Media and Popular Music

This book analyses the relationships between contemporary media and popular music, both via the mediation of music, and music as mediator. It does so through a series of original interviews with key practitioners: musicians, writers, magazine editors, radio presenters and major and independent label bosses. Those interviewed include Mark Ellen, editor of Smash Hits, Q, Mojo and currently Word magazines; Mark Cooper, producer of Laterwith Jools Holland and CEO of Music Entertainment at the BBC; Ben Watt, half of Everything But The Girl and owner of independent label Buzzin' Fly; and Fiona Talkington, original and current presenter of the Sony Award winning Late Junction on BBC Radio 3. Through these interviews, theory and practice are measured against each other and the book considers their experiences and observations in order to explore the ways popular music is produced, marketed and mediated. Examining visual, print, radio and new media, Media and Popular Music draws together disparate elements odisparate elements of music and media which formerly have not been considered together, and provides a fresh and innovative contribution to the swiftly growing field of popular music studies.