Are Music Magazines Dying Out?

In this modern day of 2017, changes are being made in every aspect of the entertainment business in order to keep up with the high demands of the consumers, if they don't, they are caught behind and are surely doomed to fail. This is no different with magazines, especially music magazines, the changing times cause publishing companies to adapt to various forms of media in order to reach out to their target audience, the recent boom of Spotify, apple music, and platforms like YouTube and Amazon starting to adapt to the music consumer market, magazines like, NME, Mojo and Vibe are starting to become redundant and lag behind.

Jonah Weiner wrote about the reasons that he felt were killing the music magazine industry, in the article, "Spinning In The Grave". He stated three main ways in which this is happening, they are:-

• "There are fewer superstars, and the same musicians show up on every magazine cover"
• "Music mags have less to offer music lovers, and music lovers need them less than ever anyway"
• "Music magazines were an early version of social networking. But now there's this new thing called Social Networking"

1.  There are fewer superstars, and the same musicians show up on every magazine cover.

This point, basically states, thinking of nowadays music superstars like Kanye West or Beyoncé, if they released a new album, every big music magazine will want them on the cover of their next issue, and there lies the problem, its too saturated. Think about it, if you were to go into your local new agent, how many magazines would you find with the same cover star, probably a few, and what Jonah is saying, along with many other critics is that its getting too boring for music lovers and consumers too see the same star over and over again. You can of course say that not every consumer will read a magazine purely because of its cover star, and that's right, but how can you ignore how the majority are drawn in by the cover, and if all of them look the same, where is the appeal?

2. Music magazines have less to offer music lovers, and music lovers need them less than ever anyway

In similarity to the first point, this one looks at how little music magazines have to offer due to the over saturation of the market. If you really think about it, how much can a magazine actually offer you, yes a few articles on a few tracks or artists, maybe some suggestions, but with the changing time people want things there and then, they don't have time to wait, and they certainty do not need some critic playing the middle man and swaying their decisions, if they wants to listen to a song, they don't have to buy a whole album or single record to listen to it, they can simply stick it in on YouTube and listen to if for free. Many readers would prefer to listen to a track rather than read about it first, technology has well and truly leapfrogged over the printed word, no one can argue with that, and people want what's hot and new, and they want it now, who has the time anymore for an absolete form of media?


3. Music magazines were an early version of social networking. But now there's this new thing called "Social Networking"

Back in the day, music magazines offered a different view point on the music industry, it offered interviews, behind the scenes, and soundtracks you wouldn't of heard usually, basically all things you wouldn't of known about, unless you read that magazine. But now, you can get all of that and more online through websites and social media, so the question stands... Why pay for something when you can get it for free? In practical terms most people would go for the free option for obvious reasons, but you get that small minority of people, who like to buy magazines because they are "old fashioned" or "hipster", and there is the answer to the question really, for the small amount of people who buy magazines to call them "hipster", which in general terms means outdated or vintage, can show that magazines are dying out and there isn't much we can do about it, but that's life.

Music Magazine Photo Shoot

Magazine Publishers

Bauer

Bauer media group is a European based media company based in Hamburg, Germany and was founded in 1875. They manage over 1000s forms of media products which of that includes around 600 magazines.
As of 2013 they had approximately 11,00 employees working for the, all over the world making them one of the largest media publishing companies in Europe.
Some of their most sort after and famous magazines they have published over the years includes Q, a music magazine originally published in the UK and Kerrang, a brand of rock magazine that has grown into its own radio and TV channel.
As of 2013 their yearly revenue is around the 2.4 billion euro mark, which not only makes it one of the most successful music magazine publishers in Europe but one of the most successful companies based on annual profit in Germany.
They mainly deal with very popular music magazines to a wider audience as to ensure the most profit, however they have been known to publish the occasional "niche" magazine to appeal to a select audience, this variety is what makes them so popular and successful.

 

Time Inc.

Time Inc. is an American based, mass media company founded in 1922 in New York city by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden. It currently publishes over 100 magazine brands, including its most famous title Time Magazine, and its main headquarters are situated in New York city. It produces many forms of media including magazines, events like concerts and websites.
It also has a UK based magazine publishing company called Time Inc. UK, which create such magazines titles as Country Life and NME.
As of 2016 they had around 7,200 employees working for them around the globe, this also includes their UK base.
In 2015 its revenue grew to a staggering 3.1 billion US dollars, however it saw a 881 million dollar decrease of the year before, this is due to the very low demand of magazines there is in modern day society, with the growth of the internet and web based articles, Time Inc. are struggling to keep up profits and adapted to out modern day needs.
Although Time Inc. is still today one of the most successful magazine publishers of all time with a great history, it is proven to struggle to change along with the demands of our 21st Century society, which sees them to loose money, however they have shown in the past they can turn it around.

