blog questionnaire video.mov

To find out what my target audience look for in a magazine and read about I constructed a short questionnaire. I asked questions about what features they like reading and what they would look for in a new music magazine. This will help me when designing my magazine. The feedback that I recieved showed that the main sort of music magazine that my target audience liked is 'X Factor Magazine' which is a combination of music, celebrity and fashion. These are also the areas that I am interested in, which is why I would like to make my magazine focus around this topic. The artciles that they like to read are things such as interviews with artists which I what I intend to make my double page spread about.

Part of our research meant that we had to pitch our ideas for our magazine to the rest of the group. My pitch went really well and enabled me to gain information from my target audience about my magazine. I managed to be able to decide on a name for my magazine (Out Loud). The audience was keen on the ideas that I had about making my magazine a combination of music, fashion and celebrity.

Contents analysis - Research

The layout and house style of the X Factor magazine is very simple yet easily recognizable. The logo/ name in the top left hand corner hotspot is easily linked to the X Factor. The written editorial is placed along the left hand side of the page which is very stereotypical and conventional. The copy here also features an image along the left hand side which is opposite to the image at the bottom. This images helps to break up the text and make it easier to look at and read. This however is slightly separated from the rest of the page by a slanted dotted line which is quite unique. The rest of the page is quite conventional including different coloured headings for different sub sections of the magazine. The pages of the magazine are also the same colours as the sub section that they are under. The image at the top right hand side of the page is also parallel to the dotted line on one side to make the page consistent. The image is bright and eye catching and relates to the target audience. The other smaller images are arranged together and one of them has been cut of using a program such as Photoshop. Across the bottom of the page are a range of images made to appear look like a banner which shows all of the contestants in the competition. The style of copy is very easy to read and features a kind of tag line from the show of ' Its time to face....'. This also links the magazine in with the tv program. 


The contents page of X Factor very much appeals to its target audience. The editor of the X Factor magazine appears to be a young (20 something) female with short brown hair. She does not look stereotypically girly and isn't wearing very much make up and a plain t-shirt which is quite boyish. Her short cropped hair is also quite tom boy which has connotations that she may be tough and not really that bothered about her appearance. The editor is basically represented as laid back and carefree which suggests that the readership is quite similar.


The written editorial of this contents page is a very informal. The copy is just like they are chatting to their mate. This makes it seem that there are more like a mate rather than a distant authority figure telling the audience what to think. They use lots of words such as 'we' to help connect with the target audience and make them feel more relaxed. The style in which they write is also quite gossipy as it includes sentences such as 'This has basically been the most exciting weekend of our lives- we went to the live shows for the very first time....' This is appealing to the target audience of the magazine which would be teenagers and young adults and anyone else who is interested in X Factor. The editorial is mainly a form of indirect mode of address as the magazine doesn't want to come across as in your face or pushy.

Initial ideas and main competitor-Research

Initial idea:


After completing the first part of my research, I have decided that I would like to produce a magazine similar to the 'X Factor Magazine'. This magazine appeals to me as it includes pages on both music and on fashion and celebrity which is a combination of all of the most popular subjects for my target 
audience. My target audience will be teenagers and young adults that are interested in music and celebrity etc. It will be mostly aimed at girls as it will have a more gossipy feel to it also with articles on fashion.

Main competitor:

The X factor music magazine is very similar to what I wish to create and would be my main competitor. It combines lifestyle with music. The target audinence is young adults and teenagers mainly but does cater for younger or older generations due to the fact that it is based on a well known TV programme. It creates a diversion away from the readers routine and problems. It focuses on different modern music, fashion and features interviews with artists and quizzes. The magazine also relates to the audiences personal relationships. It helps the audience get closer and relate more to others who are popular and famous and helps them to feel part of a group socially. Personal identity is also a major aspect which the magazine has to consider. The magazine makes the stars it features more normal and of just the same social value. An example of this is the fact that across the centre of the page is a section featuring conestants from the X Factor and along the bottom in a separte banner are cover lines and images regarding well known and established artists. The 'X Factor Magazine' is very much about surveillance. The content of the magazine is all of the latest news, gossips and images from the music world. As a magazine based on a popular TV show the content has a great interested as the target audience always want to know the latest news. The combination of new and old stars also keeps the audience interested as people want to know about their existing favourite artists just as much as the new stars being on the show. The 'X Factor Magazine' also has a strong relation to Maslows Hierachy of Needs. The top 3 priorites according to the table are self actualization, self esteem and social. The magazine has included these to attract to its target audience. The magazine has lots of features in order to appeal to its target audience. The colours used are very 'hot' bold bright and eyecatching to draw the readers attention in. The images that support the cover lines also attract the audience to the cover. The capitalisation of the cover lines also helps make the articles stand out.

