Bass Player Mag.....Is It a Mag....

[Jim Campbell]

The problem is it's a vicious circle. When Subscribers drop due to a bad economy, the magazine has to sell more adds (usually at a lower rate) to make up for the revenue decline. Then people get mad about a higher percentage of ads and drop their subscriptions so the magazine has to sell more ads (usually at a lower rate) to make up for the revenue decline. Then people get mad about the higher percentage of ads................................

it wasn't that long ago i had to put a sign on my door to discourage the advertising that was delivered daily unsolicited and free....some of those circulars were thicker than the bp of today......i only counted pages that were full or half ads and it was nearly a full half of the mag.....if i would have factored in all the pages with partial ads and glossy gear displays it would be closer to 2/3.....the real estate news has more articles and it's free....generally speaking magazines sell better when there is something in there to read.....when you sit down and read a complete mag in less than half an hour something is wrong

 

[gjbassist]

I let my subscription run out last summer because it was just not worth it. I read the entire current issue in about 15 minutes Friday night while at Barnes and Noble. Doesn't take long when you skim over all the ads!

 

[not_jason]

Another problem is that content isn't free. Somebody has to be paid to create it. As revenue drops, necessitating the extra ads, it also gets harder to pay your writers and editors. It's an extremely difficult time to be in the business of publishing magazines and newspapers lately. Once you start to falter, it's slippery slope.

 

[ubado]

Yea, due to the magazine machine being hit hard by the economy the mag isn't what it once was ... BUT I'm just glad it's still around. IMO... reading magazines on-line takes some of the thrill away. It's always nice to shuffle through the mail ... and finding a new month's BP mag has arrived.

 

[bassdreams]

It's sad really, I miss BP magazine. They used to have the best, most honest album reviews, they even had a section called the burner, or the barbecue pit, or whatever it was called, that used to rip on bad albums, I loved that. Then they changed it to BP recommends, lame. They used to have honest gear reviews to, then they sold out and started telling you that every new product was the shiz, way lame. I let my subscription run out a long time ago, price kept goin up while the mag keep getting slimmer and slimmer. Like others said on this thread, now you can read through an entire issue while you wait for a Starbucks at the Barnes and Noble, why waste your $?

If the theory is that they have to skimp on the mag cause the $ isn't there to put the content in the mag well the reason the $ not there is because none of us are interested in a mag with no content. If they had never gotten greedy in the first place and raised the price of there product while stuffing as much advertisement as they could sell into it well we would all still be subscribers and they would still be successful.

In short, screw them, that mag used to be great and now it sucks

 

[synterx]

I think the US magazine industry needs to take a long trip to the UK and examine how to do magazines right. Why are the UK magazines so much better? They are thick, printed on really nice paper, full of color and nice designs...and some ads. Look at Sound on Sound. Look at their Bass magazines, even their mountain bike magazines are so fantastic to read and handle it's not funny. What's so different over there?

 

[edbass]

The problem is it's a vicious circle. When Subscribers drop due to a bad economy, the magazine has to sell more adds (usually at a lower rate) to make up for the revenue decline. Then people get mad about a higher percentage of ads and drop their subscriptions so the magazine has to sell more ads (usually at a lower rate) to make up for the revenue decline. Then people get mad about the higher percentage of ads................................

+1
Just as you said; Major publications contract independently audited and certified circulation studies that they use to quantify the rates they charge for advertising. As the paid circulation (a tangible measure of readership who were interested enough to actually pay to receive the ad copy) drops so does the reach of the ads, and therefore also the revenue they can generate per page of advertising sold.
Meanwhile the editorial and fixed costs continue to escalate; unless they can find writers, editors, publishers, landlords, public utilities etc. who are willing to provide their services for less money just because the magazine's ad revenues are down so sharply.

it wasn't that long ago i had to put a sign on my door to discourage the advertising that was delivered daily unsolicited and free....some of those circulars were thicker than the bp of today......i only counted pages that were full or half ads and it was nearly a full half of the mag.....if i would have factored in all the pages with partial ads and glossy gear displays it would be closer to 2/3.....the real estate news has more articles and it's free....generally speaking magazines sell better when there is something in there to read.....when you sit down and read a complete mag in less than half an hour something is wrong

Welcome to 2010, we all know things are tough all over, but it's an extremely tough environment for print media and getting tougher daily.
I truly don't know what the "Real Estate News" is, but... are these articles by chance "advertorial" pieces? A lot of free publications use "advertorials" (a term used by print media types); faux editorial pieces that are actually thinly veiled written advertising for the subject of the editorial article. You'll generally find conventional ads somewhere else in the publication paid for by the parties mentioned in these "articles".

