Musical Tots - Music Magazine for Children

The Queen’s composer, Peter Maxwell Davies, has recently spoken out against the UK’s education system and its “elitist” dealings with classical music. This, alongside shocking claims from 2012 OFSTED reports that "one in five of the schools visited were judged inadequate for music”, the current climate for classical music is shaping up for a bleak future. The lack of musical education in primary schools is cutting off the musical future, and without intervention at these early stages, classical music will simply be a thing of the past for the younger generations.

 Musical Tots is a classical music magazine for primary school children in the UK. It is a fun, vibrant magazine that aims to educate children about music in an exciting, innovative way. Musical Tots is a response to criticisms in the press that classical music is too elitist and strives to overturn the idea that classical music is only for a minority. The magazine will aim to present classical music in a way that targets the stories behind the music and encourages children to make intelligent links between different creative arts.

Musical Tots will be sold directly to primary schools in its first year before expanding to a supplement in another publication in alternate months. In its third year the magazine will reduce its production as a supplement to one magazine quarterly whilst developing as a magazine on the newsstand and with subscription.

The magazine will be sold for £5 per issue and with advertising as another revenue stream, it will make a profit of £1,414 end the end of its first year. As the sales increase, the price of the magazine will decrease to be more competitive. Total profit at the end of Year two will be £19,500 and £33,871 at the end of its third. 

The magazine is a brand and has the scope to expand into a number of different fields. Once established as a brand, I intend to expand into podcasts, CD audio books, print books and perhaps even a television channel. 

Musical Tots is a breath a fresh air that allows young people to engage with a subject too often deemed to be stagnant and old fashioned. This magazine will nourish the imagination of children and restore the beauty of one of our most ancient art forms.

Looking At The Bigger Picture - A PEST Analysis on the Media Industry

Businesses in the media industry have straight forward value chains.  However, the digital revolution is allowing them to reconstruct.  This process is allowing businesses to become more innovative.  But how do they do this? 

Publishing digitally is growing.  Different platforms and devices are being introduced constantly, providing consumers with a new way of reading.  Communities are being created online, allowing people to engage through books, magazines, blogs and long-form journalism. 

The digital distribution of books creates engagement with readers.  Books can reach a much larger audience, which brings in more revenue. 

Inevitably, the continuing growth of the e-book (for example, Amazon's kindle) in this industry will mean the death of the printed book.  The threat lies in innovation – how do publishers think of new ways to attract readers?  Publishing houses are consolidating to reduce operation costs, but if the money still isn’t growing, more rationalising has to take place.

In the music industry, CD sales are decreasing.  People are looking for ways to share music, which allows businesses to be innovative and create new ways for this to happen.  However, they also need to find a way to attract people and make money.  If there is no new talent, there is no money.

Newspapers have also realised how beneficial an online presence is.  This provides them with an opportunity to carry a range of content to appeal to a range of readers.  The key, again, is innovation.  Simply, if there are fewer advertisements, there are fewer pages in the newspaper; therefore making it less value for money and less attractive to readers. 

Then we have magazines.  People spend an equal amount of time reading print as they do online.  They have endless opportunities to expand.  However, there is still one major downfall.  If the internet is ever growing, what does this mean for magazine sales? 

For international businesses, their problem is the decline in print advertisement revenue.  In order to compete, they would need to build on their online advertisement revenue and their content revenue. 

Digital is taking over.  There’s no stopping it.  Businesses need to be innovative and aware in order to build, grow and succeed.

Holly Sutton