Evaluation Question 3) What Kind Of Institution Might Distribute Your Music Magazine And Why?

My magazine I believe can be categorised in the same category as existing music magazines such as, Mixmag, NME, Top of the Pops and many more. These all follow traditional methods of distribution which include, selling the magazine through traditional retail outlet such as W.H. Smiths, independent newsagents and stores where families do their grocery shopping in big supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsburys. 

My magazine will also be distributed in institutions such as HMV, which is a store highly related with the music industry. HMV have the magazines prominent at a point of sale, this being the till, so that when you have bought your CD's etc you can also pick up a copy of the latest music mag. Also my magazine with an audience of people who idolise music are most likely to be shopping in a specialist music publication. Stores such as Border's have a large array of music publications, including specialist ones and therefore my magazine will also be distributed here.

My target audience being young people are most likely to visit stores like Sainsburys, Londis, and newsagents as they have little money as they are unlikely to be working and if they are, they will be earning minimum wage. These stores are relatively cheap and therefore my target audience are most likely to shop there frequently and be attracted to them. This ensures when shopping, my magazine will appeal to them. Also stores like these, sell the majority of foods so when magazines are sold, they are limited in variety, this will add a higher percentage on sales as my target audience of people who love music have little variety of magazines to choose from and therefore more likely to pick mine.

As stated above, my magazines will be sold in stores, but where the stores are located is a key issue. My magazine will need to be sold in an area which will attract my audience of young music lovers and where gender inequality is an issue in order to prevent it. My magazine will be sold widely but not everywhere. As stated in Target Audience Profile my magazine will be distributed in the United Kingdom, widely in England, yet opening out to wider areas. It will be distributed in shopping centres, high streets and local newsagents.

My magazine will also be involved in online distribution. The ideal would be for existing music websites to publish my magazine, allowing target audience insight and therefore will be more likely to purchase my publication. By this, I mean existing music magazines will advertise my magazine because our publications are alike. This will give a high response rate in my magazine sales. I feel my target audience are likely to view websites as they are a generation who use mixed media and therefore use the Internet more, this will also increase sales and help my magazine reach high in the music magazine industry.


Alternative methods of distribution include giving the magazine away as a freebie or as a promotional magazine alongside a top seller magazine, relating to online distribution. It is possible that music magazines are given away as freebies at gigs and festivals, a festival which does this frequently is V festival. 


I have stated in a previous post how frequently my magazine will come out and the price of the publication. Likewise, Top of the Pops magazine is a BBC publication, which is sold in newsagents, which sell brands and artists image, to help promote the sale of the bands records and associate the BBC with a teenage audience. These cross media links are an important strategy for the BBC and the sale of the magazine.