Analysis of 5 front covers- Research

This is the most appealing cover that I have looked at. It’s really unique and stands out from similar music magazines. The cover image has been edited to make it look like its raining. This has a really effective look to it and makes it stand out and become more unique. The direct mode of address of the artist also draws the reader in. The body language of the artist suggests that she is tough and dangerous yet better than the rest which is what the magazine wants to achieve. The body language of her is quite sexual as she is dripping wet and has her mouth open with a look of desire on her face. I was also attracted to the copy at the bottom of the page. Although it is not very bold the wording is very clever and fits in with the artist’s debt album name. I believe that the genre of this magazine if pop/ modern music as Cheryl Cole is a very well known pop artist. The image of her is conventional for this genre of magazine as she is seen as a role model/ idol to many people. The target audience appears to be teenagers and young adults as the cover artist is very popular with these people and the fact that the music is modern and varied. Again the colours have been kept to a minimum and feature a lot of red. This is as it’s an attractive and eye catching colour but also ties in with the cover image. The red and white together also look very British which suggests that the magazine is proud to be British and features lots of articles on British artists. The main/ best selling point for this magazine cover is the artist used. The main heading has been centres and is at the bottom of the page rather than accross the centre. The rest of the titles are either left or right alligned which is quite conventional of a music magazine. The copy on the right hand side of the page has a coloured box around it to help that piece of information stand out. The house style of Q magazine is really effective as the colours all work very well together and is very appealing to the target audience of this magazine.The magazine cover also features a lot of capitalisation which reinforces points that they want to stand out and are more important. The masthead is just a single letter which doesnt tell the reader anything about what the magazine is about which is quite unconventional of a music magazine. It is however easily recognisable due to its simplicity and the fact that it is very unique. The cover of this magazine features around 4 different font styles which make the magazine really effective. Most of the copy on the cover is sans serif as this is less formal and more suitable to the target audience.

The genre for this magazine can be easily told from its front cover. The images are mainly of men who have long dark hair and wearing dark clothes. These are connotations of rock/ heavy metal music. The target audience of the magazine is teenage boys and young men. This is because of the use of genre and it is stereotypical for only boys to like this sort of music. The most attractive part of the cover I believe is the image of the main singer/ band member that has been cut out and placed in front of the masthead. The artist has a direct mode of address which helps hook the reader in to reading the magazine. The rest of the band members are placed behind the masthead which suggests that they are less important. Also the colours used are very dark not very bright. The name of the cover artist is written in large bold lettering across the centre of the image which suggests that this is what is the most important. The body copy on the cover is actually quite small for a front cover meaning that it is only there for people who want to know exactly what is in the issue rather than those who just look at the larger copy and image. The cover includes attention grabbing cover lines featuring words such as ‘Free’ to draw the reader into purchasing the magazine. The best selling point of this magazine cover is the free posters and the front cover image. Some of the copy on the page features drop shadows helping the text to stand out more. The magazine cover also features a lot of capitalisation which reinforces points that they want to stand out and are more important such as 'Free!' and 'Plus'. The masthead has been created to look like it has been cracked which also reflects the genre of the magazine. The colours that have been used have been inverted to create a more successful house style. The house style is simple yet very effective as the colour scheme has been kept to a minimum, and all of the contents are relevent to the genre and target audience. The fact that the main cover line is in lower case lettering is not very conventional and suggests that it does not need to be in capital as the image speaks for itself. The cover of this magazine features around 5 different font styles. These are all quite different however relevant to the genre and target audience of the magazine.Most of the copy on the cover is sans serif as this is less formal and more suitable to the target audience.

The front cover of this magazine is quite appealing. I like the fact that it has been kept quite simple in that it hasn’t got too much text on which a few other music magazine do. The colour scheme really works as it has been kept to a minimum. The red is a connotation of danger, which fits in with the woman who looks like she has attitude as she is smoking. Red is also a primary colour so it stands out and is quite bold. The woman on the front of the cover has a direct mode of address, which helps engage the reader and draw them into buying the magazine. The artists name is the largest font style on the page and is even larger than the masthead. This is quite unusual for a magazine to do this however they have used the same colour for both of these large areas of text to show that they are of the greatest importance. The target audience for this magazine is not really made that clear as the artist is not especially well known. Also there are not many well known names featured in the list of names along the right hand side which suggests that the magazine may focus on the more up and coming acts rather than the all ready established ones. The best selling point of this magazine cover is the copy and the layout. The copy on this front cover is very unconventional. The cover lines on the right of the page are right alligned which is quite unusual to see. These cover lines are also in a list form which is quite long which is also not a very conventional feature to have on a front page.The cover also features mainly capitalisation to help make the lines stand out and become more noticable. This particular magazine also features no banners which is quite unusual. There are also no buzz words such as 'Exclusive' or 'Free', which suggests that the magazine is hoping to be sold on the cover story. The cover of this magazine features around 3 different font styles which is very effective as too many different fonts can make it look tacky. Most of the copy on the cover is sans serif as this is less formal and more suitable to the target audience.

