EXISTIN

G MUSIC

MAGAZINE RESEARCH

A L E X WE N M A N

WHAT ARE THE EXISTING MAGAZINES?Here are a selection of the most popular music magazines in the UK, which cater for a wide range of audiences and genres of music.

NMEKerrang! Classic Rock Metal HammerQ  Mojo

Kerrang!Published by: Bauer Consumer Media Inc.Readership:

54.7% Male vs. 45.3% Female 56.1% of readers are 15-24 years of age (2012)

Costing and Circulation

Costs £2.20 per issue Circulation 37,603 per issue (2013), Issued weekly.

The ‘typical Kerrang! readerBelow is a reader profile for Kerrang!’s ‘typical’ reader according to Kerrang!

The Mission StatementBelow is Kerrang!’s mission statement.

NMEPublished by: Time Inc.

Readership:

74% of readers are Male, 26% Female Mostly 15-34 years old Read by 289,000 (June 2012)

Costing and Circulation

Costs £2.20 circulation 37,603 per issue (2013) Issued weekly

The ‘typical’ NME reader

To the right is a classification of what the ‘typical’ reader of NME magazine is according to NME.

To Provide up to date and new information, reviews and listings of the best new music

Slogan: “First For Music News"

Mission Statement

Below is NME’s mission statement and slogan.

Q MagazinePublished by: Bauer Consumer Media Inc. Readership:

54.7% Male vs. 45.3% Female, 56.1% of readers are 15-24 years of age (2012)

Costing and Circulation

Costs £2.20, Circulation 37,603 per issue (2013), Issued monthly.

The ‘Typical’ Q Reader

Below is a reader profile of Q’s ‘typical’ reader.

The Mission Statement

Below is Q’s Mission statement.

TEXTUAL A

NALYSIS

NME COVER NOV 14

Mise en sceneAll the characters on the cover are dressed to suit the ‘rock image’, wearing denim and leather jackets which have these connotations. They also feature ‘rock hairstyles’ which complement the image. The looks represent the ‘rebellious’ youth audience that NME bases itself around and complement the overall brand. The setting is urban, with the brick wall behind and the lighting is bright to represent ‘fresh’ new music. This relates to the readership of NME, younger people in general of enjoy new and upcoming music alongside larger acts, such as mentioned on the front cover ‘The Strokes’. There are pool quotes also, which help draw the reader in, and the masthead is to the left, fitting the general conventions of a magazine cover.

CameraworkMedium long shot with band frontman/vocalist in front of other members. They all are posing to show their rock style. This shows power and status above the rest of the band, but he looks to the left, away from the camera to give connotations of a ‘cool’ rock band member. The rest of the band pose towards the camera in different ways which shows individualism and reflects the indie rock genre’s connotations of being different from the general music that fills the charts ie Pop.

NM COVER NOV 14

Colour Scheme Main colours used in NME are red, black and white. Red connotes danger, the rock aspect of the magazine. The black colouring also connotes darkness, another connotation of dark music. But the white colours act as a fresh, bright contrast, which links to the new music scene which is also featured in the magazine. These colours also represent the brand of NME, allowing it to be easily recognisable on the magazine rack for potential buyers. The colour scheme also allows a synergy to be created across all of NME’s products: Magazine, Website, Promotions etc, thus is universally known as their trademark style.

Language Casual, informal language, references to music-specific terms. Tailored towards their audience. Doing this allows the readers to easily enjoy the magazine, whilst continuing their open-minded yet critical style of writing to keep readers interested.

FontsMain display font is Sharp sans, sans-serif calibre and serif font Tiempos text are used in articles. The main font is a clear and sharp which represents the style of the magazine and relates to the clean image of NME. The font is instantly recognisable for NME and when combined with the colours the branding is strong and effective for the audience.

NME Colour Scheme

NME CONTENTS PAGEThe NME contents page uses a 3 column structure which are titled:

“Regulars”- The regular content in every magazine, such as news and reviews. This helps readers get to their favourite ‘regular’ segment in the magazine. The sub titles here use varying font size and varying style, which helps allow the most popular sections stand out. This column features no images, just short descriptions of some segments.

“Features”- These are the ‘headline’ articles of the issue, many are featured on the front cover. There are fewer articles listed here, with a larger description than the 1st column. Font style is more organised and structured using heading and body fonts. There is one image in this column, which helps draw in readers.

