LIIAR analysis of NME

I am analysing NME music magazine to look at what the conventions, this magazine is most like mine and has the a similar target audience and is most likely to be my rival in the music magazine industry. This will help me get a better understanding, of what is expected of a music magazine, and what I will need to include in mine.

Language: I looked at the NME music magazine to see the conventions.The first thing that stud out to me was the Masthead. It was very bold and bright. They used the colour red, what is very common in magazines as it is bright and is appealing. Also this colour is seen to attract both genders and has lots of meaning behind it such as love and anger, what could resemble the lyrics in the songs and how they have many meanings. It has a white outline what makes it stand out a lot more from the busy background.I though this worked well as it also followed the colour through out the page. With the headline "MUSE" in red as well. Also NME is very short and snappy and easy to remember and is an abbreviation for New Musical Express. They took that phrase and made it into something memorable and catchy. It is placed to the left of the page and it bolder than the rest of the text. The image of the people is slightly in front of the Masthead which is conventional to most magazines. It looks like the NME is in the picture. The front cover on a whole is very busy but this grab your attention as you want to read all the music news. Although it doesn't look messy as the theme and colours run throughout - red white and black .The models is looking directly to the camera what gives you the idea that the magazine is interacting with you and the cover lines are for you to read. There aren't many cover lines on the front as i think MUSE are the main focus although there is one in the left hand corner what is black and bold so it is still recognisable. They also have used circular previews/kickers to grab you attention on what is inside the magazine i think this works well. When introducing a different shape to the ordinary it makes it stand out. It also has another picture on the front giving you a preview on what is inside the magazine, they have done this in black and white as they don't want to take the attention away from the central picture.

I then looked at a contents page from NME. This followed the red white and black theme and it almost looked like it was designed to look like a news paper as it was very similar colours. It was still very busy and had a large photograph in the center to show what the main focus was in the magazine. The photograph looked like it had some of the colour taken out of it so it wouldn't look out of place as the page stuck to them three colours. It has a band index what was in red so it stud out although it was quite small text. This was to show what bands are there and if you would be interested. The actual contents of the magazine was to the right of the page and and came under bold sub-headings so it made it easier to look at what you wanted. It had information at the bottom about subscribing the NME what was in colour. This is because they want this to be noticed as this would make a bigger readership and profits higher as it would be getting more people to read it.

Finally i looked at a double page spread. It was of Lily Allen who was dressed like a 'tom-boy'. She looked as though she had attitude and it gave the idea of here being real and herself and not trying to be anyone else. The letters in heading looked as though it has been ripped out of a news paper and stuck on. It looked very original and a little 'rock and roll' as the sex pistols used this type of font on the cover of there album.


Institution: NME comes from the publisher IPC media what is global. 'NME is the longest published and most respected music weekly in the world' - www.ipcmedia.com/brands/nme. The IPC media produces over 85 brands including Look, Marie Claire, Nuts and Now. IPC media reaches around 27 million people with the online editions reaching 20 million people. Two thirds of this population being women. NME is one of the most popular magazines published by IPC media and over 369,000 people read it with 69% of that population being male. The average age for people reading this magazine is 24. Also 65% of people who read this magazine are in the ABC1 category and 94% of people use the Internet. This shows that it is aimed at a younger audience as it is stereotypically correct for the younger generation to know more about the new technology. This also shows it is more wealthy people who are in the higher/middle class who buy this magazine.


Ideology: NME has the ideology of people wanting to be free and expressing them selves how they want the be seen and doing it confidently. They do this by showing the famous models looking how they feel comfortable. They haven't let fame over take them and they don't show off there money with flash cars and lots of jewellery. They only look famous so because of the way the conventions are positioned on the page e.g the headlines. Also people would recognise them from the album covers and being on music shows. The NME promotes the new 'indi' genre and it goes against some of the stereotypes of bands and famous individuals as the people that will be seen in there magazine are quite rebellious and out the ordinary for example Pete Dougherty, but they still promote him as this is what is coming more into fashion and the popularity for this genera is getting higher. It follows the new trends but not the charts so it isn't all conventional as it doesn't follow the mainstream music

 Audience: The audience for the NME is aged between 17 and 30. I think it will relate to this age group more as they are more up to date with the fashion and know more about the 'indi' genre. As it is out the mainstream music, the charts, you must be into music to buy the magazine as there is a lot of different conventions to independent music than there is to pop. As they usually create there own music and are usually out of the ordinary. It is mainly aimed at the male gender with 70% reader ship although both genders do read it. It is aimed at the male genre more as the bands are usually male so they would be able to relate to them a lot better. The cover lines attract the audience by saying 'free poster of oasis' so it shows they are usually male bands that are featured and it has a male band on the front. Lily Allen is on the double page spread so this can be seen to attract both audiences as men may see this as as a sex symbol or like to read the unconventional double page spread and i think it would attract the female gender as it is about a woman and they will be able to relate to them.

Representation: The band 'Muse' on the cover are represented quite smart as they are wearing shirts and jackets although there is a hint of attitude as they are wearing leather jackets what makes them look a bit biker/rougher. The camera is angled so it is slightly looking down on them. This usually makes people look quite small and intimidated but i think it makes them look more powerful as there expressions are quite deep and they look quite angry and fearless. This shows there attitude a lot more and gives them a rebel side.

On the contents page there is a picture of a old fashioned cinema, what is taken at a low angle. This gives the impression of Superior and that is it grand then underneath on the heading is says 'THE END OF THE ASTORIA' showing that it had some importance. They represent the building as being important and a loss to see it go like in the end of an era. They use this pun - play on words so people will have a better understanding.

