That this paper may, in some degree, create a more general interest in sacred music, and thus promote the praise and glory of God, and the spiritual interest and enjoyment of the Christian, as well as the social enjoyments of life, is the sincere wish and prayer, and the highest desire of its Editors. (Southern Musical Advocate and Singer’s Friend, July 1859, page 3)

Joseph Funk is known to have published the first musical magazine in the South. It was published by his company called Joseph Funk and Sons as The Southern Musical Advocate and Singer’s Friend. After Joseph Funk died, his sons created the Joseph Funk’s Sons company and restarted the magazine but dropped the word Southern from it calling it The Musical Advocate and Singer’s Friend. After that magazine folded in 1869, Ephraim Ruebush and Aldine S. Kieffer who establlished The Ruebush-Kieffer Company published a new magazine called The Musical Million and Fireside Friend from 1870-1914. Later, Aldine S. Kieffer created his own company called A. S. Kieffer and Son and published his own magazine called Our Musical Advocate and Fireside Friend. Other companies published their own musical magazines. The A. J. Showalter company  and James D. Vaughn company were some of those companies.