The music magazine industry;

The music magazine industry produces and funds for magazines which focus on music and music culture. These type of magazines include news, interviews, photo shoots, record reviews and recent concerts on particular artists and their genres. Music magazines almost always include a USP to promote their magazine e.g of a music album to promote a particular artist and their music.

Customers are almost guaranteed to find a magazine which specifies or applies to their preferred type of music; from this we can learn that the music magazine business is exposed world-wide and is available for every music lover to make use of. In example popular music magazine 'Rolling Stones' is an American music magazine however it is released in Britain every month and from this we can understand that the music magazine industry is a successful business allowing it to promote and sell products from country to country.

As mentioned, the music magazine industry funds and produces magazines which will appeal to every music taste. However, many magazines include an aquired taste for everybody in just one physical print. Let's take NME for example, the music magazine does not hold a specific genre within their magazine as they provide many aspects of music culture with a focus of different genres. In example, within NME's online website, I found an interview with 'Florence and the Machine'  and an interview with 'Coldplay'. These two artists are very contrasting in their musical genres however as NME does not hold a particular focus of music genres they are able to include contrasting artists, in the long-term this allows them to appeal to a mass audience as potential customers with all different types of music tastes will find something suited to them within the magazine.

On NME's magazine online I found a promotional aspect of their company which appeals to potential buyers by incorporating other types of technology. The promotional offer is persuading individuals to subscribe to their magazine through their own technology such as an iPad or home computer for a year and save up to 38%. This promotional feature is allowing the magazine to be affordable as it is much cheaper than if they were to purchase their magazine every month for a whole year from a shop. By subscribing they are saving money which is beneficial for them as well as the company as the company are securing an amount of releases each month to their customers. Underneath this promotional feature they are using the same technology as alternatives for buyers to access an issue of their magazine for £1.75. This is 45p cheaper than if an individual was to purchase the magazine in a shop. The company are combining technology with their magazine by encouraging their potential buyers to make use of their own technology at home to access their magazine. NME have understood that the technological market is continuously growing and is very popular today with many individuals and will be accessible for potential buyers to purchase NME's magazine.

This is an example of NME promoting their creation of apps to be accessed through iPhones and iPod's. This is another form of technology which NME has Incorporated within their company to expand and promote their business. They are allowing more accessible ways to access their magazine through up-to-date and current ways for potential consumers.

UNCUT and their incorporation of other media:

Here is an example of UNCUT employing other types of media in their magazine- a CD album. Paul Weller is the unique selling point of the magazine as he appears as a large image taking up the whole front cover and UNCUT have used his album to make a clear connection between him staring in the magazine as well as his music being promoted in the magazine. UNCUT issues a magazine every month containing a CD album mostly with some link to their USP of their magazine. In comparison to NME, UNCUT specialises in Americana and Country alternative music genres and this allows them to hold a complete focus through-out their magazine effectively making it easier for them to issue their magazine alongside a CD album as they know their target audience will appeal to it.

However even though the music magazine industry seems to be successful as there seems to be so much to choose from with easy access worldwide, figures within the music magazine industry seem to be dropping. Circulation figures of the music magazine industry was said to of increased by 22.6% in 2010 however in the first half of 2011, statistics displayed that circulation figures for magazines within the industry are decreasing. In example NME's figures have dropped by 14.3% and Kerrang! music magazine figures have fallen by 2.2%. However in the defence of NME, IPC media said: “NME continues to be an exemplar of a modern multiplatform media brand”, serving its audience “via social media, on TV, radio, mobile, through live events and in print and reaches over one million consumers each week”. Despite these figures, the music magazine industry does serve its purpose globally reaching millions of consumers, providing them with their favourite genres and artists monthly and weekly. These statistics have enabled music magazines to provide 'add-on's' and 'extras' to their magazines e.g technology and other media to put a stop to falling figures and I believe these aspects are two of the main reasons why the music magazine industry is still in existence.