Magazine Publishing Process

During the magazine production progress, a write must always have in mind how or who to get their magazine published with. The process is long and not always successful but it is always and important factor a writer must be able to over come.
The process of making my magazine, got me thinking about how I can get this published if it was for real? So I researched online and found an article by  Jeff Goins explaining the publishing progress in a step by step guide.

 

 

"Step 1: Start with a topic

Think of an idea that is original, interesting, and compelling.
Try to do some free-writing or mind-mapping to flesh it out on paper.
Focus on what you know, on what you have a unique perspective on.

Step 2: Make a list

Do some research. Take note of a few publications you’d like to pitch. Make sure you have a good variety. This will increase your chances of getting published with one of them.

I usually pick a few smaller and larger publications when I do this. I vary the list to improve my chances.

Step 3: Write a Query Letter

Query letters are short, formal letters that you send to to the editor to consider you for publishing. If the magazine has more than one editor, send it to the person who accepts pitches for your particular topic.
Address him or her by name, include the date, and pitch the idea in a short outline form.
It’s also a good idea to provide some sample work that you’ve done (in the form of links, preferably, if you have published anything online).
If appropriate, try including more than one idea in the letter. This will increase the likelihood of getting a response.
If you need help writing one, try this tutorial: How to Write a Query Letter

Step 4: Wait

This is important: Give the magazine adequate time to respond.
If they have a policy for pitching articles, read it. Most likely, it will be something like this: “If you don’t hear back from us in [X amount of time], you can trust that we weren’t able to use your piece.”
Wait a week or so before following up. If you don’t hear back within a few weeks to a month, send a letter to the publication, telling them you’re moving on with the idea. When in doubt, ask permission to follow up. For example, if I’m wanting a quick response on a piece, I may say:

If I don’t hear back from you in a week or so, would it be all right for me to follow up?

If they say yes, then you never have to feel awkward about sending a follow-up.

Step 5: Follow up

If they do respond to your pitch, they will tell you one of the following:

a) They don’t like the idea.
b) They want you to tweak the idea.
c) They want to publish the idea.

Oftentimes, I go back and forth with a publication before we land on a good idea.

Once you land on a good idea, they may ask for outline.

Once you’ve agreed on a deadline, then it’s time to start writing. The hardest part is done. Now, all you have to do is write the article. And next time, you probably won’t have to go through this process.

The more you do this sort of thing, the easier it gets, especially as magazines and editors begin to know and trust you."

 

- Jeff Goins (https://goinswriter.com/how-to-get-published-in-a-magazine/)

The Acid Test

'The Acid Test' is an idea in which people assess the quality of the magazine, in this circumstance, whether the magazine looks genuine or not.

Samples of earlier peoples work to recognise which band they fit into:

Band 1 example -

They have created material suitable for the task, and correctly used ICT using page design and layout.

Band 2 example -

They have used more suitable language and register which fits the kind of the magazine better. They have also edited the main image.

Band 3 example -


In this case they have more conventions of a usual magazine, whilst having a variety of fonts and colours.

 

Band 4 example -

They have used a selection of language and register which is fitting for their target audience, and the use of ICT skill has also made the cover seem more professional looking and real, this magazine would gain top marks.

Questionnaire

Before I start to create and plan for my final design of my magazine, I must first ask my target audience a series of questions as to get a better idea of the type of magazine they would like to see and the way they would like it to look. This is important as it will allow me to tailor and create a magazine aimed specifically at my target audience and gain more sales and revenue. I gathered a lot of data through asking my set questions and have constructed an answer for each one based on the average responses.

What Would Your Ideal Magazine Look Like?

Ideally it would be a clean and fresh design, with little to none clutter everywhere. Like you know when you pick up a magazine and it just bombards you with different headlines and pictures on one page, and it confuses you a little bit and you don't know where to look first, i would like the opposite of that, because in my opinion anything other would just look messy. Also it has to have a good colour scheme, and keep it throughout, like not every colour of the rainbow on one page, just a few that go well together to interest me in reading, plus it makes the whole magazine look more realistic and mature.

How Important Is a Variety of Fonts For You?

