Final post :)

My music magazine coursework is now finished and this is my last blog :)

Evaluation

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Weekly Review.

For the last few weeks i have continued to draft my final pages and edit them slightly in order to make the magazine look and work better, experimenting with different colours and styles until i am happy with the final designs.

Audience Feedback.

I have now completed my front cover, contents page and double page spread for my music magazine. Feedback would be helpful for my evaluation and in order to help what i would change if i was to re-draft my magazine.

What do you like about the pages i have already made?

What do you dislike about the pages?

Do you think the final pieces were the right ones to chose from the drafts? Why, why not?

Do you think the front cover works well with the images? writing? (Title and articles)

Does the contents page seem full enough and detailed enough for a music magazine?

Does the double page spread meet the requirements of an average music magazine?

Is the price appropriate for the music magazine and what is included in it?

Do you think that the images work well with the colour scheme? writing? Are they appropriate for the music magazine?

What do you think needs the most improvement out of the 3 pages?

What would make you want to purchase this music magazine? age range? interests? gender?

Any other comments would be good thanks!

Front cover!

This is my final front cover!

Double Page Spread draft 3.

Final Contents page!

Final Double Page Spread!

Double Page Spread draft 1.

Contents page draft 1.

Front Page first draft :)

Tell me what you think:)

Front Cover Photos.

These two photos are the two i have chosen to consider for the front cover, the first one adds a lot of colour to the page and immediately you can identify that the magazine is about music with the guitar and headphones however, the image has a busy background and once cover lines are added to the image it may seem more difficult to read. The second image is similar in getting across the idea of the music magazine; i prefer the second image as i believe it relates to the young target audience the magazine is aiming towards, i think the brightness of the image should be changed and perhaps some of the colours to make it stand out more. I will try some different effects with both images and see which one suits the magazine more appropriately.

Double page spread drafts.

These are my two designs for my double page spread, they both have features of other big music magazines such as Q. I think they both work well because they use an equal amount of images and text.

Contents page layouts.

These are two contents pages i have created by looking at other magazines i have analysed. Both work particularly well because they have a hectic look to it making the readers think they are getting more for their money.

Front cover layouts.

These are two front cover layouts that i have designed in order to base my final design on, both magazine layouts focus on the image being the most important. This is similar to what Q use on their front covers.

Weekly Review!

Last week i completed the colour analysis and also chose my colour scheme. I completed the treatment sheet and this week i will complete some layout designs.

The treatment.

The magazine: LOUD!

Target readership: The LOUD! reader is aged 15-17 late school students and college students, particularly aiming at teenagers interested in many genres of music of both sex. They enjoy concerts, gigs, celebrities and ins on musicians (interviews) and upcoming music events as well as a general interest in entertainment.
Many younger readers of the magazine will rely on their parents for finance yet with the nowaday market struggling, money is tight so my magazine has to stand out enough to survive during the harsh times.

Form and style: The magazine will be A4 full colour containing celebrity interviews, gossip, upcoming events, latest news. Celebrities will appear on the front cover and upcoming artists to interest the target audience, either gender will appear on the front cover. The front cover will have a cluttered feel to it so the reader feels that they are getting more value for their money. Cover lines will inform the reader of many articles and information that will be included within the magazine. The magazine will sell at £3.00 a fairly averaged, cheap price for a music magazine.

Themes and typical features: Regular features such as celebrity articles, competitions, upcoming events and news will appear in the magazine, it will have informal language to seem familiar with to the target audience; this makes it interesting and worth reading. Now and again the magazine will feature specials such as the 50 top albums, top singles, special competitions etc.

Potential advertisers: Advertise things that suit the readers interests, advertise upcoming events, celebrity gigs etc, clothing lines, electrical goods (technical products such as headphones).

Editorial team: The editorial team will be made up of experienced writers and designers, all who can write music articles and reviews well. The team will be made up of both men and women to reach both of the target audiences; comments from the readers will be welcomed by the editorial team. The aim of the editorial team is to bring new ideas and information to the music readers.

Colour Analysis.

I chose these three colour schemes as they are not particularly associated with a genre of music such as rock, pop or punk, this is what i want my magazine to look like because it is not linked with a genre of music. I wanted bright colours so as it would stand out on the shelves and look fun to a young audience; I think the middle set of colours work out well because they are not similar yet compliment each other and will look good on a modern day magazine, however pink may be associated with a feminine magazine. I think the top colour scheme and bottom scheme work out better as they have a range of different, bright colours and neither can be associated with a particular gender or genre of music.

Weekly review!

This week i completed the internet research into institutions and readership figures. There was some extra time so i also did a font analysis and this week i will complete a colour analysis and a treatment sheet.

