Music Magazine evaluation

All music magazines include forms of conventions and my product has developed some of these to make the magazine seem more realistic. For my masthead I have called the magazine ‘Generation’ this is because I am informing the target audience, which is generally males and a variety of age groups, whether it be older people reminiscing or younger people interested in the subject. The masthead is bold and red which automatically stands out from the rest of the text and links with the theme. The theme colours are red, blue and white as this links with the Mod culture. Also music magazines front page always have a barcode, price, date of the release and a stylistic feature. I have included all these things. The main focus point is the picture. This fills the full page and informs the reader what is going to be inside. On most music magazines the picture fills the full page, and writing over laps the picture. The language used on the front page is a variety of quotes, or colloquialisms which involve the audience and can make them relate. The style is informal and snappy which attracts the reader because it is simple but exciting. My double page spread is quite basic in the aspect it has a picture, an interview and a headline, but I feel it is effective because of the simplicity but has a lot of detailed writing. I have a large picture and include all the necessities; pull quotes, a headline and captions under pictures. In my contents I have developed different story lines which are imaginary in the rest of my magazine. The storylines link with the Mod theme, questionnaires, gigs and other interviews with different band members.
My magazine represents particular social groups by having just one theme. The whole of my magazine doesn’t switch from topic to topic, the entire thing is all based on 1960’s Mods and their lifestyle, so the reader will recognise the theme and expect information just on that topic otherwise it would be pointless purchasing it. I have included interviews, pictures and questionnaires all to relate to the Mods. The intended gender is very obvious as not many females are interested in different cultures and if they were, it would be because they were part of the culture when they were that age. However males are generally more interested in motorbikes, drugs, and successful bands, especially the most famous Mod band, The Who. The magazine doesn’t involve a lot of stereo-typical female interests except fashion, but the fashion aspects are male orientated and from the past. The magazine is aimed at working class due to the price, it is not exquisitely expensive but it isn’t cheap, and also working class would suggest they are slightly older so would have more knowledge on the topic. The audience will generally be British, only due to the fact Mods were a ‘British subculture’ and they were usually from London, Brighton and places like that. My magazine would probably attract institutions like NME or MOJO because these magazines all focus on the same bands which I am writing about for example, The Jam, The Who and The Kinks. Also the layout is very similar to the style I have attempted to use. Also the magazine would be more idyllic for people who work in history or music, because my article involves a lot of topics that were going on years ago, including politics and rivalries which can be relevant to today’s cultures and could interest or entertain others.
My magazine front page, contents and double page spread all have the same colour theme which immediately suggests what topics the magazine will be focused on. I have included union jacks, pictures of celebrities drinking and wearing certain clothing which also attracts the intended audience. In my double page spread I used a pull quote which said, ‘the scooter allowed you to go everywhere; It was also a hit with the ladies’ This attracts specifically the male audience because of it suggesting female relationships. The information I have included are questions and answers produced by the Journalist (In this case me) and Pete Townshend. I have made up the answers accordingly but related them to the question and what I feel Pete may have said. I found out the information via the internet so a lot of my questions are based on truth especially the ‘Success Story.’ I also used adjectives in my interview like ‘insane’ this makes the language of the article seem more relaxed and informal also the use of colloquial language and slang. This attracts the audience, makes them feel involved and makes it easier and more entertaining for them to read and also can relate a little more. For my headline on my double page spread I edited a union jack on Paint shop pro to make the flag look messy and ripped. This links to the Mod theme and gives a slight rebellious look which also attracts the audience as the spread isn’t all neat and tidy it gives a relaxed approach. My contents is full of different pictures, colours and information which gives a wild sort of a look and because it is jam-packed with information it doesn’t look demanding, it gives the reader an opportunity to read it if they would like.
Throughout this piece of coursework I have learnt a lot of things due to using so many computing skills. I have really developed my skills on paint shop pro as a lot of my pictures have been cropped, or edited on this programme. I have taken pictures, made them larger or smaller and adjusted the contrast to make them darker or lighter, and made some softer and some more sharpened which gives a complete different effect on the overall image. Also I have learnt lots on Microsoft publisher as this is the programme we used for the entire project. I have learnt how to make booklets instead of simple one page spreads. I have also learnt how to make things seem more like a magazine by arranging different font sizes for different words at the beginning of sentences.
Looking back at my preliminary task, when I first started it my computing skills were not incredible so pictures were not edited and fonts were average. Through constant improvement I have added more and more effects and arranged the page layout differently because at first the page looked like a poster, I had bullet points and a picture and a title, now I have intertwined pictures with words and made a column at the side to include different topics which are in the magazine. However I do feel my music magazine front page has elements of a poster because their isn’t much organization with writing on the page it is all just placed on top of the picture, where as my college magazine has columns and different sections, but this is the effect I wanted, and a college magazine is completely different to a music magazine because of the target audience and purpose. My college one, was to inform and educate where as my music magazine is to entertain. I have used the same type of language though for both, but made it clear that the college magazine was aimed at teenagers and the music magazine is aimed at a slightly older generation. So the language had to be even more informal for the college magazine and I had to make sure the information wasn’t boring and included a lot more pictures than the music magazine. I have learnt overall that you have to have so many different plans, ideas and designs for magazine double pages to work. The simplest things can look good or bad so you have to keep repeating the same things over and over again until you get it to the standard you would like.

