Music magazine research: contents page

MOJO have laid out their contents page with pictures over lapping on the left and the text on the right. This is good as its simple and sums up whats in the magazine in a short amount of time. The text is also split up within sub headings; this makes the text seem less daunting and easier to read. instead of just a bulk of stories to go through they have been categorised. Its also nice that they have got details of the editors of mojo magazine at the bottom of the page. This is a simple add on that could be included into my magazine as there's not much else that you could include except from pictures and text. Although the contents page isn't one of the

magazines main features it is still important to have. It needs to follow on with the theme of the magazine, mojo have done this by putting their magazine title at the top and also used the same colour scheme. I will make sure that i achieve this with my contents page as it is a must.

Kerrang have used a similar layout to Mojo with use of images and text on the right. Having pictures linking to certain stories is a good idea as it sums up the magazine be

fore you read it and you get a rough idea of what each story stated is about. They also have a little advertisement on the bottom left. this is a good little add on to put on the page because of its simple content.

Instead of putting the name of the magazine on the top of the page, they have used another good alternative which is using the masthead's typeface for the 'contents' title. this is another way of keeping the contents page within the theme of the magazine.

i also like the variety of effects on each picture; they have used black and white, increased the vibrance on one, made the colours quite dull on another and edited the main image to give a blue effect. These edits make it more colourful and attractive and compensate with the lack of content on the page.

Most music magazines have similar layouts for their contents page, but this one stands out because of its layout. Having the pictures around the contents like that makes it a lot easier to read and understand. They have also carried on the theme from the front cover by printing the logo on this page and using similar if the not the same font.

The stories in the magazine are some features of different bands, just the name of the band says it all. Others you don't really know because all there is, is a picture. This is a good way in making the reader want to read the magazine, just by an interesting picture.

Music magazine research: logo's

I personally dont like this logo. Its red which i immediately relate to women's magazines weekly gossip magazines and the text reminds me of a newspaper headline/advertisement. However i do like the simplicity in the design.

This is one of my favourite logos, Its cool unique font goes well with the style of the magazine. I think the red works as its actually the colour of the text, not the background.

I feel that vibe only just gets away with their logo, I think its quite boring however the slight adaptation of the text does make it more unique.

The way MOJO is in capital letters is a good technique, it immediately makes it more interesting to look at. I also like the signature over the top, following the theme of a famous person giving their signature. I would say though that its a little hard to read, but maybe that was MOJO's intentions.

Kerrangs logo

has a simple but bold text that is distorted in some areas but the main focal point of this logo is the striking geometric lines going through the text. I think little is more in this case. It hasn't been altered too much however it has managed to create an attractive and memorable logo. It also would appeal to its target audience as it fits into the hard rock rebel style the magazine aims with the bold black and white colour scheme and the logo looking like someone has smashed it making is crack.

The 'Clash' logo is almost like a tag. Its simple. However the a and s fused together makes it unique and memorable. However i don't think the text underneath goes with the logo.

Q logo is bold, memorable and very cleverly designed; its extremely simple however the font of the 'Q' has been chosen with great consideration. The line going through the O is curved in a unique way, this ensures that its unique enough to not just look like they have typed Q into a red text box. This logo also successfully relates to its target audience, it has a more mature audience and therefore uses a more plain logo as opposed to nme and Kerrang

Music magazine research: double page spread

This front cover initially grabs the interest of the reader; however it will be a quick inspection of the magazine's content that will be the persuading factor in the purchase. I therefore need to make sure that my magazine is as interesting and as eye catching as possible with use of interesting images and layouts. I have therefore done some research on different music magazines and gained an understanding as to what techniques i could interpret into my magazine and what works well with different styles of articles e.g interviews, advertisements, news pages etc.

MOJO

I particularly like the use of texts boxes, headings and the placement of images on this double page spread. The whole spread follows a colour scheme of red yellow white and black which helps keep it bold and simple compensating for the vast amount of information being presented. There are a lot of text boxes being used in this spread and to make it not look so repetitive and boring circles have been used to present some information, this breaks the pages up and gives more interest and character. When presenting information in my magazine i will make sure that when introducing a lot of text i will consider using the techniques highlighted above to ensure my spread is as interesting and eye catching as possible.