Font

The first font ive chosen looks similar to Kerrang's logo, it has the broken effect to it; Kerrang is a rock music magazine and it looks as though the loud music has broken the font. The second-fifth font do not look as though they would belong to a particular genre of music, so they might be useful for a magazine that does not have a particular music genre-similar to Q. The last font looks like it would belong to a hip hop magazine as it has a grafitti-look to it, however i am still undecided of what genre of music i am going to do. Next i will try different colours out with the fonts to see if they make a different effect for my music magazine.

Internet research into institutions and readership figures.

Music Magazines: Jul-Dec 2008 Year On Year Comparisons
Title	Publisher	Jul-Dec 07	Jul-Dec 08	Actual Change	% Ch
Classic Rock	Future Publishing	67,399	70,188	2,789	4.1
Kerrang!	Bauer Consumer Media	76,937	52,272	-24,665	-32.1
Metal Hammer	Future Publishing	45,809	50,269	4,460	9.7
Mixmag	Development Hell Ltd	35,817	30,159	-5,658	-15.8
Mojo	Bauer Consumer Media	106,218	100,507	-5,711	-5.4
NME	IPC Ignite	64,033	48,459	-15,574	-24.3
Q	Bauer Consumer Media	131,330	103,017	-28,313	-21.6
Rock Sound	Rock Sound Ltd	23,021	20,011	-3,010	-13.1
RWD	RWD Media Ltd	33,266	77,050	43,784	131.6
Uncut	IPC Ignite	91,028	87,069	-3,959	-4.3

Q is the UK's biggest selling music magazine sold monthly with a circulation of 100,172. Due to its unrivalled access to the celebrities of the music industry Q has allowed us to see Bruce Springsteen's inner sanctum, Noel Gallagher's family secrets and U2's nake-up box for world-beating exclusives has not just driven the magazines sales but also provided content for Q's website, tv and radio.
MOJO is the second highest selling music magazine after Q at 97,722, From the Fleet Foxes to Nick Drake, MOJO remains dedicated to its heart and soul of music; whether its new, cult or classic. 
Kerrang! remains the UK's best selling music magazine that is sold weekly at 43,253. Changes within the market has affected the music magazine sales but Kerrang! remains committed to producing a magazine to serve its passionate rock readership with weekly doses of news, features and reviews of the weeks gigs, albums and new music. 

Stuart Williams, MD of EMPIRE, Q, MOJO and Kerrang!, commented:
“Q, MOJO and Kerrang! all have strength in breadth and depth in being complete 360 brands. Each continues to lead and define the music market by connecting all manner of music fans with their music heroes via groundbreaking editorial access and content.”


Circulation Figures.
Kerrang! - 44,013 (w) 
MOJO - 91, 678 (m)
Q - 89,450 (m)

Stuart Williams, MD of Bauer Media's Music & Film portfolio, commented:

"Kerrang! has had a resurgent year under new Editor Nichola Browne, who has refreshed, rejuvenated and refocussed the magazine on its core audience of late teen-early 20s rock fans. Kerrang! continues to be a powerful media brand with a strong online presence and a hugely successful radio station."

"In MOJO and Q, Bauer Media boasts the two best selling monthly music magazines in the UK. MOJO recently marked its 200th issue with Tom Waits guest-editing and, as ever, the Mojo Honours List awards attracted a veritable Who's Who of music legends including Jimmy Page, Kasabian, Roger Daltrey and Marc Almond.

"Q will chalk up a quarter century in 2011 and will do so by continuing to extend its reach amongst audiences online, on TV, on Radio and at live events."


In the year 2010 MOJO overtook Q in the sales suggesting that its niche audience stuck by its magazine through the rough market. I need to make sure that my magazine stands out and attracts a niche audience similar to what MOJO did.

Weekly Review!

I am up to date on my work so far according to my action plan creating the questionnaire and poll however, not enough results were gathered in the week so i will complete my analysis after more results are obtained.

Questionnaire!

1. Are you male or female?

2. How old are you?

3. How often do you think the music magazine should be released?


4. How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?

• £1.00
• £1.50
• £2.00
• £3.00

5. What genre of music do you prefer?

• Rock
• Pop
• Punk
• Jazz
• RnB
• Rap
• Other

6. Would you prefer the magazine to look full and busy (e.g Kerrang and NME) or a simple, more sophisticated magazine (e.g Q)?

7. Which colour scheme do you think would look best for a music magazine?

•  Lots of different colours put together
• Single, simple colour design
• Other.

8. Would you prefer a music magazine to have more images or more writing and articles?

Double Page Spread

All of the double page spreads have a large, main image that is relevant to the article and perhaps the front cover. The headline of the text is in a larger font; it immediately tells the readers who the article is about and they can decide whether to continue reading or not. The use of columns in the article are subtitled, this helps the reader find particular information they want about the person more easily. The colour scheme for the article is fairly simple but this double page spread is a Christmas edition so it includes traditional colours such as red and gold. Some main images used in the article overlap onto the second page; this links the two pages together and show that it is in fact a double page spread. Quotes are often used in headlines or subtitles within the article, it gives you a piece of information you want to read on about and find more about the musician or band.

