Consumption of Magazines

Patterns of consumption

Nowadays, how we consume information is changing. With the rise of social media and downloads, CDs becoming almost an alien concept.

 

The way we buy music is different now, Spotify and iTunes are becoming more popular and something like vinyl is now only for the indie kids who wish they were born in a different age. This therefore has an effect on industry because less people are buying and are instead free downloading and streaming - so there is less money going into the music industry. Furthermore, people are illegally downloading lots of music, so this means that people who create the music don't get any credit or profit from it.

 

This also links to the question; 'why pay when you can get it for free?' - this is something that demonstrates the nature of humans now and how people are wanting more and more, but without paying for it. Therefore, most people today are economical and these people would typically be seen as mainstreamers. 

 

Are music magazines still relevant?

Today, the number of music magazines still available has declined since the majority of them were first published. This is not surprising, seeming as the rise of the internet and social media is beginning to swallow them whole. Therefore, presenting the question are they are still relevant today, in a world full of technology, do we still need spend money on something we can just Google?

 

Furthermore, social media now allows to connect to the artists. We don't need to buy a magazine and read an article - we can just follow them on twitter. This attitude towards music magazines is somewhat sad, that people don't care for them much. The NRS suggests that the majority of readers are ABC1 males aged 35+, they are 50 quid blokes, so this connotes that the majority who have an apathetic approach towards music magazines are mainly the younger generation - they are the ones constantly on phones and always buzzing about social media.

 

However, one of the popular, if not the most, music magazines is Kerrang! This magazine bucks the trend of failing music magazines and is based around rock or metal music, and still have an avid reader audience. Interestingly, they aren't just ABC1 35+ males, according to the NRS many of them are females of different ages. This then leads to the question; how has it lasted?

 

There may be many other reasons for its success, but the simple fact is that it is unique. Most music magazines are pop, or focus on what is current, but Kerrang! chooses to focus on its specific genre, and perhaps this is why so many people want to read it, because they know what they are getting and are therefore familiar with it. It could also link to the idea that as consumers today, we like to own things. We like to buy CDs to show we have the album physically, not just downloaded onto our phones. This could potentially have something to do with the idea that if you don't own their latest CD, are you even a real fan? This is the same with Kerrang! The audience may want to have a physical copy, and they then almost become collectables.

 

Can music magazines survive?

Due to the fact that how we access information is constantly changing, it is still debatable if music magazines can survive. Eventually, it is inevitable that they will stop - times are changing, technology is constantly improving and we are always wanting the newest, shiniest thing. This consequently means how long they will last is uncertain, but they won't last indefinitely.  

Also, the internet is more convenient. It doesn't cost money to find the latest lyrics to a song, and  is it undoubtedly much more faster than looking in a magazine. Today, people want easy, their lives are too complicated and are too wrapped up in themselves. Consequently, peoples priorities change, and sadly, making time to buy and read a music magazine is becoming to much effort.