The front cover of this magazine I find is very appealing. It is aimed at teenagers and its genre is modern chart music. I think it is more aimed at girls though as it also features posters and girl talk. I am attracted to the use of bold bright colours and layout of the magazine. It is very busy which is the sort of thing that appeals to its target audience. The colours used are quite girly and 'hot' as there is a lot of pink, purple and yellow which are archetypal colours for girls. The cover is very appealing to the target audience as it features many aspects that they are drawn to/ are interested in. The direct mode of address with the use of the word 'You're' helps the target audience realise that they are ebing spoken to. The cover lines are very informal and in the style of writing that the target audience would recognise and use. The cover artists are very well known to young girls and teenagers as they are also in a very popular series of films. The banner across the centre of the page is very eye catching as it feature bold, easy to read copy. The masthead is very recognisable and also shows the genre of the magazine to be pop and girly due to the sparkle. The masthead is also written in lower case lettering and features no capitals which is very unusual for a music magazine. The masthead also features a drop shadow to help it stand out from the page. The cover also features a lot of smaller images which go with the cover lines. This makes it more appealing to the target audience as they prefer things to be more visual rather than textual. I think the most effective selling points of this cover are the cover artists and the appealing cover lines which make the reader want to find out more by using buzz words such as ‘Exposed’. The largest font on this page is the word 'star' which is the main / most important feature that the magazine wants you to take notice of. Also it suggests that if you read the magazine you will become a star like the cover artists. The cover lines are very informal and feature titles that teenagers will want to read about such as celebrities and real life as well as music to keep the audience interested. There are a large amount of different font styles reflecting the different stories on the cover for example the words 'Body Shock' are presented in a way that illustrates the word (shaky). The cover features around 10 different font styles which is quite a lot to take in for the front cover of a magazine. Most of the copy on the cover is sans serif as this is less formal and more suitable to the target audience.

This magazine has a slightly different layout to the other magazines that I have looked at. The bottom left hand side always features a free CD. This is appealing to the target audience as it means that they get a magazine featuring news of music that they like and a free CD to go with it. The colours used on this front page are not very common and are bright and different compared to other music magazines. It features lots of yellow red and white. These are very bold an attractive colours. The background to this cover is also quite unusual in that it features some detailing of the trees which does take the eyes attention away from the cover artists a bit. The best selling point of this magazine cover is the inclusion of the free CD this is very appealing to all readers/ target audience. The image is also quite unusual. The artists have sunglasses on which means that you can’t see their eyes. This magazines genre is club/ dance music. The readership for this magazine is 72% male and 28% female. It is aimed at young adults from the age of around 20. The copy on this cover is quite unconventional as most of it is right alligned. Some of the text is also larger than the masthead which suggests that the magazine thinks that it is more important and really wants to grab your attention. The large cover line on the left hand side also has a drop shadow which helps it to stand out against the background. There are around 8 different font styles used on this cover. This cover also doesnt feature any banners however I believe that this is a good thing as if there was one the background image will be too covered.Most of the copy on the cover is sans serif as this is less formal and more suitable to the target audience.

Information on British music magazines- Research

There are approximately 15 well known/ popular music magazines in the UK.  There are probably more smaller less well known ones as well but I was only able to find these. Below is a list of magazines that I have found including details as to their genre, target audience and publishing house.

General Music (all genres)

Clash

This is one of the UK's leading independent Music Magazines. It is a mixed genre magazine featuring up and coming acts along with more well known artists. They feature interviews and concert information and tickets for these artists. It is published by a man name John O’Rourke, monthly and costs £3.80. It is aimed at young adults and older as it is quite sophisticated and doesn’t feature many competitions or have fun pages meaning that they are just focusing on the music involved. 

Clash Website

Black music

Echoes

This is a less well known magazine known as the ‘Essential black music monthly’. Its genre is black music such as soul and RnB. Its target audience is people who like black music however from the age of young adults as it is again very sophisticated and very music orientated. It features information on tour dates and profiles of artists within that genre. I have been unable to find who this magazine is published by.

