Music Magazine Institutions Research

Who are the main players?

IPC Media: Dedicated to music and music cultures featuring many different musicians, some that specialise in certain genres. Leading consumer magazine and digital publisher in the UK. Formed in 1963. Over 60 iconic brands. Print reaching almost 2/3 of UK women and 42% of UK men (26m UK adults). Sub-brands: Connect, Market Force, Southbank, Ignite and TX.  NME – advertised as rock – wide audience, reaches over 1m fans every week, longest published and most respected music weekly in the world.

Bauer: Europe’s largest privately owned publishing group. Worldwide media, over 230 magazines in 15 countries. Heavily online, TV and radio – Multimedia platform UK based media group. Many sub-brands and companies – magazine and radio – innovative. Average 12.4m listen to Bauer media radio. Owns number 1 and 4 top commercial radio stations in London – Kiss (young dance audience). Music mag – Kerrang, Mojo Magazine – multi-channel publication.

EMAP: Specialises in b2b (business to business) publishing space. Specific publications for each genre. Attracts wide audience through magazines and on-line versions (rss feeds on breaking news). Smash Hits – focused on pop music, aimed at children and younger teens, published in UK, 1978 to 2006, bi-weekly, pop music, fashion and gossip – attracted young girls who liked listening to current music.

When were they established?

IPC Media – 1963

Bauer – joined Bauer Media Group in 2008 (heritage goes back to 1953)

EMAP – 1978

Give some information about who they are.

IPC Media: iconic music magazine NME which includes many synergy’s and convergences like NME Radio, TV, Website, Events/Festivals/Awards, Sponsorships.

Bauer: took off in 1990 with the acquisition of London dance station Kiss FM (now called Kiss 100), followed by Liverpool's Radio City and later by TWC and the Metro Group. Then Melody FM which was transformed into the market-leading Magic 105.4. In 1994, they bought a small magazine called For Him Magazine which is now the best-selling international multi-platform brand FHM. In 1996, they bought the digital music TV channel The Box, (start small screen business) which has grown into Box Television (a seven channel joint venture TV business with Channel 4).  Launched Closer in 2002 and Britain’s first weekly glossy, GRAZIA, in 2005.

EMAP: has an EMAP Radio station and events. Renamed to ‘Top Right Group’ in 2012. Distributed to Australia and Germany. Became a PLC in the 1970’s. Used to have newspaper titles but sold them in 1966 (sold 65).

Give an example of the types of magazines they produce:

IPC Media:

NME (Mainstream)

Look (Mainstream)

Marie Claire (Niche)

Women’s Weekly (Niche)

Bauer:

Closer (Mainstream, but could also be Niche)

Garden News (Niche)

Kerrang (Niche)

Grazia (mainstream, but could also be Niche)

EMAP:

Construction News (Niche)

Retail Week (Niche)

AJ (Niche)

Lighting (Niche)

Who would own your magazine?

Because my magazine will be an alternative rock music magazine, it will be owned by one of the big players such as IPC Media. This is because the genre is very popular and so will need a big company to be able to get the popular artists/bands to interview. However, by it being a niche market, companies such as Future PLC would be good to own it as it is a specialist company that owns many niche magazines.