Analysis of music magazine

Complete analysis of music magazine.

For this piece of work I have decided to look at XXL magazine. XXL magazine is a rap/hip-hop based magazine in which incorporates this music genre with the fashion aspects and lifestyle accompanied to this genre. The first issue of the magazine was released in August 1997 by Harris Publications and they produce 6 magazines a year (1 issue every 2 months). It has always been based on the rap genre and is one of the market leading magazines in this category of music. The magazine is targeted to an audience in which listens to hip-hop and rap music and this is likely to be an age range of about 17-35 and most likely predominately a male audience would read and/or purchase this magazine. XXL also have a website (XXLMag.com) in which you can listen to music, read articles from past issues, watch music related videos e.g.  Interviews and look in to the lifestyle of a hip-hop and rap stakeholder. 

In 2014 the XXL brand was bought by TownSquare media who announced they will continue to release XXL magazine with “exciting times ahead”. XXL magazine has lots of social places for its audience to engage with the brand. For example they have a Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr and Instagram account meaning the audience can keep up with the latest XXL news regardless of what social site preference they have. The XXL brand sometimes sponsors artists and festivals in the USA associated with the rap and hip-hop genre but they don’t tend to advertise themselves excessively online or on television etc.  

In 2014 there was speculation that when TownSquare media took over the XXL brand they would stop making printed copies of the magazine and focus solely on an online based website but they decided to focus on both a printed and online version of the magazine thereupon deciding to only release 4 issues of the magazine a year starting in 2015.