Music magazine genres and target audience

The publications available in the genre of music magazines are very diverse in order to appeal to the large amount of diverse consumers. The main genres of music which are produced by institutions for profitable reasons are:

- Hip-Hop
- Grunge
- Rock
- Jazz
- Pop
- Indie
- Rap
- Country
- Heavy Metal
- Reggae
- Classical

I will now do an analysis of six particular genres in order to help decide which genre I will choose in order to base my magazine on. In particular I will look at common trends found in each of the genres, the artists that mainly represent the genre. Popular magazine that are related to the genres and also find out who the primary target audience for each genre is.

Pop - Pop is a genre of popular music which originated in the 1950's, it is usually very electronic due to it being a very modern genre. It often borrows elements from other genres such as rock and roll or dance. Depending from where theses elements are taken from defines the type of pop song that is produced, they is a recurring theme for modern day pop. Pop stands for popular. This means its target audience is often very broad, popular music is listened to by the masses however specifically listened to by teenagers and younger adults. It should not be confused with so called power pop which is stereotypically very pleasurable to listen to and instruments such as electric guitars, drums and a bass are common. More primarily found during the 60's and 70's. There is no gender specification towards pop music however there are pop songs in the genre that are primarily aimed at one gender. Those who listen to popular music are simply listening for a distraction or even entertainment, it is seen to be a social norm to listen to pop music, simply because it is popular. Today there are many successful pop artists ranging from Katy Perry to Lady Gaga and also bands such as Fun and Little Mix. Personally I do not think people listen to pop music in order to develop a unique personality but in order to create a personality that is normal and meets the expectations of the modern society, Pop music is listened to as a distraction and for entertainment purposes. Magazines such as "We <3 Pop", Rolling Stones and Q magazine are the main magazines associated with this genre.

Jazz - Jazz originated and the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in south USA. Jazz also incorporates other elements from popular music such as blues and rock and roll. It was the equivalent to popular music nowadays at its prime. However today it is primarily listened to by the population of people in the social class B-A. There is no targeted gender with Jazz music, and can also be viewed as the person listening to jazz is simply being pretentious. As for age, it may be people who were around at the time however it is becoming increasingly popular and certaintly is not a "dead genre". There are still many aspiring Jazz artists in today's modern society such as Melody Gardot and Norah Jones. Classic Jazz artists such as John Coltrane and Aretha Franklin contributed heavily towards this particular genre. People who listen to jazz may be listening in order to create their own sense of personality as it is definitely not a mainstream genre like it used to be. Jazz is extensively played in coffee shops as it is thought to be of a very relaxing nature.

Reggae - Reggae music originated in Jamaica during the 60's, it rapidly spread around the world and was a new and exciting sound and definitely a change from music such as pop and rock and roll. It is an exotic sound it is targeted at the population of Jamaica its place of origin primarily for the males of Jamaica. Bands such as ub40 incorporated the exotic sound into their music and have made reggae much more mainstream in the music industry. It is targeted towards young adults due to the content of the music, a common convention found in Reggae music would be that the music is usually written about love and sex. It is listened to by social classes C1 and below. Again Reggae is different to mainstream music and so those who listen to it may be for a distraction from mainstream music or they are trying to build up a unique personality. A solo artist who is renowned worldwide for his contribution to Reggae music is Bob Marley, who's music is thoroughly enjoyed to this present day.




Rock - Rock music originated in the 1950's in the USA and many different styles of rock and roll stemmed from this particularly in the UK. It takes elements from blues and also country. Its target audience ranges from those that lived thorough the rock era and also youth that have recently become interested in this genre after the birth of new rock bands such as bring me the horizon and muse. Magazines such as Kerrang portray the style of rock that is popular today. It is primarily targeted at males simply due to the lack of female rock bands that exist. It is enjoyed by no particular social class or it may be easier to say that it is enjoyed by all social classes.Modern Rock is more enjoyed by social classes C1 and below however the rich and famous enjoy the genre of rock simply as it is one of the most popular genres of music. Bands such as ACDC and Guns and Roses transformed the music industry and exactly what rock music was. Many people listen to Rock music due to the lifestyle that comes with it, stereotypes such as punk or emo are increasingly popular in today's society simple because of the success of Rock and the role models that are presented.

Indie - Indie music is primarily produced by those who are not in the industry to become rich and famous but instead to make good music that is relatable and different to what is already popular or mainstream. It combines aesthetics of rock, grunge and pop. Over the years it has changed in style and popularity and style. Eventually indie music becomes mainstream causing a change in style almost giving a new lease of life to the genre itself. The primary target audience it not exactly clear, however it is known to be listened to by the youth of today, those who do not simply want to relive the lives of previous generations and listen to mainstream music. It is not targeted at particular gender however would primarily be listened to by social classes C1 - E. The target ethnicity would be white people, influenced heavily by the artists that contribute to the genre the most and personally I would not say it is targeted towards a particular sexuality. People listen to indie music as a distraction from mainstream music and for pure entertainment, the music is original and more effort is put into the production of this type of music rather that pop music which all sounds the same and is heavily edited. Key bands directly contributing to this genre cover bands such as Two door cinema club, arctic monkeys, the strokes and the xx.

Soul - Soul music originated in the USA in the 50's and 60's. It takes elements from both jazz and gospel, it was also influential during the civil rights movement, however it is still recognised today as a popular genre of music. Soul music was at its prime during the 60's and early 70's and it is primarily listened to by those who were around at the time of its origin. However more directly connected to African-Americans, those who saw this music as influential. However it is becoming much more popular genre in today's youth who may be looking for something different to listen to rather than mainstream pop music. It is not directly aimed at a particular gender as both males and females contribute heavily to this particular genre. At first it would of been listened to by those who were in social classes C and below. However now it is enjoyed by all social classes simply due to the raw power and technicality of soul music that is such an original sound. Modern artists such as Amy Winehouse is renowned for her contributions to this genre, getting her inspiration from classic artists such as Etta james and Aretha Franklin.