Music Magazines – Institution

Whilst researching publishers and what they do, and the consequences of the publishing structure that is used I have come across Adorno.

Adorno suggests that the culture industries generate formulaic, simplistic, emotional products.

these products from the culture industries then create a false need within the audience. These are needs that can be created and then pleased by the capitalist system. This is true of NME the magazine that I have looked at previously, for example NME is a magazine aimed at “cool” teenagers, who would essentially by the magazine to make them look “individual” and “edgy” the magazine itself contains interviews from bands, as well as adverts for new albums. This may generate in the audience the desire to purchase albums by bands within the magazine to keep up the so called “image” that comes along with being “individual”. People therefore continue to work, to earn enough money to buy the albums and merchandise that will allegedly make them happy and keep up there “individuality” and therefore put all of there money back into the hands of the ruling classes

Adorno also argued that culture industries have developed some sort of technological inventions that help to control audiences thought.
According to Adorno music and media can be characterised by standardisation and pseudo individualism.
For example if you take, the kooks, arctic monkeys and the view they are not only generically similar to each other but also to indie bands of the past. Each group may have ‘a unique selling point’ but they are essentially the same.