The February issue of Muzik, the first of 2003, will go on sale with covers featuring Prince, Madonna and German techno-pop artists Kraftwerk.
The CD will include cover versions of the cover stars' tracks, such as Prince's 'I Would Die 4U' by Space Cowboys, along with tracks from other stars considered by Muzik magazine to be music heroes.
The promotion comes as both titles look to pick up readers left empty-handed following the closure of the UK's number-two dance music title Ministry, which was closed by owner Ministry of Sound earlier this year.
Competition in this sector was already intense. Both titles appointed new editors -- Malik Meer on Muzik and Viv Craske on Mixmag -- in August, and Mixmag has undergone a revamp.
IPC believes that publishing three covers will help boost sales of Muzik, following a successful similar exercise with its more mature music title Uncut.
Richard Coles, publishing manager of IPC Ignite!, said: "Similar promotions on sister title Uncut have helped increase the profile of the title at the newsstand and we are confident this promotion will make it one of the best-selling issues of the year."
Muzik trails Mixmag in the circulation war by around 65,000, which was about the size of Ministry's circulation.
In the last set of ABCs for the January to June period, Mixmag led the market with a circulation of 100,336. Ministry had 65,030 and Muzik had just 36,018.
The CD and the cover stars highlight the issue's cover story, Dance Music's Ultimate Icons, Mavericks and Freaks.
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