I then looked at a double page spread. It was Lily Allen and just like the front cover, it was quite conventional. Although she was a female and it is more likely to see males she looked very 'tom-boyish'. She looked like she had attitude and she was dressed in a shirt and not feminine at all. She was represented like a rebel, it she had dark makeup and wasn't smiling. This shows that she was rebellious and not within the normal stereotype. Also wrote next to her was 'People think I'm an attention seeker, but I'm just honest.' this shows that she doesn't mind speaking the truth and doesn't have a fear of no one. She presents herself, her individuality, and it isn't always how people perceive her to be.

What is your magazine genre?
The genera I have chosen is individual music. I chose this genre as you go do very different ideas and this genre has many different features that I could choose to reflect on.

What are the key features of this genre?
There are many different independent bands and solo artist and they are all very unique. This is why I chose to do this genre as I can get my own original ideas across. The features of this genre is a very quirky fashion. They usually wear original clothing what can sometimes look quite scruffy / messy hair and vintage clothes. They usually are in a band with guitars and small piercings. The lyrics are usually meaningful and can be quite emotional.

What magazine covers this genre now? What features they have and do they tie in with the target audience? Currently the main independent magazine out at the minuet is NME. I am going to analyse this magazine as i think that would be my main rival in the music magazine industry. They are independent music and is aimed at my target audience as they have young people on the cover and it is said that average age for the reader is 24. There readership is 369000 approx with 69% being male. It is also aimed at the higher end of the scale with 65% of ABC1 readers. I will also be analysing Q and Kerrang as i think they are related. I think Q is like the magazine genre i am aiming for although it is aimed at a older target audience. Kerrang is a slightly different genre to mine although i think the target audience will be very similar as this is about new upcoming bands who are usually male.

What additional features can you put in your magazine to make it stand out and appeal to the target audience that is not already been marketed too?
Usually and independent music magazine is most likely to be seen with a male band on the front cover i want to put females on my cover so it will look different to the rest although it will still tie in with the same genre although with a different approach. I think this could boost my readership up a lot as it may get more girls reading the magazine.

LIIAR of Music magazine brife

Language: When thinking of what language I was going to use for my music magazine I looked at the conventions and what most music magazines have in common. The first most obvious convention I will be including was a Masthead. Most of the Mastheads I looked at were quite short and snappy and bold and horizontal across the top of the page as this is where it is most noticed. This is the first thing the audience would see as the top of the magazine is shown in a rack so this must give out a good impression and appeal to the correct target audience. You must have a Masthead as it is the title of the magazine and no magazine, is created without a title. They way it is portrayed can give a lot away from the magazine, by looking at the colour used and the font. Cover lines also need to be included as it will give a preview of what inside the magazine, this will also give a better view of what the genre of my magazine is as it will show what bands my magazine covers. A main photo also needs to be included in my magazine this will represent what my magazine is about throughout and give a better understanding of my genre. I will be designing my picture to fit with the theme and i will have it running throughout. I will be also taking other pictures to fit in on the cover of my magazine and in my double page spread and my contents page. My contents page and my double page spread will be running through with the same theme so it will keep the continuity within the magazine. I think my photo would be quite effective if i took it from a low angle as it would make the models in the picture look dominant and a think a medium long shot would work quite well as you can see the expression on their faces although you can see what they are wearing. The clothes they were are important as it shows the conventions of individual music. I think a strong bold colour would work well as my magazine needs to stand out from the rest.


Institution: The genre of my magazine is going to be individual music. I looked at other magazines that have things in common such as the NME, Kerrang and Q, the ones most like mine and found that NME comes from IPC media. Q and Kerrang come from Bauer Media. I think my magazine is going to be similar to the NME although not entirely the same so it would be published by this institution. IPC stands for International Publishing Company, it publishes over 85 media brands and it has a readership of over 27 million people in the UK.


Ideology: The ideology of my magazine is to portray people equally and let people have there own individual style with out being judge by anyone else. The genre I am basing my magazine allows people to dress how the want and be free and individual and enjoy making music. Also I am thinking of having females on the front. Formally females were seen as a sex symbol and that isn’t what i want my magazine to be perceived as. I want the ideology to be that girls are now seen as equal to men although they are not always seen in this type of genre. The ideology of this is that people can be seen as who they are and everybody can no matter what race age or gender you are. Some of the lyrics from individual bands/solo artists are quite emotional and it shows that you can express your feelings in anyway and be free.


Audience: My target audience would be obviously people who have an interest in individual music. I believe it would be mainly targeted at 16 to 25 as i think they are more likely to buy the magazine. Also the band members are also around this age group so they will be able to relate to them a lot more. Also 'indie' music has a feature of fashion, that is one of the conventions quite messy but fashionable this is why i think it would be targeted at the younger audience who are more up to date with fashion. They also may feel as though they can relate to the lyrics and my magazine will be a young style with bright colours and young indie bands. Although 'indie' music is mainly male bands I think it will relate to both genders as my magazine is going to feature male and female bands so it will attract both sexes. I made it both genders as it will have a bigger readership.


Representation: My magazine will represent people who want to express music and be themselves and no one will be discriminated by what they do. This sometimes doesn’t give off a good impression as people may have tattoos and look informal and very original and out of the ordinary stereotype, but this is how 'real people' are because not everyone is the same and this is how I want them to be represented.

Music magazine - Brief

I will be creating a front cover, a contents page and a double page spread for a music magazine. My chosen genera is independent music/individual. I will be looking at magazines such as NME and have a look what the conventions are. My magazine will include four digital photo's and text with a suitable Masthead. I will be using Photoshop to create my magazine as I will need to edit and transform my images, additionally, my magazine must be original with my own ideas with insperation from other music magazines.