Research into Music Magazines

Current Music Magazines

NME – This magazine company have had 58 years experience of being part of the music industry. The company was launched in 1952; the New Musical Express is the world’s greatest and most influential weekly music magazine known as NME.

Since starting this magazine they have been responsible for:

·         Creating the first UK singles chart

·         Hosting The Beatles, The Rolling Stones & The Kinks at our live shows

·         Bringing punk to the wider world

·         Breaking acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Sex Pistols, The Cure, The Stone Roses, Nirvana, Blur, Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys

·         Pioneering funny, critical and truth-telling music journalism

They remain the world’s most recognized and iconic music magazine. They have been there from stunning features to their unique inside information; NME has a proud and colourful history. They were there when The Beatles broke up, also the death of Elvis and many other things.

This is NME music magazine's logo/masthead:

‘We're the magazine that bands read. There isn't one magazine guaranteed to give an as truthful, honest, informed account of what's going down in music as NME. And we do it because we don't want to be lied to either – after all, this is rock'n'roll we're talking about, it's too important for that’ – quote from NME’s website.

‘NME's circulation increased by 9.7% year on year to 76,792 copies, just 627 ahead of Kerrang!’ – quote from the guardian.

NME also have a trial offer going at the moment, which is 4 issues for £1, which is good and makes more people buy the magazine as it attracts the readers more. Which means NME’s sales will be higher than before as more people will buy it when there is a deal involved.

The reason for NME’s success I think is that it is a well created magazine including lots of information that appeals to people that enjoy music. The magazines are filled with lots of good information and many things that inform people about new bands, old bands and other things like I mentioned above. The only thing that  I think that isn’t very good about NME and is why I wouldn’t buy it is because of the price it is fairly expensive and I wouldn’t think it was worth it as I don’t enjoy reading music magazines, whereas others might enjoy them and think it’s a reasonable price for the size of the magazine. But when it’s on the special offer of 4 issues for £1 I may think differently about it.

Kerrang!  - Kerrang! is a rock magazine published in the United Kingdom. The magazine name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing power chord on an electric guitar. It began publication in 1981 and is still being published today.  Kerrang! is a popular music magazine and includes a lot of different rock bands new and old. Kerrang!’s first successful period came in 2000, it featured bands on the cover like Papa Roach, Slipknot and Linkin Park – all well known bands today. Emap launched Kerrang! Australia in the late 1990s. Unlike Kerrang in the United Kingdom which is published weekly, the Australian version is published monthly due to competition from free local music publications. Kerrang! is also published in Spanish.

This is Kerrang!'s logo/masthead:

‘ Emap's weekly title recorded the biggest increase in circulation in the rock music sector, up 23.2% year on year and 18% on the period to 76,165 copies.’ – quote from the guardian.

I think the success of Kerrang! is due to the information included in the magazine. For example, well known bands, interviews with some band members, posters and also information on gigs. These are all the things that someone that wants to buy a music magazine will look for. The price of Kerrang! isn’t as expensive as some magazines as it’s not as thick, but it still manages to hold a lot of information. I also thing the front covers are also eye catching, the big bold masthead, the colours and also the pictures it always seems to stand out.