Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism (although that risks confusion with the academic discipline), comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of music and its performance. Modern art music journalism is often informed by music theory consideration of the many diverse elements of a musical piece or performance, including (as regards a musical composition) its form and style, and as regards performance, standards of technique and expression. It was expressed, for example, in journals such as Neue Zeitschrift für Musik founded by Robert Schumann, and is continued today in the columns of serious newspapers and journals such as The Musical Times.

Today a major branch of music journalism is an aspect of entertainment journalism — covering popular music and including profiles of singers and bands and album reviews. In the 2000s, online music bloggers are to some degree displacing newspaper and magazine-based pop music critics.

Ashley Kahn is an American music historian, journalist, and producer. He is also an adjunct professor at New York University, teaching various courses for the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music in NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and at 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.

His most critically acclaimed books have been on two major jazz albums, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. He is a prolific liner note writer for a variety of music reissue labels, for which he has earned three ASCAP/Deems Taylor awards, and two Grammy nominations. His contributions as a journalist have appeared in the New York Times, Down Beat, Jazz Times, Rolling Stone in the USA, Mojo and New Statesman in the UK, GQ in Japan, among others.

Kahn has had various music-related jobs, including deejay, video producer, freelance writer, road manager, concert producer, and television music editor (for VH1).

As a road manager, he has toured with jazz musicians Henry Threadgill, Cassandra Wilson, and Greg Osby; with African artists Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hugh Masekela, and Lucky Dube; with rock artists Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel; and such pop stars as Britney Spears.

Jai Paul is a British songwriter and record producer from Rayners Lane, United Kingdom. He is signed to XL Recordings.

Paul's 2007 demo "BTSTU" received widespread blog coverage throughout 2010, and has been played on UK national radio by DJs including Gilles Peterson, Zane Lowe, Nick Grimshaw, Reggie Yates and Fearne Cotton.

In December 2010, Paul was longlisted for the BBC Sound of 2011 poll.

"BTSTU (Edit)" was playlisted on BBC Radio 1 following its release as a digital download on April 21, 2011, via XL. The single received favourable reviews, and was made 'Hottest Record in the World' on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show.

On May 20, 2011, Canadian hip hop artist Drake leaked a track titled "Dreams Money Can Buy" via his blog. Shortly afterward, "Till The End Of Time", a song by American R&B artist Beyoncé surfaced online. Both tracks feature a sample of Paul's "BTSTU" demo. On August 30, 2011, "BTSTU (Edit)" was included on Radio Nova's "Nova Tunes 2.4" compilation in France, and on October 25 of the same year the track appeared on "Annie Mac Presents 2011" in the UK (listed as "BTSU").

Wilko Johnson (born John Wilkinson, 12 July 1947, Canvey Island, Essex) is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s.

Johnson went to Westcliff High School for Boys and played in several local groups, before going to the University of Newcastle upon Tyne to study English. After graduating, he travelled overland to India, before returning to Essex to play with the Pigboy Charlie Band, which evolved into Dr. Feelgood – a mainstay of the 1970s pub rock movement.

Johnson developed his own style, coupling a choppy guitar style with a novel dress sense (he favoured a black suit and a highly unfashionable, unpopular and unique pudding bowl haircut) and jerky movements.

Johnson plays a vintage Fender Telecaster without using a pick, something that enables him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time, resulting in a highly percussive guitar style. Another reason for his unique style is that he is naturally left-handed, but plays guitar right-handed. His style - which allowed him to move around abruptly on stage with the jerky movements of an automaton without the fear of losing his pick - evolved from a failed attempt to copy Mick Green of Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, a guitarist he admired. During mid-song guitar breaks he would frequently wander across the stage and cut in front of the singer (usually playing a harmonica) with the aid of an unusually long guitar lead from his amplifier. He maintained this style even after leaving Dr. Feelgood.

Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray on 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist. His first experience in journalism came 1970 when he was asked to contribute to the satirical magazine Oz. In particular, he contributed to the notorious Schoolkids OZ issue, and was involved in the consequent obscenity trial.

He then wrote for IT (International Times), before decamping to the New Musical Express in 1972 for which he wrote until around 1986. Subsequently he worked for a number of publications including Q magazine, Mojo, MacUser, New Statesman, Prospect, The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, Vogue, and The Independent. He currently writes a monthly column about his lifelong love affair with guitars in Guitarist.

In addition to his magazine work, Murray has written a number of books:

His first novel, The Hellhound Sample, ISBN 1-900486-78-4, was published by Headpress in summer 2011.

His broadcasting credits include:

He has also sung and played guitar and harmonica as "Blast Furnace" with the band Blast Furnace and the Heatwaves and currently performs with London blues band Crosstown Lightnin'.