I predict that they'll fold in the near future if they don't pull their heads out.

It's not a conspiracy, not an issue of them "pulling their heads out", IMO it's purely survival. It's sad; I also have been reading BP since the beginning and will miss it if it fails. Based solely on the posts in this thread, I would suspect that the "read it and put it back without paying and then whine about the content on a forum" types won't be able to do that for much longer.

 

[burk48237]

I think the US magazine industry needs to take a long trip to the UK and examine how to do magazines right. Why are the UK magazines so much better? They are thick, printed on really nice paper, full of color and nice designs...and some ads. Look at Sound on Sound. Look at their Bass magazines, even their mountain bike magazines are so fantastic to read and handle it's not funny. What's so different over there?

True, But is the American public ready to pay $24.99 to $29.99 for a single issue for a magazine? That's what the nicer UK photo mags cost here. Even their Bass mag is $11.50 for a single issue. Bass gear follows the model of the UK magazine industry. I don't believe the print version of the magazine is profitable. Maybe they can do it. But I suspect most of the UK mags make their money on paid internet subscriptions verse $100 plus per year paper mag subscriptions.

 

[Mike Shevlin]

I didn't realize how bad Bass Player Magazine was until I read the first issue of Bass Gear Mag.

 

[bassmanjla]

Just got this months issue in the mail today. and the cover is a cartoon looking dude. Are you kidding me? every other page is a full page ad. and the cover of the mag is about 'metal bass moshpit" I dont spend my money on this mag for Metal bass.

so what ?? I don't spend my money on that mag for Gospel Bass! and yet, the last issue i bought had, sure enough, a big feature on GOSPEL BASS.

and guess what, i read it.

I'm not happy with the magazine currently either. but instead of bitching on this forum about it, you should still be buying and send your bitches and complaints to the editor.
that way he not only has your input, but some more money to (hopefully) make positive changes.

oh, and heres another thing. OUR WORLD IS COVERED IN ADVERTISEMENTS.
If our life was converted into a magazine, you would have an advertisement in between every word. three in between every paragraph and two pages of pure ads in between every other page. If there was a picture on the page anywhere, it would be made of pixelized images of advertisements in order to get into your subconscious.

don't like ads? stop buying ****.

 

[bassramos]

It isnt so good anymore...

 

[bassdreams]

@bassmanjla, I did stop buying s***, starting with Bass Player Magazine cause it sucks fat ****

 

[tombowlus]

Bass Gear Magazine follows the model of the UK magazine industry. I don't believe the print version of the magazine is profitable.

We actually do lose money on every print issue we sell (it costs more to print and ship them than what we charge for an issue, even at the single issue rate), but our business model is not based upon trying to make money off of the subscribers (hence the free digital option). My theory is, if I can get more eyeballs on the page (by making it easier/cheaper for people to subscribe), then I can sell more ads (which is our real revenue source).

Tom.

 

[dalkowski]

You could pretty much substitute any magazine title for "Bass Player" in this thread (I was a charter subscriber -- wasn't Billy Sheehan on the cover of #1?). With some -- perhaps the majority -- even the content is thinly veiled advertising (I'm talking to you, "Money" and most of the zines Mrs. brings home).

When I want bass content I come here, but it sounds like I need to discover "Bass Gear."

 

[shackled]

I received a subscription to BP as a christmas gift.
Of course it could be better, but I still look forward to getting it every month.
There's no way I'd buy it from a news stand.

 

[Alper Yilmaz]

As much as the music industry has been changing in terms of formats because of the computer and Internet technology, the printed media has been shifting towards a new medium, namely the Internet, as well. Back in the day, apart from revenue from ads, the magazines had considerable revenue from subscriptions; yet this has changed significantly. Maybe, printed magazines for most industries are living their last years, or decades, and most probably, shortly, they will be the collector's items from the last century. Of course, I do not know the financials of the BP magazine or the Group it is owned by, but my guess is they are hit hard more by the new trends in media rather than the economy in recession, the recession being the cream on top!

This is valid for the book printing industry as well. Just check some peer-to-peer sites to see what books you are able to find online for free (Please note that I am not promoting illegal downloading of books or music at all, but I am trying to point to a fact which has serious consequences for the industry that has been enjoying the profits from).

