FEATURE:
Digitalus
IMAGE CREDIT: DIY
The Fantastic Music Publications Ensuring the Heartbeat of the Industry Remains Stable and Passionate
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WHEN NME shut down its physical edition…
IN THIS PHOTO: Goat Girl/PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana (shot for DIY)
in March, it led many to come out and proclaim that printed music media was dead. Whilst the industry is not as healthy and productive as it was; there is plenty of evidence to suggest people want to keep music media physical and tangible. I have just got a copy of DIY sent through my door and delighted in flicking through the latest edition (it is free from selected newsagent and stockist but there is a small fee when ordering online). I discovered interviews, features and reviews all packed into a hand-held magazine that looked great and cost very little indeed. Many might claim it is free to see DIY’s content online - but there is something noble and heartwarming about a physical copy and having something I can read in a café. I am an online journalist but would love to produce what I do in a printed form and be able to disseminate it around the world. I love the accessibility of a website and how easy and quick it is putting content out into the world. It is nice and easy producing articles and connecting with the public. DIY, to me, is among the frontrunners of the music press right now. There are fantastic blogs out there but the fact they have a physical magazine, to me, puts them ahead of the online-online crew. I feel NME stopped its press because of the creative direction it took: some assumed it was a signal of the music media and the fact people want to have all their music content kept online.
IN THIS PHOTO: Anteros/PHOTO CREDIT: Emma Swann (shot for DIY)
I disagree the music press is dying and on its last legs. Whilst there are some big-name closures; one cannot blame that entirely on tastes and the fact people prefer things to be on the Internet. NME's physical-side-demise is a worrying signal people are becoming busier and, perhaps, have less time to read magazines and traditional formats. As I said; I feel there are other reasons why NME went the way it did – a change of leadership and a certain ethos alienated some and led many to suggest the once-legendary leader of the music press had lost all its edge. I was captured by DIY for a number of reasons. Their online content is packed, busy and professional. The photoshoots with interviewees are glossy and eye-catching; the questions insightful and interesting – it is great reading the interviews they do and the artists they put under the microscope. You can tell there is some serious passion among the staff and everyone puts their heart into it. Having sites like that is inspiring to me. Although I do things on my own – and forgive myself the odd grammatical mistake and less-than-trouser-bulging article – I have been compelled by the leading websites who are also keeping print media alive. I would urge you to get involved with someone like DIY and follow what they do on the Internet – get a monthly magazine/paper and have something you can carry around with you.
IMAGE CREDIT: Dork
Dork is another site that is keeping things varied and healthy in music. They have a great website that brings us the best underground and popular music and, like DIY, fantastic-looking interviews. I am struck by their style and the fact they mix something fun and youthful with a serious journalistic ethos and incredible depth. I have also ordered a copy of Dork’s latest print release – it will come next week – but am excited to see what comes and scanning through the pages. I remember the days of Melody Maker and going down the shop and excitedly scooping up the latest edition. I would revel in all the big interviews and the big news of the day. Maybe that is nostalgia talking but that sentient feeling and connection is why my love of music has endured for so many years. This is not me going down the garden path of memory and remembrance: I want to keep things in the present and show why it is essential we do not discount the physical editions out there. Dork – whether you put it in lower or upper-case... – is one of the more striking and informative websites that is abreast of all the latest happening and artists. DIY and Dork are two great D-worded sites that produce fantastic magazines that you can take around.
IN THIS PHOTO: Jenny Wilson/PHOTO CREDIT: Oskar Omne (shot for Loud and Quiet)
Maybe it is a bit inconvenient having to wait for the thing to appear and paying a bit of money to get it into your hands – why do all of that when you can get it all for nothing?! To me; the best balance is having that monthly copy and getting daily news on the website. Loud and Quiet is another site that has a great hard copy available for music’s most devoted and devout subscriber. I am struck by the visual aspects of music and how journalism can be raised with brilliant design and concepts. That might sound shallow but in an ever-moving and modern time, we are looking for something to strike the mind and captivate the senses. The publications I have mentioned pride themselves on great journalism and keeping things visually-stimulating and bold. The images I have used from these sites (not for commercial interest) show the work they are doing and the quality out there. One gets that first-hand, arresting visual aspect when they get a lovely magazine/paper in their hand. Loud and Quiet is different in tone to say, DIY and Dork, but they all have something in common: ensuring people who question print media are silenced and given food for thought. A reason I am pursuing music journalism with greater ambition is the way certain websites are upping their game and retaining the traditional spirit of music media.
PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash
I plan on putting together a music T.V. show and producing something that mixes the legendary Old Grey Whistle Test with something modern and music magazine-like. I am also going full-time – or as close as possible – on my blog and trying to make money from it. The appetite for music is at a high and, with the rise of new musicians and the openness of streaming services; more and more promising acts are coming to our ears. In past years; the music we heard on the radio and T.V. was the big stars and those with record labels. Now; every corner of the globe produces artists who can make music from their bedroom or produce stunning works without a label deal. There are other websites who produce physical editions but I wanted to highlight three I am turning onto right now. Away from these sites, the likes of MOJO and Kerrang! have that balance of online and print. Some have called into question the cardiology report of the music press and wondering whether their time is up. Websites are growing at a brisk rate and there are countless blog options for all your musical needs. Whilst the best and most fascinating are good for all your daily desires; having something printed and traditional is invaluable. If the sites who produce physical editions keep true to their spirit and react to the needs of their consumers then there is no reason they cannot exist for years.
IN THIS PHOTO: Peace/PHOTO CREDIT: Dork
Paying for such a thing can be divisive: it is only fair people pay to have something other people have worked hard on. My copy of DIY cost four of my English pounds and the Dork I expecting to come through my door is in the same ballpark. I would say that is a drop in the ocean when you consider the information you get and all the cool new sounds reviewed and featured. Many new artists actually prefer music magazines and papers as opposed the Internet equivalent. The thrill of seeing their faces in print and having something they can show to their friends takes them back to a classic and wonderful time for music media when the biggest magazines excited music fans and featured the biggest artists of the day. I will leave things here but, in addition to checking out the sites/magazines I have already mentioned; do a bit of surfing and investigate the range of blogs and music websites out there. Music media is not struggling and on its last legs: its heart is strong enough and able to pump enough blood to the body and brain. By that; I mean it is able to satisfy those who want something printed and monthly and provide of-the-minute news and reviews. Let’s hope that desire for printed media continues and we continue to foster and support those people producing fantastic and detailed work. Following that DIY deliver through my door; I am now going to regularly subscribe and get a new edition every month. It takes something as simple as a single edition to spark that loyalty and open up new horizons. If we do that, then who knows what will happen in the future. Far from being endangered and struggling; the music press, right now, is impressively resolute, passionate and…
PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash
WITH everything to play for.