This double feature instantly catches the eye. There are bright pictures that fill most of the page with short captions underneath. I think that sometimes this is the best way to present information. It's attractive and the pictures will then make the reader think about what the magazine has to say and therefore buy the magazine.

NME

The main picture of this feature is an establishing shot of a section from a room, which works well due to the large space around the photo subjects into which the text has been placed. This causes the reader to focus their attention onto the text, which has been made to look as if it was within the setting; rather than something that obstructs the main photo. The blue and white title and information box is a bold contrast to the red sofa which creates additional focal points; yet remaining separate from the rest of the information on the page. The brief introduction before the band's name brings a degree of excitement and intrigue into the article, convincing the reader that they are reading something worthwhile. Although this particular article is not a double page spread the design could easily be incorporated onto two pages, with a picture taken horizontally filling both pages with the text positioned in the center.

The following layout, though completely different from the one above, is also very eye catching. The heading of the story uses a bold, but stylish font which immediately attracts the reader. The bullet point numbers are nearly as big as the title which means they are readily noticed, and clarifies the flow of the article. This is particularly important with a busy page layout - there is a lot of various information displayed yet the reader can follow easily from one point to the next. To add to the character of the design the numbering is not all in a uniform grid layout, #1 is nearly at the bottom of the page, #3 is near the top; and #6 is at the top. This is a good technique for me to consider if I decide to do my double page spread on a countdown, or a list of artists and will enable me to make what could be a potentially boring list layout more interesting. The photos - although giving a first impression they have been haphazardly placed and randomly sized have in fact been positioned with great care, and sized exactly right; some are bigger than others making sure that each page balances the other. An example of this: the left page has a big title in the top left hand corner with a picture so therefore the right hand page also has a big picture in the top left hand corner. Big pictures at the bottom of each page on each corner would make it look unbalanced and too overpowering. This is also a key technique that i would have to consider, making sure that each page compliments the one next to it, other wise it would look unprofessional and carelessly edited.

KERRANG

Although this is a very simple layout I think that it is effective. The top half of the page is just portrait pictures of the members of Good Charlotte Which could be quite boring to look at however, the way they are positioned in each picture adds some interest. I also like the edits put around the photographs. It's been made to look like the pictures have been ripped out of somewhere and makes the page look less formal and compensates for plain layout. I also like how a text box has been added amongst the rest of text. The way its positioned and the gray background breaks all the the rest of the writing up making it less daunting to read. The content in that text box is almost a summary of the whole article, which is Good Charlotte being interviewed about their new album, it lists the 'five highlights from the new album', so five songs, states some lyrics of that song and also a quote from the paragraphs around the text box of what the bands thoughts and feelings were when composing it. I think this is a good technique of adding a text box giving a summary of the article as it gets to the point and addresses the audience in an easy way leaving the rest of the text surrounding the text box for the ones that are interested enough to read on.

Another way in which the writer has attracted the audiences attention to reading the articles was how they made a quote from the band in a bigger font and also in a gray text box. So when you look at the page that's one of the first things you see because its contrasting to the white background. The quote is aimed to make you feel that the article is really interesting and worth reading it also makes you think why they have said that certain comment, even if you aren't a fan of Good Charlotte. This is something to keep in mind when designing my double page spread. I will be promoting a new band/artist that not many have heard of before and therefore the reader wont necessarily want to read the feature if it doesn't look worth it. By adding a an interesting quote from the artists that will make the reader think will enable me to grasp their attention.

I must say i am a big fan of this double page spread, the effects on the photograph are spectacular,  the off white backgrounds correspond with this and the handwriting style text together gives a more vintage feel. This not only is appealing enough as it is also cleverly coincides with the band its self. They are an older band from the early 90's that were one of the first to successfully popularize the 'screamo' genre however, have adapted their sound through the years enabling them to stay original and carry on creating music that is interesting and different to listen to. So the whole theme relates to them being wise about knowing a lot about the music business, which is a skill in itself. The quotation technique which i raised earlier is also apparent in this article however instead of just an interesting quote its advise to the reader about being in a band. Even if the reader is not interested in Funeral For a Friend this layout might still persuade them to read the article as they would value their opinions and what they have to say because of their knowledge being presented in the layout.