A stand first is important as it is included to tell the reader what the particular article is about. The article tends to be informal, this is because the magazine is supposed to be fun and most magazines appeal to a younger audience.

Contents page

A contents page is very useful to readers who want to find out what information will be in the magazine, also finding a particular part of the magazine is made easier through the page sections and numbers.    

                                                                                       NME Contents page

On the left hand side of the page there is a 'band index' with a list of all the bands that are featured in the magazine with the page number they can be found on, this is helpful for the reader that only wants to find out about particular musicians and bands. The main story in this magazine is about Kasabian, this is easily seen through the use of the large image and short paragraph below it, it attracts attention to this band and with more information on them lets the reader know they are the main article of this NME issue. On the right hand side of the page are five different subtitles; news, radar, reviews, live! and features. Each contains a brief description underneath its heading and page numbers so readers can easily find the article they want, quickly. The contents page is set out well with different sections and articles in certain places for the reader to find easily and effectively; however the magazine does appear quite busy and messy- less set out and organised as Q for example, a much more expensive magazine.

Q Contents page

In this contents page Q has seperated the features into whats in this current magazine and what is included in every magazine, this is good for the readers as it establishes what is in the magazine and what page it can be found on. Q are well known for reviewing music so it is a good idea that they have included a review box at the bottom of the page, it is a seperate section just for where in the magazine they have reviewed music. The main image on the page is of 'The Courteeners' although they do not appear on the front cover of Q itself they are still a main feature in the magazine intoducing a relatively new band. Q is known for including old music legends as well as new bands and musicians. The front cover of this magazine is Oasis, that is why there is an Oasis special in the column features. This shows that Oasis will be featured quite frequently in the magazine. Overall, the contents page is simple and laid out well; it looks professional and sticks with the 'expensive look' of Q. The colour scheme also fits with the rest of the magazine Q's iconography red, white, black and gold.



Textual Analysis (front covers)

Q was published by Bauer publication, the name of the magazine in fact means to queue up for albums and concerts. The magazine has a shiny look and feel to it which makes it sem more expensive. The magazine looks of high quality due to the amount of effort and work put into the front cover, the first thing an audience sees when making a decision on what magazine to buy. Q magazine was actually created for males but has attracted a much wider audience since it took off. There is a large Q on the front cover and remains the same colour in the same place on every magazine; the colours gold, red and white are often used as they're bright and stand out. These colours are also often associated with quite expensive-looking colours, adding to the expensive look of the magazine. The front cover of Q always has a celebrity on the front cover that is involved in music or entertainment, this is Q's brand identity along with the red and white Q in the corner; the magazine is noticed for these particular things. The cover lines theme is often to do with music and entertainment, interviews and key articles, however the price is hidden away due to the expense this is because they want to grab the readers attention without them being turned away from the price.



Kerrang was also published by Bauer publication. The title Kerrang is an onomatopoeia of a guitar sound; related to rock. The magazine front cover appears crowded making the reader feel like they are getting more for their money; Kerrang includes different brand identities it uses its own font in every magazine and it remains in the same place and mostly the same colour, Biffy Clyro also used their own well-known font for the Kerrang magazine front cover; brand identity. The 'Kerrang' title remains black and white whilst the rest of the colours on the magazine often change colour to compliment each other including reds. The front cover always has a celebrity on it and attracts readers that are particularly interested in that musician. The cover lines also often focus on the theme of music and entertainment; especially rock music as kerrang focuses on a rock and metal genre.

NME (New Musical Express) was often associated with punk rock but has expanded to a much wider audience in recent years. The front cover is mainly dominated by writing and cover lines related to music and entertainment (what the magazine is about) however the image looks as if it was not originally taken by NME and more of a picture someone else took, this front cover looks as though a it was a performance at a concert. Compared to Q and Kerrang this magazine looks slightly cheaper as it has not had a proper set design, it looks as though less money was put into it. The colour scheme remains black, white and red in each magazine, simple colours that don't particularly relate to an expensive magazine such as Q's gold. NME's brand identity consists of using the same simple font in every magazine and a famous musician similar to other music magazine front covers.

These three well-known magazines are now currently music channels with their own websites; it helps the publications and companies become more popular and well known. Nowadays they are more known as a brand than a music magazine.

Preliminary Research

Action Plan

3/1/11 (Bank Holiday)-Textual analysis of magazines: 3 covers, 2 contents and 1 double page spread.
10/1/11-Audience Questionnaire and analysis
             -Poll to decide magazine name
17/1/11-Internet research into institutions and readership figures
24/1/11-Colour and font analysis, treatment sheet
31/1/11-Layout Designs
7/2/11-Photo shoot, editing of photos
14/2/11-Drafting of pages
21/2/11 (Half term)-Audience feedback
28/2/11-Evaluation
7/2/11-Evaluation