Honestly it is quite important, if every word on every page was written in the same style and font it would look well boring. A mix of fonts would break up each texts and make the magazine look more diverse and excited, not stupid fonts though that you can barely read, fonts that are relevant to the genre of the magazine and are clear and easy to read and digest.

Does It Help To Have A Few Pictures When Reading A Magazine?

Yes of course, if you don't have many pictures to break up the text, the page would look boring and it would look too much like you're reading a book, which isn't what you want for your target audience I guess? A few pictures here and there to give the reader an idea of what they are reading about would be enough for me, good relevant and original pictures would be best, ones that make the reader want to find out more.

Do You Like A Variety of Articles to Read?

If you mean like different things to read and look at in the magazine itself then yes of course, because otherwise it would seem very plain, a variety of various subject matters, interviews and articles will make me want to read each individual page due to how diverse it it, I can't think of anything worse for a magazine than all interviews or all boring articles, a varied selection of page topics is what I would like to see.

Risk Assessment Table

Before a photo shoot, every photographer must carry out a risk assessment of the surrounding area as to not put themselves, or the model in any form of danger. Here is a table of risks and ways i managed to prevent them during my photo shoot for my magazine,

Ideal Reader

Before I find out what my target audience will be I must first find out what the target audience of grime is. Radio one Extra is the "holy grail" of grime, and they target their audience particularly to the younger generation of older teens to younger 20 year olds, so this is what my target audience will be mainly. My target audience will need to relate to both the language used in my magazine, of an informal or "street" register, and also relate to the music the magazine is about and the artists themselves, so that they have a sense of relief that there are others going through similar struggles as them. For this reason I would target young people, predominantly males, from rough backgrounds who are going through some form of struggle however I will also try and get female interest as well, this is what grime is targeting, which is why it is so popular in big cities like London, my ideal readers feel grime music as a religion and a way of life, it is more than the music and beats, it has a bigger and deeper meaning that many of the rough and inner city kids can relate to, so this is what I would like to mimic for my magazine.

Best Magazine Covers

Rolling Stone's cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono was titled the top magazine cover to appear since the year 1965. The image was shot by popular celebrity portraitist Annie Leibovitz, hours before Lennon was shot on December 8, 1980. The photo never made the next issue, due to how controversial it was, however the photo was finally used on the cover of Rolling Stone's tribute issue to Lennon on January 22, 1981. This was revolutionary because they way he is positioned in such a foetal position, this represents how innocent and fragile he is as an artist, reflecting how he is also human which sometimes we don't think about. The simplicity of this cover really helps highlight the meaning behind photo. 

The Dixie Chicks appear naked on this magazine cover of Entertainment Weekly with phrases such as, "Boycott," "Traitors," "Hero," and "Proud Americans," written on their bodies. Two months earlier, member Natalie Maines criticized the imminent attack on Iraq by President George Bush at a gig in London. This statement sparked intense criticism from many Americans who subsequently boycotted The Dixie Chicks music and concerts. In their conference with Entertainment Weekly, the group discussed their reaction to the criticism and what may be in the future for them in the country music industry. This magazine cover is considered so great due to how the girls, stood up for themselves after criticism and its controversial side.  

Colour Consumers

My colour scheme for my music magazine final design will predominantly consist of Yellows, Reds, Blacks and maybe Oranges.

Yellow - "The colour of youth". This bright vibrant colour represents optimism and youthfulness throughout nature and society. It is quite often used to grab attention of people window shopping. The main reason I've chosen to use yellow is because of its attractive nature and how it represents youth and life which ties into the genre of grime music.

Red - This colour very energetic and loud, it causes your heart rate to increase whilst also representing feelings of lust, anger, urgency and danger. It is commonly used in shops for clearance sales as it is so effective at grabbing your attention and many colours pop out when put over it. I am using this colour because of how its representations really reflect how grime is perceived and what it stands for and also a really good "attention grabber".

Orange - Considered the "tamer" red, this colour creates a call to action whilst also reflecting danger, aggression and flamboyance which all can come together to be used to describe grime music. It stands out brilliantly on a dark background and catches the eye of passers by.

Black - Powerful, sleek and mysterious. All of these elements are what the colour black shows and represents, and it is also commonly used in marketing to sell luxury products as unlike its simplicity it is nowadays seen as a colour which reflects relaxation and luxury. It is bold and outstanding when on lighter backgrounds which is the reason I have chosen it for my colour scheme, and as we all know, black goes with everything.