The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter[1] devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concerts.

[4] Jerry Moore (1953–2009), a native of The Bronx who attended Lehman College,[4] was another early taper and trader who, in the later words of Grateful Dead historian David Gans, was "almost a stereotype of the poetic Irish soul but with a bit of a psychedelic edge to his tone.

The first issue featured a black and white drawing of a large skull in the center with a horned, winged creature below it and marijuana leaves sprouting around it.

On the upper left it says: "Dedicated to the memory of the world's sneakiest tape collector—Tricky Dicky" (a reference to the then-culminating impeachment process against Richard Nixon).

The group's hiatus also created the opportunity for Dead Relix to broaden its coverage as it came to include other Dead-esque bands on the San Francisco scene like New Riders of the Purple Sage, Commander Cody and Hot Tuna.

Jerry Moore left the magazine in 1977,[5] but in later years resurfaced as a presence in the East Coast scene until his death in 2009.

He felt it needed to branch out and he wanted to broaden the coverage to include more different types of music—punk, metal, new wave, even pop.

[8] While Brown appreciated Tamarkin's adjustments to the magazine, she recognized that Relix was straying from its Deadhead roots.

When the Grateful Dead released In the Dark in 1987, the band's popularity grew exponentially with the help of radio airplay and "Touch of Grey" becoming the group's first song to chart.

Relix kept close ties with the record stores that were buying their magazines, merchandise, and now, the albums of the artists it represented.

Brown also created a forum in the magazine for readers to correspond with incarcerated Deadheads, many who were convicted of non-violent drug offences.

Relix began focusing on a wider of array of bands including Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, Free Grass Union, The String Cheese Incident, moe., The Disco Biscuits, Leftover Salmon, God Street Wine and Strangefolk.

[8] In August 2000, Kippel and Brown decided they were ready for a new direction and sold the magazine to Wall Street executive Steve Bernstein.

Baldwin originally joined the Relix team when Bernstein persuaded her to take the position when he bought the magazine.

In 2001, Relix also purchased Jambands.com,[2] a daily news website devoted to improvisational music founded by Dean Budnick in 1998 that helped popularize the term 'jamband'.

[1] Shapiro had previously owned jamband-oriented club Wetlands in New York City,[1] and produced concert films such as I Love All Access and U2 3D.

Recent cover artists include Jon Batiste, Grace Potter, Tame Impala, Robert Hunter, Gary Clark Jr., a tribute to the Grateful Dead's 50th anniversary, My Morning Jacket, Punch Brothers, Robert Plant and Phish.

In June 2020, with most concerts cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Relix published a special Power of Live issue.