This document evaluates potential media institutions that could distribute an indie/alternative music magazine. Bauer Media and IPC Media are rejected as potential distributors because they already distribute competing magazines like Q, Kerrang, Mojo, and NME that target similar audiences. Immediate Media is identified as a good option because while it distributes magazines like Top of the Pops and BBC Music Magazine, it does not currently have a magazine that directly competes with the target audience of indie/alternative music fans.

1. Evaluation Question 3
What kind of media institution might
distribute your media product and
why?

2. Institutions
• A company responsible for promoting and
distributing media products.
• Usually they would hope to have a wide range
of different magazines in order for them to
attract a mass audience.
• They would avoid having similar magazines as
they would be directly competing with each
other, perhaps making one of the magazines
less successful.

3. Bauer Media
• Bauer media have a global empire – they
distribute to 15 different countries, with over
300 magazines.
• They are an established and very successful
media publishing company which would make
them a good option for me to consider, when
choosing who should distribute my magazine

4. • However, Bauer media also distribute
magazines such as Q, Kerrang and Mojo. Q,
being an indie rock magazine, would directly
rival my magazine.
• Kerrang and Mojo are not specifically aimed
towards indie and alternate music, but still
operate boasting rock and roll as the main
theme. This is why Bauer media would not be
a good institution to distribute my magazine.

5. IPC Media
• IPC media carries over 60 iconic media brands,
and has a website that reaches 26 million
people every month.
• IPC is a large distributer, and is internationally
recognised. It has evolved over time and
remained competitive through digitalisation.

6. • Despite its appeal due to it’s massive brand
image, IPC are also responsible for distributing
magazines such as Uncut and NME – NME
displays the indie rock genre.
• NME magazine is perhaps the biggest rival of
mine with a demographic targeting men (69%
of the readers are male). They also have an
average age of 23, meaning the operate in the
same age range as my magazine.
• Due to the extreme similarities between my
magazine and the NME, IPC would not be a
good option.

7. Immediate Media
• The following is taken from their website; ‘we
sell 74 million magazines every year, with well
over 1 million active subscribers, and reach 33
million people online every month’.
• This shows that Immediate Media has a huge
customer base, meaning if they where t
distribute my magazine, it would be made
available to a massive amount of people.

8. • Immediate music distribute top of the pops
magazine and the BBC music magazine.
However, it does not distribute a magazine
which would compete with my target
audience and therefore Immediate Media
would be a great option for my magazine.