CASE STUDY: The primary inspiration for my magazine is Nme, or ‘new musical express’, which is a highly popular indie/indie rock magazine that has been in publication since 1952. it originated as a music newspaper and eventually became one of the most established music magazines in the world. During the period of 1972 to 1976, it became known as a form of gonzo-journalism (independent reporting) that is commonly associated with the punk rock movement, through the writings of tony parsons. moreover, this demonstrates the numerous genres that nme has represented over the decades – until it solidified itself as an indie rock magazine. Furthermore, an online version of the magazine was launched in 1996, and has since established itself as the world’s largest standalone music site with an average of seven million users per month.nme prides itself on its independency and often serves as a platform where relatively unknown bands or artists of the genre can promote themselves or be ‘noticed’ by the magazine. This was especially prominent in 2001, where nme asserted itself as a dominant force within the world of promoting new music, with the assistance of bands such as the strokes and the white stripes – who went on to become world-famous indie bands. For this reason, the magazine was epitomised as a platform for all new music, and has since focused on both mainstream, familiarised indie rock and promising new talent within the genre. It is necessary to note that the most featured bands on nme are blur and oasis; and these are prime representatives of the bands/artists that nme have consistently covered over the years. it is a cheap, monthly publication that has the option of subscription for a discounted fee, and this is available on the website. Despite the logo and general brand identity remaining the same for many years, the general aesthetics of the magazine have shifted greatly since the introduction of nme.com, as it changed from newsprint to tabloid size and began using glossy prints as opposed to the coarse newsprint. In addition to these changes, the magazine often tried to expand its fanbase by introducing new genres such as r’n’b and electronic music, but this proved disastrous for the sales and, consequently, it has stuck to a concrete formula ever since. Also, in terms of the post-millenium expansion of the brand, creating webcasts, apps, and their very own singles chart attributed towards its own genre. In spite of the general decline of circulation in the last ten years, the magazine still has a loyal fanbase and a larger amount of monthly subscribers than any other magazine in the industry, which epitomises its relevance even within the technology-centred modern

world.likewise, the fanbase itself has varied over the last few years, with emphasis being on the older generation as opposed to the late teenagers that is previously based itself around. With the introduction of a more authoritative, indie redesign in 2008, and a new editor in 2011, the focus on engagement with the target audience has been enhanced substantially, as the new target audience is less specified than the 16-20 year old category it found itself in before. In expanding its readership for males up to 30 years old, more classic bands have become prominent on the front covers of nme, with greater focus on actually rating bands and promoting live gigs, remasters of old albums, and more. Evidently, as social networking has dominated the internet over the last five years, nme has worked in accordance with this with a facebook and twitter page dedicated to bringing old and new fans alike the latest news in the world of indie/indie rock. This has expanded its online readership significantly, with over 7 million monthly online users, in contrast to the decline of actual print circulation. Therefore, it can easily be seen that the magazine is becoming more and more modern in its approach to attracting new fans.