Contents page mock up for my preminilary task.

Premilinary task

My Premilinary Task Final peice.

Final Result of front page double page and contents

This is my final design for my front page of my music magazine. For my masthead GENERATION i have used a bold and red font. This automatically makes the front page stand out. I have included a bullseye logo for the letter 'O' this links with the Mod theme and the rest of the colour theme. A few articles which are on my contents page are on the front page but made smaller and abreviated to make the cover seem more snappy and informal which attracts the sepcific target audience. The picture I have used is a replicate of someone out of the band, 'The Jam' i decided on this due to the fact The Jam were a popluar band in the 1960s and therefore relate to the rest of my magazine. The picture is bold and bright and stands out from the red and blue writing overlapping it. I have chosen the picture to fill the entire page because i would like it to be the focus eye point, which it is. Also a convention for any magazine is to have a large pocture which fills the page. The ideology of my music magazine is to entertain but also educate people aware and interested of different cultures throughout time, in this case the 1960's Mods.

This is my final design for my music magazine double page spread. I feel my double page spread has been very succesful because of the constant theme running throughout the page. The red,white and blue union jacks link with the title. Also i feel i have progressed a lot with my computing skills because of all the editing and cropping i have done with pictures and logos. My double page is simple but i feel effective due to the lack of jam-packed information. I have done a simple interveiw with a band member and included pull quotes to make all the information seem more exciting.

This is my final design for my contents page, i have used the red,white and blue theme again and a similar picture to my front page which shows the contrast of a a variety of original photographs. I have also added minute details which makes the contents page overall look detailed and effective for example the bold red lines, and the black and white checker pattern down the side.

My Music Magazine

The genre of my music magazine is going to be 1960's mod travelling through 1970's, 1980's and now. I have chosen this genre because i feel many people of different cultures, ages and the opposite sex can relate to this. Bands featured in my double page spread will be a a range varying from Small Faces and the Who to Blur and the libertines. I will include interviews from artists who influenced music today including Noel Gallagher from Oasis. I will have the theme of my front cover a mix of red blue and white. This will reflect the British society and represent the most popular band The Who as these colours were their trademark. I want the front page to automatically attract the audience by giving it a 'Quadraphenia' type look.





A magazine today which is similar to the one i intend to produce is the Rolling Stones, this advertises old fashioned music genres and instead of making them history it appreciates what bands did then and makes them up to date.

With the masthead Rolling Stones this immediately suggests to the audience the music genre isn't going to be 20th century because The Rolling Stones, as we all know, where a band in the 1960s. So for any Rolling Stones fan this magazine will obviously appeal to them. The font is also quite authentic and script like which adds an old fashioned effect.

