Complete Analysis of Q
Q was first published in October 1986, setting itself apart
from other music press with a monthly release and higher standards of
photography and printing. The magazine was aimed at an older generation of
music buyers that the founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth thought were being
ignored by the current music press. The magazine is aimed at people in 30s and
40s who are looking for a more formal way of finding out about their favourite
bands and artists. Q used to be published by EMAP but in January 2008 it was
sold to the Bauer Media Group. In 2008 the magazine revamped its image and
started using a smaller amount of text and they increased their focus on
subjects other than music. This change received complaints from the normal
readers but has not impacted sales.
The magazine has big review section which reviews new
releases, reissues, live performances. The magazine interviews a lot of popular
music artists. The magazine is also well known for its lists like the ‘100
greatest albums’. They often give out promotional
gifts like CDs and books. Every issue has a message on the spine and will usually
relate to the content inside this month’s issue of the magazine. This has
become known as the ‘spine line’ and is common found now on most British
magazines. The magazine usual features
include ‘The Q50’, in which the magazine will list the top 50 essential tracks
of the month. They also have cash for questions in most issues where reader ask
the music artists questions and if their question gets published they get £25.
Q radio lunched in 2008 as a full service
radio station with a complete roster. The shows include Q the 80s with Matthew Rudd and Drivetime with Danielle
Perry. Coldplay helped promote the radio station at launch with an
exclusive interview. The radio station was closed in 2013 so Bauer Media could
use the bandwidth to launch Kisstory, a spin off from their other station Kiss.
Q also had a TV channel which launched in 2000. The TV channel was later closed
in 2012.
