much match the total average reported on the previous page.

    Regional and Demographic Editions

    Regional and Demographic section

    • This page allows you to report circulation by edition.
    • Click on the plus sign to add a row and enter your data.

    Note: This information will appear in the Media Intelligence Center only and will not appear on the publisher’s statement.

    Section II: Analysis

    Analysis sectionThis section includes the following components:

    • Prices
    • Geographic
    • Notes

     

    Prices

    On this page, enter the suggested retail prices effective during the statement period, as well as the average price.

    Note:

    • The average price reflects the total value for all subscriptions sold during the six-month period (less sponsored and multi-title digital) divided by the total number of copies generated from these sales. For further average price calculation details, visit AAM’s Support Center.
    • If the individual subscription circulation is less than 5% of the publication's total circulation, reporting of the average subscription price is not required. The following explanatory will be noted: "Less than 5% of the publication's circulation is individual subscriptions. Therefore, reporting of an average subscription price is not required."

    Prices section

    Geographic

    On the Geographic page, enter the circulation for the analyzed Issue (The analyzed issue date was originally reported on the Issue-by-Issue page).

    Only print circulation is reported by state or province. Digital Issue circulation is reported at the end of the paragraph as a single line item.

    Note: This information will appear in the Media Intelligence Center only and will not appear on the publisher’s statement.

    Geographic section

    Geographic data may be entered manually or via Excel upload. If you prefer to upload a spreadsheet, please follow these instructions:

    1. Click on Download Template and save the file to your computer.
      Download the geographic data template
    2.  Complete the spreadsheet and save.
      Complete geographic spreadsheet

    Note: The format of the Excel file cannot be changed. However, you can cut and paste date elements from your Excel data reports into AAM’s customized Excel template.

    3. Return to the Geographic section in the filing tool and select Choose File. Navigate to your completed file and click Open. Then select Upload to populate this section of the filing tool.
    Upload  geographic data file

    4. Edits to your geographic data may be made directly in the tool or reupload your Excel spreadsheet to overwrite the data.

    Note: Do not add any symbols in AAM’s Excel template. The format is not editable. The state/provinces/countries order cannot be changed.

    5. Click Save or Save and Continue once you are satisfied with your data.

    Notes 

    The Notes page is where you will explain any circulation claimed within the previous sections. To view the explanatory notes that are available, click the Add Notes button and select those that apply to the statement period.

    Explanatory options

    Section III: Review and Submit

    Review and Submit sectionHere you may review your data prior to submission to AAM. This section includes:

    • Publisher’s Comments
    • Upload Files
    • View Data
    • View Errors
    • Statement Submission

    Publisher Comments (Optional)

    You may enter any general comments, questions or specific details relating to your report filing to AAM staff. These comments are for internal purposes only and are not published.

    Publisher Comments

    Upload Files

    You may upload any files, including logos or cover images, directly into the filing application. Images must be in TIFF or JPEG format.

    Upload files section

    View Data

    This page summarizes the information entered into the application. You may also print a summary report of the data for your records. This does not represent the actual publisher’s statement format, as some information reported is only in the Media Intelligence Center and is not presented in the publisher’s statement.

    View Data section

    Note: Click the print icon to either print or save as a PDF for your records.

    View Errors 

    View and resolve any errors prior to submission. If any errors exist, an itemized list will appear. Please revisit the error and revise if necessary.

    View Errors section

    Statement Submission

    Once you have reviewed any errors and are ready to submit the data to AAM, enter your name, title, and check the box to serve as certification of the data.

    Then click the button to Submit Publisher’s Statement Data to AAM. You will receive a confirmation email stating that the data is submitted.

    Statement Submission section

    Approve or Reject Your Data Submission

    • AAM reviews the data and sends you an email stating that it has been approved or needs adjustment.
    • If approved, you will be provided an opportunity to review the information that you filed and either accept or decline your data submission.
    • Below are the instructions to proof your data for final release to AAM’s Media Intelligence Center.
    1.  You will receive an email from AAM similar to the one below. 
      Example of approve/decline email
    2. Click the Publisher Filing Center link and enter your member number, username, and password. Select File Publisher’s Statement Claims, then select View Data under the Review & Submit section to review your filed data.
      Log back in to go to View Data section
    3. If you’re satisfied with your data submission, return to the email and select Approve. Your data will be released to the Media Intelligence Center and the publisher’s statement will be produced and released.
      Click Approve if you are satisfied
    4. If you’re not satisfied with your data submission, return to the email and select Decline. The filing tool will reopen for any adjustments.
      If not satisfied, decline submission

    Note: Your publisher’s statement is automatically released to AAM’s database if you do not respond to the proof email within six days.

     Webinar: Filing Your June 2024 Magazine Publisher's Statement