“Band List”- In a much smaller font than the others, all the bands featured in the issue are listed here. This allows readers with a preference in bands over others, to easily find the relevant articles. This is a very standard list with page numbers and a table design. This reflects the large number of bands NME is able to discuss, reflecting their prominence and status in the music magazine industry amongst the bands themselves.

There is a heading at the top, featuring a graphically styled font, which below features the brand name’s meaning and the date of issue.

NME DOUBLE PAGE SPREADDesignNME utilises a double page spread design to showcase its headline articles. These are structured in a column design, around one central image and other smaller images. These images are varied in style and layout, from the larger main image which focuses through the band on stage, and the smaller images which focus on other aspects such as the band themselves. This helps feature the band in different angles and settings, creating a varied image of the band for the audience.

Each picture also features a caption, which helps show its relevance to the article itself. It utilises paragraphs of an easily consumable size, which makes the article more appealing to readers as the article is not just a block of text. It features pool quotes from the article in a larger, stylistic font with a two tone contrasting design, to draw in readers as they ‘browse the magazine. Two of the paragraphs begin with a ‘handwritten’ design, which also helps engage the audience with the article through attracting their attention.

NME DOUBLE PAGE SPREADLanguageShown in the quote below, the language used in NME uses a casual writing style to engage their primarily younger audience. This allows articles to appeal to the readers and the pool quotes are selective in a way that draws them in.

They use detailed description which has an excitable feel, to further engage readers and exaggerate articles to their full potential. This may be due to the predominantly male readership and their age range also.

The word count is quite large, though the wording and language use is detailed yet easily readable, allowing NME to reach readers of all capabilities and concentration spans. The topics of conversation in the DPS is also varied which makes it enjoyable to read also, as it isn’t just set on a single topic.

KERRANG! COVER NOV 14Mise en sceneThe two main characters are dressed to suit their music genre – rock, and are posed. The one on the left features a piercing or ‘stretcher’, which connotes a rock image. Various other images are placed around the cover, also connoting rock. Lit in a bright way, high key which creates a bright atmosphere behind the darkness of rock. Pool quotes are used to draw readers in and headlines are spread across the cover in various sizes. The two main characters show Kerrang!’s emphasis on making the artists the focus of their cover, to draw the audience in.

Above the logo, “6 scorching posters” is advertised, which shows that their readers are dedicated music fans and want to show that in more ways than just listening or reading about them. This also appeals to the teenage fans who are stereotyped to fill their bedroom walls with posters, which clearly works due to the inclusion of this.

CameraworkTwo shot featuring two members of the band. One holds hand over another's mouth to show power, he may be the frontman. This could be also to show the public/audiences preferred band member or reflect the personalities of each of the two band members.

KERRANG! COVER NOV 14Colour SchemeThe main colours used for Kerrang! are yellow, white, red and black, with accents of blue and white. These colours relate to the context of the magazine’s genre of a heavier rock scene and their audiences colour preferences. The red connotes danger and black connotes darkness which are attributes of the metal scene and the ‘mosh pit culture’ associated with it, thus these may attract readers. The colour scheme also adds to the branding of Kerrang! Which increases it’s identity.LanguageCasual, informal language, references to music-specific terms and genre specific language. Tailored towards their audience and the context. The language also reflects the rock and metal focused ‘gossip’ the magazine markets itself with whilst still maintaining to be a casual read for the audience.

FontsThe main heading font is a bold sans-serif font with added effect. It has been made to look distorted, which may reflect the music that the magazine presents to it’s audience. The distressed font adds to Kerrang!’s overall brand, fulfilling the genre conventions and complementing the colour schemes .

Kerrang! Colour Scheme

Tailored language

KERRANG! CONTENTSThe top of the Kerrang! contents page features a circular graphic with “Contents” wrote in a grungy, rocky styled font. This helps contribute to the magazines overall feel. Below this is a slogan, which is in a red colour to draw in the reader and show the importance of this.

To the top left we find an issue number and cover date for each issue. The contents page is varied in structure, with a large feature article image at the top, coupled with a caption over the image and page number in a larger font to instruct the audience.

The lower area of the contents page is structured in an easily readable way, with clearly titled sections and page numbers. The subtitles here mostly include a small descriptive section, alongside a red coloured page number. Two other smaller images feature, with a caption on each relating to their articles. To the right of the page, we have a column dedicated to a message from the editor of Kerrang! which relates to the week. The editor’s picture features below alongside a section dedicated to those who helped make the issue.

