Mario - Easycore
1. What is your name/publication/title?
My name is Mario and I run the majority of www.xEasycorex.net alongside a few other very talented photographers and reviewers.
2. When did you start up? What was your intent in starting a webzine?
The website originally started back in 2008 as a simple blog purely with music downloads and the occasional video, then I joined and began turning Easycore.net into a full-fledged webzine in late-2010. Later we developed into a full-team with different roles. Our sole intent has always been to expose local bands from all over the world who might otherwise not have the opportunity to reach all of our readers. I've always felt that once a band is well-established enough, any website will cover them, but when baby bands are just starting out and truly have something to offer, then they're the ones who stand to gain from the exposure, and not the website - that's where we come in.
3. In the time you've been publishing, what do you feel has been the biggest change in the music scene/industry? How has this impacted your reporting of it?
I'd have to say that one of the biggest changes in the music industry has been ease of accessibility. Any band can be their own PR rep or manager, and in turn, news and announcements can spread so much quicker - if you don't report on it quick enough, the news become "olds" and a webzine is rendered inefficient. Not only do musicians have access to better online tools, but so do the fans.
4. Do you think the decline in sales of print-based music magazines is partly due to the rise of webzines? Do you think webzines themselves are now dropping off in favour of something newer?
Definitely. Not only are webzines usually more up to date, but much more accessible and free of charge, for its readers and sometimes staff. I think webzines will be around for as long as the Internet and music will be, but it's always good to push the boundaries. One of my favourite features, which has proven to be very effective, is the connectivity between a webzine and its readers' social networks - this is a great way to maintain connected and something print-based magazines couldn't match.
5. In terms of your readers, do they show any preference for any specific types of content? Do they favour multimedia features (mp3s, podcasts, videos, etc) or more traditional content types?
I always see a peak in visitors when we post multimedia content, particularly exclusives, but tour and new release announcements are very popular, depending on the band really.
6. How have online commenting systems developed since you've been publishing? Have you taken any steps to “manage” the community of fans posting on your site?
We've used Disqus from the beginning, which is great because it lets you comment on posts anonymously or with various other accounts, but we've always tried to encourage discussions. I also try to engage with our readers over our social pages whenever I can. I don't think commenting systems have developed much over time, but they've become very well-integrated allowing users to post without necessarily creating an account beforehand.
7. What do you think the future is for web publishing? Do you have any plans to cater for users on different platforms (mobile devices, social networks, apps like Spotify)? Would you ever consider experimenting with print?
With so many useful sites, such as Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and all of the social networks, I think we're at the peak of what's currently achievable, though I can't wait to see what's next. I think there's still room to tie up some loose ends in regards to providing all-in-one solutions for artists, so I think we'll stick with digital resources for now. Whenever possible, I make sure to provide mobile-friendly content because a huge portion of traffic comes from mobile devices nowadays, but I don't think an app dedicated for the website would be entirely necessary. Though I hope and predict that the future will see better optimisation of these services for mobile devices.
8. Anything you’d like to add?
Just support your local scene, it's how all of the bands you listen to start out. Go to shows and support honest music.
