Texts - Music magazine

I created different font to see what would look the best on my magazine. I am going to post a poll to see what is the most popular and what targets my audience. I tried to make them quite different to them i could develop one of them and i may change it slightly. I think they all would go very well with my magazine as i think the all are very different and quite unique.

Mast head name - Music Magazine

I wanted my magazine to be original and have a unique name that would be memorable and link well with my magazine. I looked at what other magazines so see if it could give me some inspiration for the name of mine. I looked at Q, Mojo, Kerrang, and NME. All magazines that are related some way or another to mine.
I came up with a few ideas for my magazine.

Strum - I liked this name as i thought it worked well with my genera, as it is the sound of a guitar being played softly. I thought about the types of music i would be putting in my magazine and thought it would work well as most 'indi' bands play music and especially guitars. Also like Kerrang it was an onomatopoeia, although was totally different and unique.

Unique: I thought this name pretty much summed up the ideology of my music magazine. It also related to the fashion not only the music. It is associated with my target audience as it is for people who are very individual and 'unique'. 'Indi' music isn't mainstream music so i think this name would work well.

Indie-vidual: I liked the idea of having the name of the genera in the mast head although i think it may be to long to put on the front cover. Its simple and basically states the obvious of what my magazine is about. 'indie' music is very individual and i think it would work well.

Melody: I thought that this looks deeper into the genera and explains what is in the music. Although i think it does sound quite feminine and may not reach out to all my target audience. It could also could fit into any genre, it is a very open name and could come up in any music category not only indie.

Wire: I think this sounds quite origional and it would fit with my genere as it would represent the wires of a guitar.  You would definatly tell what genera the magaizne is from. It would fit with the type of music i am aiming to represent.

D-notes: This name sounds very musical and as it is how music is made. All denotes means to have a meaning. This could show that my magazine has a reason and a meaning. Like all the music in my magazine there is a meaning for it weather it to express feelings or to make others happy, they made the song for a reason with a meaning behind it.

I have decided to used the name strum as i think i would connect to my target audience alot better and it would be for a wider audience as you can stum a guitar hard or soft so it would relate to the split in the 'indie' genere. I think it relates to 'indie' music a lot with the use of an onimaterpiea of music.

LIIAR analysis of KERRANG

I am analysing Kerrang music magazine i am going to look at the codes and conventions to see i could get some ideas from this.I don't think this magazine has the same target audience as mine as it is slightly a different genre. Kerrang's genre is more rock/metal. Although they have the most similar age range, so they may used some of the same conventions. This will give me better ideas what i may include in my magazine.

Language: I looked at Kerrang music magazine to see if it gives me any inspiration for my magazine. The mast head is white on a black background what works very well as it is a great contrast. It also is very bold. They have give the impression of it looking liked smashed glass as they have made black lines through the text giving a smashed effect. The connotation of this could be that they want there magazine to look a little wild and reckless. The font is in blocked capitals and it looks as if it has been painted on giving it a rough effect. The mast head is made to look like a band on the top of the page, like a banner. It makes it look like it is advertising something and makes the name looks important. It also is long masthead so it fills the top of the page. Making the magazine stand out and most magazines have it in the left hand corner. The black and white theme follows through the front cover as the people on the front are stood on a white background wearing black clothing which is a good contrast. The writing saying 'green day' is centered and bold and also in white as they are the main focus of the magazine. Kerrang is a good name for a metal magazine as its an onomatopoeia of how the guitar sounds when strummed hard. There is also a kicker at the side which doesn't follow the colour theme as this introduces the colour red and yellow. This makes it stand out and it shows what is in the magazine. This makes it look quite busy but not over the top. The models are looking directly into the camera, this gives the feeling of authority. It is also taken as a mid shot so it is more focused on there faces. The cover lines are in a band at the top and at the bottom, they have done this so the picture is clear and you can see the full page. Using horizontal lines makes it look neater and more professional.

I then looked at the contents page, it was still very busy and and had lots of illustrations to show what was in the magazine. The picture looked very posed, and the pictures were set out well as it looked very professional. It also established the theme a lot more as it shows lots of different bands what fit within the genera metal.This was to show what bands are in the magazine and if you would be interested They all stick to the genera of metal, they are wearing dark clothing and are rocking out. It sticks to a theme of yellow, throughout, the contents looks very bold as it contrasts against the black. It said 'this week' in black with a yellow background them reversed the colours in the sub headings. The font was the same through out and it looked bold.