Echoes Website

Folk

Froots

This is also a less well known magazine as it is very specific in its genre. Its genres are Roots, folk and world music. It is published monthly; however I was unable to find who publishes it. Its target audience is adults as it focuses on quite old music and specific genres that are not necessarily very popular today.

Froots Website

Jazz

Jazzwise

This is considered to be the UKs Leading jazz monthly. Its genre is jazz music and its target audience is young adults and older. This is because it is very specific with its genre and the content is very sophisticated. The content features things like tour dates and artist profiles of jazz artists. It is published monthly and costs £4.25.

Jazzwise Wesite

Rock

Kerrang!

Although the world’s biggest selling rock music weekly (£2.20), Kerrang! Is published in the UK by Bauer Consumer Media. This is a very large publishing company which produces many other popular magazines. Kerrang! Is a magazine whose target audience is very much the younger generation of young adults (mainly boys as this is associated with them more) as it is considered to be very cool and features information on all the latest news from the rock world. Its layout is fun and relaxed meaning that its suitable for its target audience.

Kerrang Website

Mojo

This is a long standing music title that's aimed at a slightly older market; its main focus is on rock, alternative and world music. It features music and interviews from popular artists from the past which makes it suitable for its target audience. It is published by the company Emap. This is a large publishing company which produces many well known magazines. It is published monthly and costs £4.50.

Mojo Webiste

NME

This is a long established rock and pop weekly. It is the UKs biggest selling music weekly (£2.30) and is aimed at a variety of target audiences. It is aimed at anyone who may be interested in rock or pop and is any age as it features new, old and up and coming artists. It is published by the IPC.

Classical

Music

This is the BBC’s best-selling classical music magazine. It is aimed at the older audience who may be interested in the classical music genre. It is published by the IPC monthly and contains all the news from the classical music world. It is published monthly and costs £4.60.

Music Website

Modern/ all genre of music

The Wire

This is an adventurous, modern music monthly. Its target audience is older people as it is a bit dated and features a variety of different genres. It is an independent magazine and is published by the people who make it. It features all the latest music news and concert details as well as artist interviews etc. It is published monthly and costs £4.00.

The Wire Website

 Q

This is one of the UKs leading music magazines. It is published by Emap which is a well known magazine publisher. It is aimed at young adults as it is very modern and up to date and features all the latest music news and trends. It caters for a variety of genres however more towards pop, rock, rnb and the most popular modern day genres. It is published monthly and sold for £3.99.

Q Website

Uncut
This is an authoritative UK music and film magazine. It features hundreds of music and movie reviews, interviews and news. It is aimed at adults as it features less well known and older artists. Its genre is rock/ pop and world music however it features mainly older artists. It is published monthly and costs £4.20.

Uncut Website

Pop

Top of the Pops- This is the UKs leading teenage pop chart magazine. It features all of the most up to date and popular artist in the pop world. Its target audience is teenage girls as its features lots of interviews with the latest crushes.

Top of the Pops Website

Conventions of music magazines- Research

All music magazines have a number of elements that are similar to each other. One of these conventions is the masthead. Each masthead has an element to it that suggests the genre of the magazine. The rock style magazines have used bold colours such as red and black which are connotations of rock. The colour schemes that are used by the different magazines are all very similar. 

They all use a lot of red, white and black as these are all very bold and eye catching colours. Another convention is that they all include a medium shot of a popular artist relevant to that magazine. The clothing that the artists are wearing are also stereotypical and conventional for that genre of music. They are all also very busy and there are hardly any blank spaces, which creates the impression that the magazine is well worth its money and has a lot of content.

Another typical convention of many music magazines is that their mastheads/ names are quite often just one word, which is very strong and catchy. These words are nearly always music related however some have names that are just catchy words such as Clash.

Many of the music magazines are all very similar. I only found one magazine that was aimed at teenagers, which featured pop music. A lot of the other magazines were aimed at the young adult audience who are into more specific music genres such as rock.

Magazines aimed at the older audience are slightly more pricey and tend to be monthly. The prices of these tend to be around £3-£4. Music magazines that are aimed at the younger audience are generally only £1-£2 and are published weekly or fortnightly. This is because the target audience are more likely to have less money and prefer to read smaller magazine rather than really long thick ones.

Conventions and Analysis of front cover- Research

Above is a labelled analysis of the different conventional elements to a music magazine. It shows what is effective and how they have met their purpose.