IPC has a long history publishing magazines targeting specific demographics and interests. In the 1800s, their newspapers targeted educated white males, while later magazines addressed hobbies like gardening, shooting, and rail travel typically aimed at upper class white audiences. IPC would be an appropriate publisher for a new music magazine due to their financial backing and experience publishing titles like NME over 200 years. Their wide distribution across platforms and ability to promote new magazines would increase chances of success. However, directly competing with their existing successful rock magazine NME may be challenging. Alternative publishers like Bauer Media have also published highly successful music magazines like Q and Kerrang spanning a variety of music genres over their long history.

1. AS Media Music Magazines

2. 1. What Types Of Magazine and Targeted Audiences has IPC Been
Associated With Over The Years?
The early 1800’s the target audience of IPC newspaper was white, middle class
educated males.
The IPC has always been aware of whom is their target market is and has
catered towards the specific genres, during the late 1800’s magazines such as
‘shooting times’, ‘amateur gardening’ , ‘horse & hound’ , ‘shooting times’,
‘yachting world’ ‘cycle weekly’ , ‘country life’ etc. All these magazines had a
clear view of whom their magazines were targeting for example all address a
specific hobby or interest and then would address the likely demographic that
would be interested in the subject magazine, for example The railway
magazine would be wholly targeted at an older male audience and likely to be
upper class and during the time predominantly white.
In present times ethnicity and gender are much more important and is the
target as IPC breaks down the core audiences of their magazines.

3. 2. Why might IPC be an appropriate publisher for a new music
magazine?
They would because of their financial backing which provide significant
backing to any new firm and would allow a better chance of success for a
new magazine along with the over 200 years of experience that IPC
publishing greats such as NME which would be the closest in style to the
magazine I am looking to create.
Also IPC has created multiple types of completely different magazines
showing their influence over the market of magazines as a
whole making IPC a very good choice for a new music mag ,
Also any new magazine on the market needs a promotional
aspect of their operations therefore having a market leader
such as IPC will likely massively increase the interest of the
first issue.
The unique distribution of IPC also separates them from the
competition with them being one the first to embrace new
technology back in 1800’s (magazines) but also on mobile
devices such as tablets which now support most of IPC’s
collections of magazines.

4. 3. What sort of genres of music/types of magazines might they be
likely to publish?
IPC are known to have a wide range of magazines that are targeted at a
wide range of audiences, it is clear they are not against publishing most
magazines. The magazine that I looking to create is a rock and roll music
magazine this may become a problem for IPC or Time whom own the IPC as
NME another mostly rock and roll music magazine which they currently
publish and is very successful.
It would be a challenge for any magazine content creator to request IPC to
publish their magazine in direct competition with another from the same
genre. However if the target audiences differ the experience would be very
valuable and would give the magazine an advantage of becoming successful
in a market that IPC is already aware of and caters to (music magazines) a
good example of a very successful music magazine under the distribution
network of IPC.

5. 4. Why might alternative publishers like Bauer be appropriate?
Bauer Media Group is a large European-based media company,
headquartered in Hamburg, Germany that manages a portfolio of
magazines, digital products, radio and TV stations.
Bauer would be appropriate because its very experience spanning
from 1875 to present day with is market influence and financial
backing, they have also had two of the most successful and
influential music magazines in the U.K market with ‘Q’ and
‘kerrang’. This vast experience and knowledge of the magazine
market would tempting for many magazine content creators.
Bauer have published more music magazines than IPC so will be
able to appeal to a variety of music audiences from different
genres. IPC have just published rock magazines e.g. NME, which is
a very successful rock magazine on the other hand Kerrang and
Q magazine are both just as successful music magazines which
Bauer has published.