A Music Magazine is a magazine dedicated to music and music cultures. Most music magazines typically include; music news, gossip about different artists, photo shoots, editorials, interviews and concert information etc.

Though you may think that there is only one media institution* that makes all music magazines. You are wrong. As with all media texts like films and television programmes they are made by a lot of different companies. *Institution- Organisation/ Company.

Conglomerate Company: A conglomerate company is a large company that makes mainstream* magazines. Independent Company: An independent company is a smaller organization that make niche* magazines. Public service company: The only type of company that doesn’t work like the other companies. For example the BBC is funded by public licence fee. The reason behind this is because John Reith (1922) the founder of the BBC introduced that BBC had to do three things: Educate Inform Entertain *Mainstream- Means to be well known/ Popular. *Niche- Means small specialised.

Some examples of music genres that may be classed as being ‘mainstream’ would be: Rock Pop Indie Some examples of music genres that may be classed as being ‘niche’ would be: Country Classical Heavy Metal A Conglomerate company is made up of loads of subsidiaries, this means that it is a company made up from loads of smaller companies. The best part about being a conglomerate business is that you get more money, you have a larger target audience and you also have your own brand*. A independent company isn’t made up of subsidiaries, this means that the magazine can be cheaper, free, local, specialises and advertising pages. Brand*- Corporate Identity.

Media companies are funded through advertising. Two of the biggest magazine conglomerates in the UK are: Bauer and IPC.

Bauer Media Group is a multinational media company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany which operates in 16 countries worldwide. Since the company was founded in 1875, it has been privately owned and under management by the Bauer family. The music magazines that they make/ own are Kerrang, MOJO and Q.

IPC Media Ltd (formerly International Publishing Corporation), A. Wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year. The only music magazines that IPC Media own are Uncut and NME.

Bauer Media MOJO is the world’s largest UK music magazine, delivering a monthly dose of world class journalism and iconic photography to an audience of extremely passionate music consumers. Q, the UK’s biggest selling music monthly magazine, sits at the heart of a cross-platform brand that celebrates the biggest stars in rock and roll and brings you the most exciting new artists. The Q brand has developed a worldwide reputation as a trusted and premium quality voice of musical authority amongst fans, musicians and the music industry alike – one that is founded upon Q’s unrivalled access, world-beating exclusives and outstanding production values. This reputation is extended not only through the magazine but across online, radio and on into Q’s unique events, which encompass exclusive, intimate live shows with major stars and the world famous annual Q Awards Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper. Named after the onomatopoeic word that derives from the sound made when playing a power chord on a distorted electric guitar, Kerrang! was initially devoted to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard rock acts. In the early 2000s it became the best-selling British music newspaper.

IPC Media NME has become a truly unique multi-platform media proposition. Across the magazine, NME.com, NME Video and the brand’s live events and awards, NME reaches over 1.1 million music fans every week. NME is the longest published and most respected music weekly in the world. Every week it gives its readers the most exciting, most authoritative coverage of the very best in new music, including award-winning features, the latest releases, live reviews, the definitive guide to the best new bands in its Radar section, as well as a regular look back through the magazine’s incredible 60 year heritage. NME.COM is the world’s biggest standalone music site serving an intensely engaged audience of year-olds. It draws on NME’s heritage as a music authority to delight users with a mix of news, opinion and artist interviews. NME.COM is where the most passionate music fans on the planet come together. Constantly innovating across a variety of platforms, NME is everywhere its audience wants it to be Uncut is the home of great, timeless rock music, from Bob Dylan to Arcade Fire. It aspires to be the monthly magazine of choice for discerning, knowledgeable music fans that typically grew up with the classic rock of the sixties and seventies who continue to be excited by new music that connects them to the records they have always loved. Uncut has a discerning, well-informed readership that is served by an editorial voice and content that is entertaining, authoritative and informative, with a specific emphasis on delivering the most comprehensive and definitive reviews section in the monthly music sector

The reason that local magazines are funded by advertising is because: They are free to the public Pays for the printing and wages Fanzines are magazines that are made by fans. The are not about making a profit they are more about getting out there how people look up to their ideal selves. Synergy is used to cross promote the brands on different platforms. For example because Bauer Media own their own Radio channel and Television programmes they would advertise their magazines on the television programmes etc. Synergy is there to make a profit.

The main audience that advertises target is the year olds because they have more free time, disposable income and are also more interested in technology. They are given a name of Y.U.P.P.I.E.S.- Young up and coming professionals.

The term circulation means how many copies of each issues are sold. The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is a non profit circulation. It audits circulation, readership* and audience information for the magazines and newspapers. ABC is only used by conglomerate companies because they can afford to unlike independent companies. *Readership- This means how many people actually read the copy.