The Rise (and Fall?) of the British Music Press in the Age of Streaming and Social Media Platforms

Abstract

The British music press has long been held in high regard by fans and by the music industry in general. Since the 1950s, magazines like the New Musical Express have been able to describe the latest trends in British popular music, but also to influence the critical perception as well as the commercial success of many artists. Nevertheless, the advent of the internet in the late 1990s has led to a general decline of the traditional print press. While music magazines have not, overall, emerged unscathed from this challenging period, many titles have launched their own online issues and adapted to the digital revolution so as to preserve their influence in a crowded music media landscape. However, the entire music industry has recently been profoundly impacted by the dematerialisation of music and the emergence of streaming platforms like Spotify, which may now appear as the newest kingmakers in the industry.