Finally i looked at the double page spread for kerrang. It was of My Chemical Romance, what is a typical rock band what would attract the younger audience. It was all black and white and had no colour expert the writing. They used red to contrast with the colour. This stood out against the background. They look like they are enjoying what they are doing and they looked the part. The text, also like the front cover, looked as though it had been painted. By only using three colours made it easier to read although it had quite a lot of pictures.

Institution: Kerrang, also like Q, is published from Bauer Media. What is a world wide publishing company. Kerrang was 1st published in 1981 with AC/DC staring on the cover. It started as a supplement and then because of popular high demand eventually became a weekly magazine.  It has 60% male readership and kerrang is  'the world’s biggest selling weekly rock magazine.' http://journalism.winchester.ac.uk/?page=257. In 2008 Kerrang was at is highest selling point with a readership around 50,128 a week! It is also targeted at the social class C-D as it is for a younger audience and a to people who like this specific type of music.

Audience: The audience would be a rival with my magazine as it is targeted at a similar age group, 16-24. It does seem to attract more of the male gender with 60% being male readers.


Ideology:  The ideology of the Kerrang magazine is very similar to the other music magazines, as it is still being who you want to be and being yourself. Also this adds a sense of  rebellious tone to it as they express through not only there look but emotion and it shows this in the images of them, and the lyrics of most music. It is usually very powerful and has lots of meaning behind it. They are represented as individual people and like to have their own style. They do seem stereotypical as they all wear black and stick to the same beat. The band on the front are very stereotypical for this genera and so is the double page spread. The contents is a little different as it is a lot clearer and looks more though out and well presented but the people pictured in the boxes fit with this genre.

Representation:

LIIAR analysis of Q

I am analysing Q music magazine to look how i can relate some of the conventions to my own magazine. I think this magazine is related to mine as this focuses on the same genre as me, 'indi' music, although it is targeted at a higher age group. I think it will give me some good ideas as it will give a different view on 'indi' music, a little more sophisticated as it is for an older age group.

Language: I looked at the Q music magazine to see the conventions. The masthead stood out as it was only one letter 'Q'. Q is very memorable and the connotation of this could cue to start the song. It works quite well with it being a music magazine, this was done intentionally. It is surrounded by a red square with white text. These colours contrast so it stands out well, it is quite conventional for a magazine to use these colours as they stand out and are a bold colour. Also the red runs throughout in the kickers and adverts and the white also runs through on the main headline, showing continuity through out the front page. It is places in the left hand corner and the image is over lapping it so it is still obvious to see but the main picture is more important. Once again it is very busy what makes it stand out as it looks like you get a lot for your money, as there is a lot in the magazine. The band on the front are staggered around the page and aren't in a row, they are all looking directly at the camera. This gives the feeling of interaction with the readers. the camera angle is a low angle giving the impression of authority. The cover lines are outlined in a bright orange box to make it stand out with black and white writing. These to colours contrast and stand out this is the denotation but the connotation of this could be that black and white resemble to opposite things what are quite contradicting, like this magazine, it is for older people but it has the new upcoming bands on the front such as the kings of Leon. Also the 'World Exclusive' is put in a box, it is made to look like a stamp as when things get shipped across the world they get stamped. Q, like NME has also used a circular kicker to grab the readers attention. The main focus of the magazine is Kings of Leon although in the bottom left hand corner they have advertised a free CD what covers the quarter of the page. They have done this as 'freebies' always persuade the audience to buy something, they are getting something for free! it also has a little box in the bottom  right corner saying 'plus' the are showing a lot of what it in the magazine on the front cover so that you get a better understanding of what the magazine is about. The picture looks as though the band has been added into the photo but they have tried to make it look as though they are there. They have done this so the models look bigger than they are, the models head is in the sky this could be another connotation, they are now rock stars and they feel as though there heads in the sky.

I then looked at a contents page from Q. The main focus was the picture of the band it was large and filled over half the page. Red white and black followed through the page to keep the same theme. By using red on the page numbers and backing of the headings it makes it recognisable and easy to read and it attracts readers eyes. It was set out quite well and was easy to read. They had heading splitting up this months features and what is in every month also there is a review bit at the bottom. They have done an easy layout as it is for an older age group and it makes it look more sophisticated.