I want my magazine to have old music in it so to make the full magazine have the same sort of effect i want my front page to almost look hagged and old, not sepia effects but to look faded and well read. To do this i am going to edit all my pictures and make them look worn away, by cropping them and making the edges look ripped and creased. Also my front page is going to be jam packed full of pictures and information, this will make it look relaxed and informal and casual which will link with the target audience hopefully.

My target audience is going to be prominently male as they are more likely to buy a music magazine especially this one because Male's have more of an interest in this type of music i feel and like to reminisce where as females are more likely to read fashion magazines. The age limit is going to be late 20's upwards because for males in their late 20's they will perhaps be in a band they have formed and play instruments influenced by artists in the past or they just have a general interest in older music rather than music now and males above 30 would have been brought up through the 60's,70's and 80's so their childhood music and youth would have been based around this time. I am going to include clubs, role models, food, fashion and general lifestyles of people who lived in the 60's, 70's and 80's so this will appeal to the target audience more and they will have more to talk, laugh and memorise over.

If i was to buy this music magazine i would expect lots of things i can relate to and reminisce over including embarrassing situations and people i looked up to at the time, and what things made you cool and unfortunately not so cool. I wouldn't want a mixture of different themes as it would confuse me and loose my interest so if the hole magazine was based on one thing i would enjoy it more however i wouldn't want everything to be identical as it would bore me and i probably wouldn't get through the entire magazine.

Cluster Groups.

Go to gigs and live events

• music is important in there everyday life



• variety of style conscious males who like to look like the rest of the 'in' crowd and are influenced by trendy fashion and popular places but in contrast older males who are settled down but still like to reminisce over the youth.

Music Magazines Analysis

NME music magazine.

The main focus point of this magazine is the image of Pete Doherty. The picture is the entire background image and is not separated from any writing. The way Pete is sat is casual which suggests the interview on him is going to be relaxed and informal. He is wearing his every day clothes and looks gormless which represents his personality and again, the casual effect. The colour theme is yellow and red. This is repeated across the splash so it becomes recognisable as a magazine. The masthead is the same as how it is on every other NME magazine this is the magazines identity so with it been the same font size and colour it becomes popular and people become aware of it. The headline is also in red. 'Pete' is a bigger and bolder font than 'Solo Album' this tells the audience who the article is going to be about and with the word exclusive spread across it, this makes the magazine seem official and important and it invites the reader to read on as the article may be something exquisit and no one else has read it. The quote underneath is written by Pete himself which makes it more realistic and interesting and involves the reader more, it makes the reader seem closer to Pete. The plug at the top of the page is advertising what else is in the magazine and with it been a music magazine it is advertising different and new albums this year. The font is red which makes it seem more appealing and catches the readers attention. The other 2 advertisements on the page at the top are placed in white circles. This is unique and attractive. The information is quite small but with it been in a circle which stands out from the background and any other advert on the page, this makes it more of a focus point. At the bottom of the page the writing is identical to the rest of the font on the page. This is a convention of magazines. The writing is white in contrast to the red background which also makes it more noticeable. Also with the writing been on either side of a glass of red juice which Pete is drinking in the image this relates. This music magazine has a variety of different images and writing and looks jam packed and not very tidy and sophisticated which targets the audience. The target audience and typical readers for this magazine is under 25's. The language is also very informal and clumsy and relaxed which would attract more to a younger person than a upper class, educated adult. The magazine is aimed at males and females but more on the male genre because not many females read music magazines, and more males relate more to information about certain artists and bands and a lot of the bands published in the NME magazine are male up and coming or old classic bands. Gigs are very important with the NME magazine and males tend to want to know more about where certain bands are playing more than females.

