Free Magazine Research

Here is a link to an article about the rise of free magazines.

Looking at this article it explains that 'they are funded by advertising alone', this means that the advertisements are likely to portray the audience however they are not necessarily going to be linked to the music industry. What makes these free magazines so refreshing and different to mainstream paid-for magazines such as 'Q' and 'NME" are that 'they're not just about information; they are filled with beautiful designs and unique features that cater to a niche but committed market of the underground music obsessives.'

"Because they don't have a publishing house to answer to, independent magazines have more freedom to feature what and who they want." -  This is a huge advantage towards the free magazine industry as it means they can cover a wide range of music genres which will in turn cover a wider audience. This can make up for the fact that the magazines are unheard of.

"We put Coldplay on the cover [in 1999] long before they were signed" says Be Rozzo, co-founder of emerging free magazine 'the Fly'. This shows that although free magazines are only just on the rise now, they have been involved in artists that have gone on to be stars beforehand. Other examples include the Vaccines, Franz Ferdinand, Jessie Ware and Peace.