 Finally i chose a double page spread to analyse. The article was on Madonna, again a female. This seems to be getting more common in magazines as it is trying to attracts a wider audience. This also shows that the target audience is older as Madonna first started in the late 70's although she continues with her music to this day this could attract a wide age range. She looked very 'hip' with a big silver cross rings and shiny hooded jacket. This gives the connotation of you can be who you want no matter how old you are. She is free to express herself. The text was very bold and they used multiple bright colours such as orange red and blue, this gives off the impression of it being busy as there are colours that are bright and clash like you see when in a club. It is very music orientated as the colours give it a 'buzz' like music.

Institution: Q is published by Bauer Media, now referred to as EMAP. Bauer media is also a very large media production company what produces over 80 different titles, what produces such things as Closer, FHM, Mojo and many more big named titles what includes sports, gardening, pets, golf etc. They also do radio. 'Q retains its pre-eminent position as the number one music monthly brand in the UK and across Europe with 112,532 readers'. - http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/Press-Office/News/Bauer-Media-ABC-Magazine-Sales-Figures-Jan-Jun-2008/ Bauer media reaches over 19 million adults across the UK alone. It is the largest privately owned publisher in Europe and it is sold Worldwide. Q first started in 1986 and has then continued to this day to publish many more. It is targeted at both genres although considerably more men buy this magazine.
Ideology: The ideology of this magazine is to be able to express your self as who you are and age can be a big statement in this. As it is targeted at an older age group they tend to have a band that will target them. It shows that it doesn't matter what age you are if you have talent you should be able to express your self. This could make the target group feel a lot more comfortable with themselves. It also is about respect, you should respect people for who they are and not try to be someone your not. Kings of Leon are placed on the front cover and look comfortable in what they are wearing and being themselves. This shows that The ideology of this is being yourself and not trying to be anyone else, this also applies to the contents page. The double page spread with Madonna on shows that she enjoys what she does and looks well for her age and that she shouldn't be discriminated of her age because she has a great talent.

Ideology:  The ideology of the Q magazine is no matter how old you are you should be free to be who you are and be yourself. It shows this by having older models on the front and Madonna shows it doesn't matter how old you are you should be as old as you feel. If you are able to continue making brilliant music and enjoying yourself you should carry on. This has the ideology if being who you are and being proud of what you can achieve.  Everyone is represented as them selves and how they feel comfortable.

Audience: Q has a different target audience than most of the music magazines out there. They target their magazine at around 25+ so it is for an older audience. This isn't to say that a younger generation wouldn't read it but you can tell that it is for an older audience as it often has older bands on the cover such as U2 and John Lennon, Liam Gallagher. Although these are still popular today they are not main stream and new. They use these so older people will be able to relate to them. They do also use new upcoming bands/solo artists such as Lady gaga and Cheryl Cole but this is so that the magazine isn't to told fashioned and still would be appropriate for that little younger. Q likes to keep the audience wide so that they will get a bigger reader population and also having new bands it keeps the readers feeling young and up to date. I do thing that Q is within the 'indi' genre although they do use bands out of that genre to keep it open to everyone. Lady gaga is pop but she is also very individual in her style.

Representation: The first impression i got when i looked at Q was that they looked quite scruffy and 'indi' like and this shows them being themselves. I don't think it was a bad impression as everyone has there own individual style and they look smart in there own sense of fashion. They look confident with who they are and it looks good. It shows there individuality off and there attraction to the audience. They know they are brilliant and they show it with there position they are stood in. They don't look like they are trying to hard they look as if they are comfortable and quite proud. They have no expression on there faces, this made them look powerful as they are sending a message to the audience whilst being expressionless. The camera is shot from a low angle giving them the look of authority. They will have done this to show there power in music and how much they are respected in the music industry.

The contents page is quite plain and this makes it look very sophisticated. The band in the photo look very relaxed and not very posed although they are positioned on a cliff. They are represented well and look free. One of the band members isn't looking directly into the camera, this shows that they aren't trying to look powerful, they are being themselves and how they feel happy. They look confident in who they are and are represented how they want.

Finally it the double page spread. Madonna always has been very individual and follows her own style and it shows in this picture. She is shown in the photo, doing what she does best and is enjoying herself, she does look posed in the picture although relaxed and confident at the same time. This shows that she enjoys her work and will do her best to succeed, and to succeed she is her self. She is represented well and shows no matter what age you are you are free to be yourself and do what you want to do.

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.