Week 11, Lesson 1:
Music Magazines
Lesson aims:
✓ To understand
the difference
between
independent and
major publishers
✓ To be able to
explain the role of
publishing houses.
Starter: what does the term
independent mean to you?
If a business was an independent
one what characteristics may it
have?
Note – a publisher is the company
who makes and prints a magazine!
Music Magazine Industries
Independent (adj)
• Not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion,
conduct, etc.; thinking or acting for oneself: an independent
thinker
• Not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction;
autonomous; free: an independent businessman
• Not influenced by the thought or action of others:
independent research
• Not dependent; not dependent or contingent upon
something else for existence, operation, etc.
• Not relying on others for aid and support.
Why might a new magazine or website want to be independent
rather than linked to a big publishing company that already
publishes lots of other magazines? List at least three reasons.
Copy this information into your notes.
There are several big publishing houses in the UK.
Bauer, IPC and Hearst Magazines UK own most of the
mainstream magazines that we see in the newsagents.
Some of the magazine titles began as independents but were
bought out by the major publishing houses; others have
always been produced entirely in-house.
IPC Media
• The UK’s leading consumer magazine publisher.
• Formed in 1968.
• Split into three divisions:
• IPC Connect – “mass-market women’s division” (Now,
Chat, TV Times)
• IPC Inspire – “men’s portfolio” (Rugby World, Nuts,
NME)
• IPC Southbank – “upmarket women’s division” (Marie
Claire, Ideal Home)
Task: Create a table in your notes, sorting the statements
below to show the benefits of each type of publisher.
Big publishing house Independent publisher
More financial flexibility.
Can use a team of designers, photographers or writers for more than one imprint.More choice over content and style.
Option to put across a point of view.
Might attract more advertisers.
Tend to have a small group of writers and editors who work closely together.
More likely to have access to the latest technology.
Can cross-advertise different magazines.
Task: Create a table in your book, sorting the statements
below to show the benefits of each type of publisher.
Big publishing house Independent publisher
More financial flexibility.
Can use a team of designers, photographers or writers for more than one imprint.More choice over content and style.
Option to put across a point of view.
Might attract more advertisers.
Tend to have a small group of writers and editors who work closely together.
More likely to have access to the latest technology.
Can cross-advertise different magazines.
Big publishing house Independent publisher
What differences do you notice between the magazines?
Here is an example of the top and bottom of the Top 40 UK charts.For each of the questions answer first for a big publishing
house’s magazine and then for an independent’s music
magazine. See example on next slide.
1. Which music artiste
will feature as the
main person on the
front cover?
2. What will be the main
text linked to that
person?
3. Who else will be
interviewed in the
magazine?
4. What other features
will be included?
5. Will there be an
special competitions
or free things to
interest the buyer?
EXT: how will the layout
differ?The up-to-date official chart can be found here:
https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/
Example answers
Big publishing house – Pop and Rock (Mainstream)
1. Dua Lipa will feature as the main person on the front cover as she is huge
at the moment.
2. The main text linked to her will say “Everyone Loves Lipa!”
3. Lewis Capaldi will also be interviewed in the magazine as he is the most
famous British male artist at the moment.
4. There will be singles reviews and news of how to create Dua Lipa and Lewis
Capaldi’s looks.
5. There will be a competition to win tickets to see both artistes on their new
tours in 2021.
Independent music magazine – rap and R&B music genres (Niche)
1. Doja Cat will feature as the main person on the cover as she is new and
more available for interviews but still doing well.
2. The main text might make a joke about her being huge now and her response
being “if you say so”, punning on her song title.
3. AJ Tracey and Aitch will also appear as the big new names in their genre.
4. There will be a feature on how to make it in the rap game and an article on
racism faced by BAME musicians.
5. There will be a chance to get discount tickets to a local rap music festival.
The up-to-date official chart can be found here:
https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/
Plenary:
If you were launching a new music magazine,
would you rather publish it independently or
through a major publishing house? Why?
Have you achieved the aims of the lesson?
✓ To understand the difference between independent
and major publishers
✓ To be able to explain the role of publishing houses.
Starter: Odd One Out
Which of the following is the odd one out? Why?
Magazine
Website
App
11
Think: why would a print magazine also want an on-line version?
✓ All: will be able to
identify the main
features of a
website
✓ Most: will be able
to analyse a
website and
conclude what a
music website is
likely to include;
✓ Some: will draw
comparison
between websites
and magazines
and evaluate their
similarities and
differences.
Week 11, Lesson 2:
Music Websites
Spot the Website Feature
A. Menu Bar
B. Link
C. Tabs
D. Links to social
sites
Spot the Website Feature
A. Scrolling images
B. Graphics
C. Picture Links
D. Sign in / subscribe box
Spot the Website Feature
A. Menu Bar
B. Link
C. Tabs
D. Links to social sites
Spot the Website Feature
A. Scrolling images
B. Graphics
C. Video Links
D. Sign in / subscribe box
Spot the Website Feature
A. Menu Bar
B. Link
C. Headlines
D. Links to social sites
Spot the Website Feature
A. Scrolling images
B. Sound Links
C. Search
D. Sign in / subscribe box
Spot the Website Feature
A. Scrolling images
B. Sound Links
C. Search
D. Sign in / subscribe box
Answers
D)
C)
A)
A)
B) C)
B)
C)
Check your answers.
Consider why you got any incorrect if you did.
How many other
features of
a website can you
spot on the
music homepage
on the next slide?
How many of these features did you spot?
Menu bar Search boxLinks to social
mediaVideo links
Photographs Graphics Sound links Stationary adverts
Moving adverts Date Headlines Masthead
Blog Forum Tabs A−Z browse menu
Company details Contact us Links to other sitesSign in / register
option
Scrolling imagesPictures used as
linksMerchandise links
Subscribe to the
print magazine
Music Press OnlineTask 1: Examine the website for two of the following sites:
https://www.qthemusic.com/
Fill in the grid on the next slide.
Now answer the question: What similarities did you find between the websites? 22
https://www.loudersound.com/metal-hammer
https://www.qthemusic.com/
https://mixmag.net/
https://www.mojo4music.com/
23
Title
Features
Metal Hammer Q Mixmag Mojo
Home
Page – how does it grab
interest?
Features – what tabs, news
stories etc
Colours/
Images / videos
Types of artistes featured /
genre / target audience
Task 2:
Now take a look at a music website that does not have a
print version like http://www.factmag.com/ or NME http://www.nme.com/
What are the similarities and differences between this website
and the other ones you have looked at this lesson?
Music Press Online
Plenary
How would this magazine front cover be turned into a website homepage?
Explain how the website would appeal to the target audience and how it will work alongside the print version of the magazine.