ɪn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti tˈuː, vˈɑːljuːm fˈaɪv wʌz sˈɛlɪŋ fɔːɹ pˈaʊnd nˈaɪn.nˈaɪnti nˈaɪn ˈiːtʃ; ðə sˈʌndeɪ tˈaɪmz nˈoʊɾᵻd ðˌɐɾɪt ˈɔfɚd "ˈʌðɚwˌaɪz ʌnɐvˈeɪləbəl tɹˈæks baɪ əbskjˈʊɹ "ˈɪndi" ɹˈɑːk bˈændz ɪnsˈaɪd ɐ smˈɑːɹt sˌiːdˈiːsˈaɪzd pˈeɪpɚbˌæk bˈʊk" ænd ðə mˌæɡɐzˈiːn wʌz mˌeɪkɪŋ ɐ mˈɑːdɪst pɹˈɑːfɪt.
In December 1992, Volume Five was selling for £9.99 each; the Sunday Times noted that it offered "otherwise unavailable tracks by obscure "indie" rock bands inside a smart CD-sized paperback book" and the magazine was making a modest profit.