Top five names.

Out of all of those possible names considered, I have managed to break it down to the top 5, here are the pro's and cons;

1. AM/FM-

taking back the airwaves (tagline)

this is instantly recognisable as relating to music however it could also be perceived as a radio magazine such as the radio times. This ambiguity could undermine my target audience.

2. LIVE FEED-

A live feed will give an audience up to date information, which is the kind of magazine I am trying to promote; however the title doesn't relate to music and because of this the audience might not realise this is a music magazine.

3. MIC-

I like this name because it is short, memorable and music related however its not specific enough.

4. UNHEARD-

Although, on the one hand this describes the kind of unsigned music that my magazine will be promoting; it is still not absolutely clear that this is a title of a music magazine.

5. THE BIG BAND THEORY-

everyone has to start somewhere (tagline)

This is quite a long name for a music magazine in comparison to others however, it aptly describes the genre I will be promoting but doesn't limit too much and it's also similar to a well known expression; hence will be easily understood and remembered.

At the moment i am leaning toward the big band theory however, in order to make sure that I make the right decision on what name i will choose i have made a questionnaire to give to my target audience. Having audience feedback will help me to make my final decision.

Questionnaire:

I am producing a music magazine that will be targeted for boys and girls around your age group. It will be based around new music with a variety of genres in it. I have limited my choices of names (some with tag lines) down to five. Which one do you feel would be most suitable and give a reason why?

NAME: Am/fm

TAGLINE: taking back the airwaves.

NAME: Live feed

TAGLINE:

NAME: Mic

TAGLINE:

NAME: Unheard

TAGLINE:

NAME: The big band theory

TAGLINE: everyone has to start from somewhere

ANSWERS

I like live feed - its punchy and its obvious what its about

The Big Band Theory =]

The Big Band Theory or Unheard. :)

i'm liking live feed rosie :)

i think live feed is pretty cool.

live feed sounds cool, the big band theory made me laugh so i like that one too, cant decide between the 2

unheard... it makes a statement about music

none of the above ... :/ lol na i rekon unheard

Live feed

After receiving these thoughts i have finalised that its Live Feed that i will use. But I will use the 'Big Band Theory' as a cover line/story

naming my magazine

Now I have the genre and the style of magazine I am going to produce, I am now able to think of suitable names for the magazine. Music magazines names at the moment have catching memorable names that are normally quite short such as NME, kerrang and rock sound.

Here are a list of names that popped into my head when brainstorming;

In order to reach most of the target market and also taking in feed back from my questionnaire I will also be thinking of a webpage with the same name as my magazine and I will consider to advertise my website to be in the name of my magazine. eg NEW.COMer.

feature ideas

I have also had a lot of recommendations in response to my questionnaire, which is in an earlier post.

genre ideas

After reading the questionnaire answers it was clear that people of my target audience don't really like specific genres of music but like a variety of NEW music, because of this my magazine will feature new and up coming artists with a variety of genres but especially focusing on the ones that were ticked the most on my questionnaire. These include alternative rock, acoustic, pop rock, pop folk. This means that I will have produced a magazine that matched my target audience needs as best as possible. Here are a few upcoming bands that are predicted to do well this year; by looking at their style and why they will be popular with my target audience I can then find bands that are similar to these styles.

Chase and Status:

They are Drum & Bass / Breakbeat / Hip Hop band that have recently sang with Plan B. They have quite a cool casual style.

Daisy dares.

She is a pop/alternative rock 16 year old singer and song writer from Essex. She is good looking which attracts males readers and also by holding a guitar shows she's not just a teen pop star but is a guitarist too. Her style is a sexy rock chick and is predicted to extremely well this year.

Ellie Goulding

Starry Eyes was Ferne Cottons chosen track of the week on Radio 1. This acoustic artist has been

noticed by radio one and therefore is an interest to me. She has a different style, a unique voice which shows with her style and she's good looking.

Kid Sister

She's different because she is a female rap artist in a genre mainly dominated by black males. She fits into a gap on the market, and therefore is currently becoming big in the uk.

