industry and institution

1. RESEARCH INTO MUSIC INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS
1. What types of magazine and target audiences has Times Inc (formerly IPC) been
associated with over the years?
Times Inc (IPC) first started out as a newspaper company in 1853, the largest in Europe.
They started out publishing magazines like ‘Country Life’, ‘Shooting Times’, ‘Cycling Weekly’
and ‘The Railway Magazine’. Its time of launching was in the Crimean War, this meant
alongside their first publications - IPC’s main target audience was males as women were
never deemed as adequate to have something as such made solely for them.
In the 1920s – 40s however, IPC started to show a lot more acknowledgment towards the
female audience. They launched several home interest and women’s lifestyle magazines
throughout this period in aid to gain an even larger audience.
Music and media was the rage of the 1950s – 70s, the involvement music took in people’s
lives beckoned the launch of ‘NME’. Followed by the launch of ‘TV Times’, the media took
audiences by storm and magazines incorporated that into their publications. In the 60s IPC
started to expand their audience even more so. Now, not only were they publishing
magazines like ‘Ideal Home’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ but they introduced a new weekly football
magazine – ‘Shoot!’ towards the latter of the decade. By them parenting this huge variety of
genres meant for their increased mass audience of virtually anyone. In the 70s, IPC becomes
a part of a giant global corporation and releases even more titles accommodating an even
wider audience.
In the 1980s to the year of the millennium IPC becomes European and domesticated to new
extents. They introduce a UK edition of ‘Marie Claire’ as well as launch new titles like ‘Mizz’,
‘Wedding & Home’, Motor Boats Monthly’ and ‘Practical Parenting’. Not only are they now
attracting an extreme mass audience they are drawing in members of all the niche
audiences with specific psychographics. The 90s marks the launch of ‘Loaded’ the young
men magazine that took newsstands by storm. ‘NME’ goes digital getting its own internet
site now enabling the chance of a global audience of a variety of people. IPC gets a name
change in 200 to IPC Media which does well to portray its brand-centric business reputation.
They now develop new digital media brands based of some of their best-selling magazine
such as ‘goodtoknow’ and ‘shootinguk’. Being the parent figures of so many further
distributions they turn to launch review and gaming websites in 2007 – 8, branching out to
their online audience even more so. In 2010, IPC launch two new monthly magazines and a
major new brand ‘Feelgood games’ the year after, restructuring around three key audience
groups; men, mass-market women and up-market women. In September 2010 IPC Media is
renames Time Inc Ltd furthering their innovative success.

2. RESEARCH INTO MUSIC INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS
2. Why might Times Inc be an appropriate publisher for a new music magazine?
Times Inc would be an appropriate publisher for a new magazine as even in the very early
years of its launch it was already targeting a mass audience of men and women alike. The
industry’s vast audience in the 1920s – 40s made their magazines so much more profitable.
As well as this, their long-standing history would make their release of a new music
magazine already so successful due to their already established audience.
Not only this, but Times Inc great foreign connections from their endorsement of global
magazines would also make it appropriate for them to release a new music magazine. Times
Inc international audience would only mean for an increased rate of sales and popularity
meaning people would be more likely to purchase their magazine as opposed to a local, less
popular one.
Times Inc pride themselves on their expansive audience based off the people’s needs –
“Content built on amazing relationships and inspired conversations with millions of
consumers.” This alone tells me of their huge audience and their willing consumers.
3. What sorts of genres of music/types of magazines might they be likely to publish?
Inmyopinion,TimesInc/IPCislikelytopublishseveraldifferentgenresofmagazinesduetotheirextensivehistory.They
specializeinmanymainstreamwomen’sbrandslikeNow,Woman,InStyleandGoodtoknow.AswellastheirTV
brandsincludingWhat’sonTVandTVTimes.IthinkhowevertheirlifestylebrandslikeNMEwouldbetheirmore
populargenretopublish.
Theirhistoryindifferentgenresmeanthattheirbrandsaretailoredtotheinterestsofavarietyofaudiencesleadingto
mythinkingthatwhatevermagazinegenrewouldn’tbeoutoftheordinaryfortheirimageandselljustaswell.
ThroughoutthetimeofTimesestablishmentmusichaschangedimmensely.DuetothisIthinktheincorporationof
genresoldandnewwoulddowellifpublished.Forexample,thepublicationofajazz/swingmagazinewoulddowell
attractingaudiencesfrompreviousstagesofthemagazinesestablish.Ialsothinkit’dbequitesuccessfulifthey’drelease
amoreupdodatemusicmagazineforthepotentialaudienceoftoday.

3. RESEARCH INTO MUSIC INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS
4. Why might alternative publishers like Bauer be appropriate?
Bauer holds responsible to many major brands including, ‘heat’, ‘KISS’, ‘Grazia’, ‘Empire’
and ‘Take a Break’. By this they have very strong cultural connections acting as the Segway
for audiences to see the world through their many publications and specialize on
“consumer insight and instinct”.
Being Britain’s biggest magazine publisher they have a magazine heritage that stretches
back to 1953 with the launch of Angling Times and then Motor Cycle News in 1956. More
recently, in 2002 released Closer and Grazia in 05. They hold the title of the UK’s best-
selling women’s weekly with Take a break and have created a new niche within the launch
of Modern Gardens in 2015.
Bauer also have a huge digital business with over 100 websites and 50 digital editions of
their print brands. They also have the biggest commercial digital radio audience with the
acquisition of KISS FM in 1990 and the operation of Magic. Their TV business is just as much
a success – they acquired digital music TV channel The Box in 1996, then 4Music, Kerrang
and their joint venture with Channel 4 some years after.
In my opinion, Bauer is a perfectly appropriate alternative publisher; they have a vast
history acting as the umbrella for so many major brands. Even though they don’t have as
many international connections as Time Inc they are of great status and popularity for the
audiences they create in the UK alone.