IPC MEDIA
As NME magazine has been the most inspirational magazine in the process of creating my own, I looked into it's publisher. I found that it is IPC Media, a company who produce over 60 media brands inlcuding other magazines such as Marie Clare, Look, Now and many more.
BAUER MEDIAAnother publisher that I looked into was Bauer Media, which I found publishes a huge amount of popular magazines of all different genres. These inlcude women's magazines such as Closer, heat, GRAZIA and more!. Then there are the men's magazines, both entertainment and lifestyle: Empire, Kerrang!, Q and FHM.
When I think of what I consider to be the most popular magazines, they all seem to fall under these two publishers, and therefore I believe that either of these would be willing to distribute my magazine. These companies obviously know how to successfully promote and sell products, and have supported many of the most read magazines in the country today, making them a clear asset to have when looking to distribute a magazine.
Although they already house a lot of magazines already, the amount that they publish shows that numbers aren't necessarily a factor, and neither are similarities in the magazines. My magazine may have a few similarities to the likes of NME and Kerrang!, however I have tried to make it as unique as possible. I didn't want to create a magazine that was only about music, I wanted to fuse a few genres together to create a hybrid of fashion, film and celebrity gossip that all revolve around the main music concept. For example, the main article may be about a new three piece band who have stormed the charts, who tell my magazine's interviewer about their troubled past, paired with a sub article showcasing their signature clothing style. I feel that this is exactly what the magazine industry needs; something new and fresh to attract the audience which are over looked and not considered important.
Taking this into consideration, if either of these companies were to see my magazine and notice how unique it is, they would hopefully publish it alongside their existing magazines. I don't see it as competition for any of the current music magazines as it is attracting an audience who haven't really been catered for, and therefore won't have any effect on current sales, eliminating one of the reasons a publisher may turn my magazine down.
DISTRIBUTION
Once magazines have gained a publisher, there are many ways in which the actual product can be distributed. The main one of these for a magazine being in stores such as local newsagents and supermarkets. Depending on the type of magazine, they can be given away free in their relevant stores such as ASDA magazine which is simply given away in order to advertise certain deals available in the store. However as my magazine is a music magazine and isn't made along side a radio station like Kerrang!, it needs to be sold in mainstream supermarkets and newsagents.
Another form of distribution which has only come about in the past few years is magazines in the form of Apps. For example, NME have an iPod/iPhone app that can be bought through Apple. Having an app would broaden the audience of my magazine, and would also gain readers. The NME app is only 69p to buy, and requires no further payments. This is a very small price compared to many other apps, and therefore I think that it is frequently bought and used, with iPhones being one of the most popular phones to have around the world. If I was to have an app I believe that once purchased, it would give the buyer a taste of the magazine, and would hopefully persuade them to go out and buy the real thing.
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