Owl City

When looking at the singer at first think of the stereotypical indie rock singer however his voice and the style of music produced is a catchy electronica/pop style.

It's clear that from looking at these recently noticed artists, it's not only their music that makes them successful but also their style and looks. As vain as that sounds having a cool artist on the front cover like these would attract a person to buy the magazine.

I did some research and looked at radio ones official playlists:

A LIST.

• 3Oh!3 feat. Katy Perry
• Starstrukk

• Biffy Clyro
• Many of Horror (When We Collide)

• The Big Pink
• Velvet

• Example
• Won't Go Quietly

• Hot Chip
• One Life Stand

• Iyaz
• Replay

• Jay-Z featuring Mr Hudson
• Young Forever

• JLS
• One Shot

• Kasabian
• Vlad The Impaler

• Marina & The Diamonds
• Hollywood

• Mumford & Sons
• The Cave

• Muse
• Resistance

• N-Dubz featuring Mr Hudson
• Playing With Fire

• Paolo Nutini
• 10/10

• Owl City
• Fireflies

• Plan B
• Stay Too Long

• Jay Sean featuring Sean Paul & Lil Jon
• Do You Remember

• Timbaland featuring Katy Perry
• If We Ever Meet Again

• You Me At Six
• Underdog

B LIST

• Alphabeat
• Hole In My Heart

• Danny Byrd featuring Liquid
• Sweet Harmony

• Chiddy Bang
• Opposite Of Adults

• The Courteeners
• You Overdid It Doll

• Jason Derulo
• In My Head

• Glee Cast
• Don’t Stop Believin’

• Gorillaz
• Stylo

• Ellie Goulding
• Starry Eyed

• Calvin Harris
• You Used To Hold Me

• Erik Hassle
• Hurtful (Starsmith edit)

• Ke$ha featuring 3Oh!3
• Blah Blah Blah

• Alicia Keys
• Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down

• Naughty Boy presents Wiley featuring Emeli Sande
• Never Be Your Woman (Shy FX edit)

• Rihanna
• Rude Boy

• Sugababes
• Wear My Kiss

• Tinie Tempah
• Pass Out

C LIST

• * Steve Aoki featuring Zuper Blaqh (d/l: 7/3)
• I’m In The House

• * The Black Eyed Peas (d/l: out now)
• Rock That Body

• * Daisy Dares You featuring Chipmunk (d/l: 28/2)
• Number One Enemy

• * Florence + The Machine (d/l: out now)
• Dog Days Are Over

• Gramophonedzie
• Why Don’t You

• * Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce (d/l: out now)
• Telephone

• * Leona Lewis (d/l: out now)
• I Got You

• Pixie Lott (d/l: out now)
• Gravity

IN NEW MUSIC WE TRUST LIST

• * Bombay Bicycle Club (d/l: out now)
• Evening/Morning

• * Giggs featuring B.O.B. (d/l: 21/2)
• Don’t Go There

• Zinc featuring Ms Dynamite (d/l: 7/2)
• Wile Out

• :: This list features tracks that have been championed in Radio 1's 'In New Music We Trust' shows.

These are the current playlists of radio one at the moment which I took from their. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/playlist/ and therefore are the most played on the radio station at the moment. By featuring bands like these, which are also similar to the ones listed at the start gives a clear impression of what my target audience are interested in, and what gain peoples interest the most.

I listened to all the songs on the playlist and they fit into a majority of different genres. This also supports my idea that people are interested in different types of music and by radio one grasping this, have made themselves one of the most successful radio stations in britain.

Radio one as mentioned above is famous for playing new songs that aren't very well known, are different and have a unique stye. I will find bands that fit different styles to make sure that i find new bands that would still be interesting to my target audience.

Although radio one play new up to date music they still stay loyal to classic bands and artists and play their music. Likewise I think theres a balance that i will need sustain in my magazine. I will make sure that i include well known popular artists and up coming gigs they are doing etc. as well as promoting new music, because i dont think many will want to read a magazine full of bands they have never heard of before.

Instead of focusing on just listening to music I will consider other different features I could include in my magazine; Maybe something like a playlists for different situations like music to listen to when exercising, skating, working, chilling etc.