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.