History Of Music Magazines

The first magazine I am going to investigate is Q magazine.

Brief History:

Q was founded by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth and it was first published in october 1986, setting itself apart from the most of the other magazines. Originally it was to be called Cue  but the name was changed so that it wouldn't be mistaken for a snooker magazine.

Typical Contents:

In Q magazine the contents usually includes an extensive review section, new releases and concert reviews. Most of the magazine concentrates on interviews with modern music artists. Also, the magazine is very popular for the lists it makes. It has created many, ranging from "The 100 Greatest albums" to the  '100 Greatest songs of all time'. Every issue of Q has a different message on the spine. Readers then try to work out what the message has to do with the contents of the magazine, which I think is a great way to keep readers interested. Also, often promotional gifts are given away, such as cover-mounted CDs or books.

Typical Reader:

The typical reader of Q magazine looking at the figures is that  345,000 men a week read it whereas only 132,000 women read it weekly, this does not surprise me because I feel that men are more into a varied music genre whereas women prefer up to date more feminine music magazines. The age range of readers isn't very precise with 386,000 readers being between 15 and 44. This is a big number but that is a 29 year age gap which isn't very helpful.

The House style:

Firstly, in the house style of Q magazine each issue published has the same masthead and this is to create consistency through the magazine and it will make it easier for viewers to recognise which magazine they are purchasing. The masthead is always in the top left of the magazine and some times it is overlapped by the main image which will interest the reader to be tempted by the artist on the front cover. Lastly, because the name of the magazine is short people are more likely to remember the name of Q magazine. Next, is the images and the images used in Q are all model shots so the artist has been dressed up especially for that shoot. They will wear certain clothing to get the shot the magazine want to appeal to the audience. 

Producing and distributing of Q magazine:

Q is distributed by Gareth Viggers and it was produced by John Renolds who was even nominated for Q magazine producer of the year.

How are social groups represented in your magazine?

In Q magazine it is aimed at a more mature audience so the readers wont try so hard to look like the people in the magazines.