futuremusic mag: why is US edition so bad?

jbible · Post by **jbible** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:48 pm

I signed up for a trial subscription of futuremusic US Edition and am disappointed over how watered down it is compared to the UK edition. Its almost condescending how basic it is in comparison.

Benoski · Post by **Benoski** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:57 pm

i hate this magazine. they even use articles from computer music too. (apart from future music of uk). it sucks. and the cd is crap compared to the dvd of fm and cm.

and so many damn ads us magazines have.

network.funky · Post by **network.funky** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:05 pm

I didn't renew my subscription this year as I found the mag was getting worse and worse and the quality of the DVD was just appawling. (It is clear that no one ever watches back the edited features before burning them to DVD and sending them out. I've seen sections of interviews duplicated in the same piece or even black holes in edits).

Anyway having let my subscription lapse I got a letter that I assume the marketing team though was funny and ironic but was in fact one of the rudest letters I've ever been sent in a bid to win back my business.

Now instead of me not subscribing to Future Music, because it just wasn't meeting my needs any more, I'll make sure I never buy anything from that publisher again as they are clearly a bunch of cack handed clowns and certainly don't deserve my money.

thelike5 · Post by **thelike5** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:06 pm

Yeah, that mag sucks. Better to just read forums, or surf websites.

Somethings just aren't as good when they come over to the States from England...

The Office comes to mind...

(US version ok but nowhere near as good as BBC)

M. Bréqs · Post by **M. Bréqs** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:56 pm

Related issue...

I recently got an offer for a really cheap subscription to Sound on Sound (SoS). I can pay an extra $20 bucks a year for the UK version...

I know that Futuremusic US sucks big time (and I am not really impressed with the UK edition either). Does anybody have any info on the differences between the two editions of Sound on Sound (besides the advertisements being in pounds sterling vice dollars)?
MB

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:52 pm

The content is the same, just the ads are differentl Better yet, save some cash and just get the online subscription. No ads, same content, cheaper.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:56 pm

I was thinking the same thing when I bought computer music and future music to read while I was taking a train ride. I found that I kept opening cm over and over and fm just seemed like it was trying to sell me stuff.

ILTK · Post by **ILTK** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:57 pm

Most magz sucks not worth the paper they are printed on.

Yeah, like I'm going to pay for a bunch of ads disguised as articles with ads in between.

Internet, proxomitron ad blocker = bliss!

Bong Sau · Post by **Bong Sau** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:05 pm

[/quote][/url]and I am not really impressed with the UK edition either)

yeah...it really isn't all that much cop. SOS is better imo

Bong Sau · Post by **Bong Sau** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:06 pm

ooops

bloody cider

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:06 pm

well to be honost everytime I open computer music and start reading tutorials and interviews and such I get motivated to make music in a way that reading stuff online doesn't do. for some reason the internet just makes you want to sit there and stare blankly much like television. when I read computer music I get motivated.

though when I read future music it's different. I just start wanting to buy crap.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:21 pm

I hear you, I print the articles out to read and save for later if they are good.

network.funky · Post by **network.funky** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:40 pm

I think there is a lot to be said for a real magazine. I want to read something on the train on the way to work and I eagerly away the arrival of a cellophane wrapped shiny mag. I don't think printing out online articles would replace that.

I starte off with Computer Music and it was good in the beginning but there seemed to be a high level of repeated material in it. I don't know what it's like now but there used to be a lot of repeated tutorials.

FM was good for a while but since they changed their editor its gone down hill. Despite two redesigns the content has really dipped in quality. There's far to many ads, the writing is lazy and the production values are very low. They focus to highly on look and not content.

For now Sound On Sound fits the bill for me. It doesn't have a gallon of free samples every month, and the DVD tutorials only appear every so often. However when they do appear they are well thought out, well produced and professionally presented.

The articles cover a wide gamut of audio production and the website offers the ability to search through their archives which is very useful but I've resisted printing them out and reading them on the train.

In short CM is a great starter magazine and can get you up to speed very quickly, FM has lost its way and doesn't know if its a Music review mag, a technology mag, or a compilation of adverts. SoS is a solid progress report on the state of the audio industry and the technology that we all use whether at home or in a pro studio.

eyeknow · Post by **eyeknow** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 12:27 am

On one hand, I can't wait to pop in to barnes n noble or boarders and look at the mags........

On the other hand, mostly they are rubbish