Smash hits magazine is aimed at females usually below the age of 16. This is because the magazine includes lots of celebrity gossip, tv programmes and has good looking and the 'in' boys in it.
The front page of this magazine is pink. This automatically suggests female audience. The font is very casual and pop artish. This shows the relaxed humour and suggests this been a cheap magazine. The main image is of Preston. This will appeal to the younger female generation because he is good looking and the interview shows exclusive images and information so this will make the reader want to read more. Their is a quote what he has said which involves the reader. Their is lots of pictures on the front splash most of them been well known celebrities and pop stars which suggests the music genre which will be advertised and written about. On the left hand side of the page their is a box sectioned up into four with pictures of pop stars and tv programmes and at the bottom their is a picture of Chantalle from big brother and a lot of youngsters find her attractive and an idol so this could be why she is on the front page to attract the target audience. The theme colours is pink, their is pink everywhere on the page which appeals to girls. Also Preston and Chantalle had a relationship so having them both on the front page links. The splash is filled with pictures and patterns and writing which makes the page look interesting and full of information which will make the reader want to buy it. Their is no proper headline but the Preston writing is the biggest and his image is the main one so you could argue that this is the headline. The masthead is identical to other smash hit magazines which tells the audience what they are reading and it is pink in this addition which links to the rest of the colour theme.

The Kerrang magazine always has a black masthead. This relates to the music genre of the magazine with it been rock/metal. The font looks as though it has been torn which gives a rebellious look to the image and with it been black makes it look slightly Gothic. The plug above the masthead tells the reader what bands are inside. This involves the audience and introduces them to what the issue is going to be about. Sectioning the bands names their is a red star. A star is linked with this type of music and with it been red it gives a danger look on it.

The main focus point is the band. They are all wearing black and white which links to the masthead and they all look smart and meaningful which suggests the article on them maybe be serious. Also they look like they mean business which suggests they are dedicated to what they do. The headline is the title of the band and this is in bold white font and the Panic has an explanation mark next to it which is the same with every article on this band because the explanation is their trade mark so straight away the audience recognises them. The writing underneath is in red and quote formal scriptive writing this could also add to the Gothic effect. All the other advertisements are at the bottom of the page which separates from the main image and also makes the article look neater. The writing again is red and white and all the images are of bands in action which shows they are serious about their music and a shot in action adds more of a hardcore effect instead of the band posing for a photo. They all look like their screaming which relates to music genre again.

Q magazine looks more formal than the previous magazines and looks more expensive because it looks more organized and so the institutor's would of been more of an older generation. The front page is very simple. The main focus point is the masthead because it is so large. It is just one letter and it is in a scriptive type font. The masthead is exactly the same for every Q magazine. With the background been red it makes it look more important and effective. The only image on the page is of Kate Bush. The image is a close up which makes the reader seem more involved in her life. She is wearing all black which gives an evil and mysterious side to her but in contrast she also looks sophisticated and serious. This issue i feel will attract more to the male audience because of the main image been a female and a good looking one. The jumper she is wearing is black/grey and her face is pure white which is similar to the black background and the white writing. Most of the colours used are black and white with two extracts of red. With the colours used and the beige effect used for the plug at the top these are all neutral which therefore are aimed at both sexes. The masthead background is red and the information at the bottom is red. Their is a lot of writing on the right hand side of the splash and it is all capital letters and bold and in a white font. This looks effective and important and because they is so much writing it looks more classic and expensive. The writing giving to inform the reader is very simple and snappy this attracts the target audience been more for working class who don't mind paying a little more for a decent magazine. The pages are probably made out of a lot thicker paper which also boosts up the price.

Music Magazine Double Page Spread Ideas

For my double page spread i am going to a information page filled with 1960's,70's80's and 1990's mod era. It is going to be a timeline with pictures of bands who follow the mod phase and include a small interview and quotes from artists today who have been influenced by bands such as The Kinks, Small Faces and The Who. I am going to have the background white to follow the neutral theme and then have all different logo's and symbols that represent mods. It is going to attract the older generation, working class most probably and mainly males as i think they will have more of an interest and it will appeal to them more as they lived the experience and have more knowledge and understanding. The timeline is going to start from the 1960's and is going to have pictures and information about the mods in this time. Then it is going to follow through to the 1970's and include pictures and details about the mods then and then follow with the 1980's and end with 1990's and 2000 century. All the information is going to express the lifestyle and fashion of the mods in that particular time and is going to obviously label bands and artists that were classed at 'mods'. I am going to get pictures off the Internet of bands and take pictures of objects and record front covers and include them.