The B-Side is U.C. Berkeley’s premier and only student-run music magazine. Through our online and — as of November 2016 — our printed publication, we aim to connect the campus community with the local, national, and global music scene by discovering, curating, sharing, documenting, and embracing the culture of sound.

Mission Statement

Established in 2013, B-Side is UC Berkeley’s premiere, student-run music magazine. We aim to serve as a safe space for young creatives to explore music’s diverse histories and radical possibilities through a variety of artistic mediums. Through written pieces, filmography/photography, and multi-media designs, our publication intends to provide an intersectional understanding of music as well as music’s relationship to culture, social activism, and personal growth. We have zero tolerance for hate and bigotry, so we will ensure our members feel safe, heard, and comfortable at all times. B-Side seeks to foster an environment within our organization where we can learn from one another and feel comfortable exploring our creative and intellectual voices.

B-Side encourages its members to ask questions and go beyond the surface. We reject ignorance toward the inequality that exists within the music industry and art scene. We acknowledge the fact that marginalized voices are continuously erased from mainstream spaces and narratives. Thus, we aim to use our platform to uplift and highlight underrepresented voices in music. We aim to illuminate artists whose exposure and recognition aren’t as high as their talent. This means as a club we must continuously address our positionality and unlearn our own biases that might shape our relationship with music.

As a student publication, we are privileged to find ourselves situated within a community that holds such a rich history of music, art, and culture. We intend to spotlight the people, places, and events that have made the Bay Area music scene one of a kind. B-Side also recognizes that as a student organization at UC Berkeley, we sit on the territory of xučyun (Huichin), the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people. We recognize that every member of the Berkeley community has benefitted, and continues to benefit, from the use and occupation of this land since the institution’s founding in 1868.

We at B-Side will continue to center the voices of BIPOC and LGBTQ on our various platforms. As a team and community, we will engage in dynamic conversations and collaborations that nurture our knowledge of what it means to utilize music journalism as a means for both personal expression and social activism.