Also, one should ask himself/herself the question that what the most reliable source of information today on gear, equipment, instruments, etc. Would you check TB to read hundreds of reviews which bring you to a less biased and more general public opinion, or would you simply refer to a magazine for one reviewer's ears? Would you check Bongomania's pages on compressor reviews and comparisons, or a magazine's stand-alone review of only one or two compressors at a time? Examples can be multiplied easily...

Frankly speaking, the last time I made a decent use of the BP magazine was when they reviewed the 12" cabinets (I do not even remember from when) and when they reviewed Jazz Bass pickups (I think in the March 1999 issue).

Today, we prefer reading side-by-side reviews of multiple gears as the options are so numerous, and most of the time, printed media is far from providing such information due to resource constraints (labor, raw material, etc). Whereas, on Internet, as much as there is so much garbage, there is also some very useful information for those who can find it.

Best,

Alper

 

[burk48237]

We actually do lose money on every print issue we sell (it costs more to print and ship them than what we charge for an issue, even at the single issue rate), but our business model is not based upon trying to make money off of the subscribers (hence the free digital option). My theory is, if I can get more eyeballs on the page (by making it easier/cheaper for people to subscribe), then I can sell more ads (which is our real revenue source).

Tom.

I knew that, I just wanted to let you be the one to say it, Tom.

It's interesting how much Bass Gear reminds me of the UK Photo Mags which sell on the newstand here for 19.99 to 29.99 per issue. I doubt they do much subscription business. But I can see someone spending $20 + dollars for a photo magazine (for the photography) and pretty glossy content a little more readily then pictures of Basses and Amps. You don't throw out those UK mags after your done reading them.

 

[kraigo]

Modern Drummer has literally half the pages it had a couple (perhaps even just one) years ago. It's a tough time to be selling a magazine. I let my BP subscription lapse a couple of years ago. I felt like I was reading the same magazine month after month. I got tired of the "lesser bassists" getting three questions in their interviews.

I'm not trying to slag BP though: It's a tough market and I don't see much for (paper) alternatives.

I need to find and order the Tommy Stinson back issue. I love that guy.

KO

 

[Brad Johnson]

The problem is it's a vicious circle. When Subscribers drop due to a bad economy, the magazine has to sell more adds (usually at a lower rate) to make up for the revenue decline. Then people get mad about a higher percentage of ads and drop their subscriptions so the magazine has to sell more ads (usually at a lower rate) to make up for the revenue decline. Then people get mad about the higher percentage of ads................................

That sums up the problem nicely. I wonder if others are really looking at it in this light.

I just subscribed for the first time in years. Got a discount online.

Just curious... and not saying anyone shouldn't feel as they do... what would be you suggestion for a solution? And by that I mean a real world one, based on reality as it stands today.

 

[Jim Campbell]

+1
Just as you said; Major publications contract independently audited and certified circulation studies that they use to quantify the rates they charge for advertising. As the paid circulation (a tangible measure of readership who were interested enough to actually pay to receive the ad copy) drops so does the reach of the ads, and therefore also the revenue they can generate per page of advertising sold.
Meanwhile the editorial and fixed costs continue to escalate; unless they can find writers, editors, publishers, landlords, public utilities etc. who are willing to provide their services for less money just because the magazine's ad revenues are down so sharply.



Welcome to 2010, we all know things are tough all over, but it's an extremely tough environment for print media and getting tougher daily.
I truly don't know what the "Real Estate News" is, but... are these articles by chance "advertorial" pieces? A lot of free publications use "advertorials" (a term used by print media types); faux editorial pieces that are actually thinly veiled written advertising for the subject of the editorial article. You'll generally find conventional ads somewhere else in the publication paid for by the parties mentioned in these "articles".



It's not a conspiracy, not an issue of them "pulling their heads out", IMO it's purely survival. It's sad; I also have been reading BP since the beginning and will miss it if it fails. Based solely on the posts in this thread, I would suspect that the "read it and put it back without paying and then whine about the content on a forum" types won't be able to do that for much longer.

call it whining if you like......it's your money and you want to pay for a glossy advertorial,with a few pages of content,knock yourself out.....

i used to buy bp's when it resembled a magazine...times are tough i know,but when the plumber comes to the house i expect more than some glossy advertising and a bill...... because the business climate it tough doesn't mean the readers are going to tolerate paying for it's survival ,and receive nothing in return