Industrial Context - Contemporary context

The major players within the magazine industry are Bauer Media, controlling 27.7%, Immediate Media Company, controlling 9.81% of the market share in 2020.

The leading publishers are recognised for several well-known titles.

Bauer's biggest titles include "Take a Break", the UK's best selling women's weekly magazine with 271,837 copies circulating per week, "TV Choice", the UK's number one print magazine with sales of over 900,000 per issue, and "Bella", a leader in the Women's Weekly Classics Market.

Some of Immediate Media Company's biggest titles include Radio Times, Good Food, and BBC Top Gear.

Financing

Magazines are largely financed by selling advertisement space in print and digital. Advertisers pay magazines to feature their advertisements within issues often based on audience demographics and circulation numbers. Many magazines also rely on subscriptions as a form  income. They often charge readers a subscription fee for print, digital, or both. Long term subscriptions are often offered at discounted rates to encourage commitment and purchases. Magazines also earn revenue by selling individual copies at newsstands or online.

Distribution

Commercial magazines are able to ensure wide distribution and continue reaching their audience through both physical and digital copies. These copies are distributed to consumers by a range of methods. Traditionally magazines have been sold in newsstands and retail outlets, often typically displayed near checkout counters or in designated magazine racks. Magazine companies heavily rely on subscriptions for regular distribution through both print and digital subscriptions. Print subscriptions are physical copies of the magazine which are delivered to subscribers homes at regular intervals whereas digital subscription allow readers to gain access to the magazine's content through an app or website. Digital subscriptions are currently more popular due to the rise of digital media. Some magazines also distribute articles or features through social media channels and email newsletters, encouraging subscriptions.

Exchange

Commercial magazines are often exchanged through subscription, partnerships, and advertising revenue. The exchange ensures that the consumer or advertiser receives something valuable - content, exposure, or a physical product - as compensation for their payment.

Subscription sales allow the reader to pay in advance for issues of the magazine and receive regular delivery of the magazine in either print or digital format over a period of time. Existing subscribers can renew their subscriptions which continues the exchange process. This can be done through an automatic renewal system which allows a subscriber's payment to be processed periodically in exchange for continuing access to the magazine.

Magazines are sold to retailers at wholesale prices so they can then resell them at a higher price to consumers, allowing them to gain profit. The exchange occurs through the retailer purchasing the magazine in bulk from distributors/publishers and offering them for sale to the public. Similarly, for digital editions, magazines are sold through platforms such as Google Play, Amazon, and Apple News+, where consumers can directly purchase or subscribe to digital versions of magazines.

Some magazines, exchange their products through partnerships with brands. The magazine may feature a brand's content in exchange for either payment or cross promotion.