KERRANG! DOUBLE PAGE SPREADDesignA dual column layout is utilised in Kerrang! This helps to keep the articles text structured and organised, allowing it to be easily read. These two columns sit to the right hand side, as a large image takes up the whole two pages as if it were a background- The focus of the image on the left hand page. The image dimly lit, with the focus on Jenna. This dimly lit background relates to both the context of the article and a new song by the band, and also reflects the dark background story.Another image is utilised on the right hand side page, to focus on the band as whole, unlike the main image which features a single member, as this relates to the context of the article. A caption is used on the smaller photo to indicate members in the correct order and their roles. Using these two images helps bring the article together to showcase the featured band in the intended way.

A 2nd image is used which includes a caption.Page

numbers on each page

Graphical background, a regular segment to interviews like this.

KERRANG! DOUBLE PAGE SPREADDesign (continued)Pool quotes are used twice, to grab readers attentions and also give an idea of the context of the article. They’re positioned on both pages, with the larger, left hand quote relating to the image. Each paragraph begins with a larger letter to ensure the reader is beginning on the right page and these shrink in size as the article continues. The colour scheme continues throughout the magazine and its articles, with the signature yellow and white colours, which keeps a professional feel and helps the magazine flow, whilst a green colour dominates the spread, which may be relating to the colour of Jenna’s green dyed hair.The pose that Jenna is in relates to article also, giving a worried look of dread which relates to her interview. Posing low to the ground, she looks to be scared and as she is low on her knees, it has connotations of a less powerful person. This helps create an atmosphere for the article and furthers meaning.

Pool Quotes

KERRANG! DOUBLE PAGE SPREADLanguageThe article uses an informal style of writing in this article, that is easy to read causally whilst still maintaining the feel and context of the article. This appeals to their readership which is close to half male and half female overall.

An introduction is used at the bottom of the left hand page, below the large pool quote, which helps introduce readers to the article and gage their attention. This helps the article flow into the first paragraph smoothly and leads the reader on.The article is heavily quote driven, which helps engage the reader with Jenna’s feelings, something fans of the band may feel strongly about. It uses strong imagery and emotion to fully submerge readers into the context ,“I hated myself” is a strong statement and it grabs the reader emotionally and also drives them to know ‘why?’ .

It appeals to both sexes as it talks of subjects which are accepted as being ‘unisex’ , thus both can comfortably read the article without judgement from others.

Despite the serious and sad context of the article, the language is causal, which will appeal to the whole of their readership.

COVER NOV 2014Mise en sceneThe band are dressed in denim shirts, and are on a bright , high key background to emphasise them as figures of music. The headlines are arranged around this main image, which builds the focus of the issue for the readers. Another image of Prince is placed in the top right as a way of drawing in other readers who may not have an interest in the Foo Fighters. A large pool quote is used to relate to the cover image and the main focus, drawing in the reader. Each heading/quote is aligned to either side, leaving a central image visible.

CameraworkThe band are arranged in a way that puts Dave Grohl at the focus of the frame, this is due to him being an important figure in music and the frontman for the band. The cover features a composite shot that merges a long shot of Dave Grohl, with a smaller wide shot features the other members of the band, signifying the status of Grohl above other members. A large pool quote is used to relate to the cover image and the main focus, drawing in the reader.

COVER NOV 2014

Colour Scheme The colour scheme is similar to NME with red, white, grey and black as the main colours, which connote a ‘fresh’ look into music which Q attempts to do whilst the red helps draw in the reader. It also gives a clean, professional look to the magazine overall, which adds to the brand of Q.

LanguageThe magazine utilises a more formal language style, whilst still being informal enough that it connects with the readers in an engaging way. This helps further the overall branding of Q, ensuring that they satisfy and entertain their audience suitably whilst maintaining their more ‘adult’ stance on the music world.

FontsThe fonts used in Q are Sans-Serif, similar to NME and Kerrang! The headings and quotes use a bolder version whilst the articles utilise a standard version. Headings are block capitals for added emphasis. This allows headings and titles to have impact and articles to be easily read.

Q Colour Scheme

Q CONTENTS

The Q magazine contents page is a very stylised, minimal page which reflects the image and status that the brand has. The look of the page is clean and fresh, which also helps further the professional feel. It’s much more picture-heavy than NME and Kerrang!, using larger sections to showcase each of the standout article of the issue. The heading of the article is onto a black background which helps the text have effect, especially the red-highlighted “Q”. Above this the month of issue is featured.

The images relate to the context of the article and allow for an are of description which helps draw the reader in. They also vary in size which helps define which are the headline articles, with a large image such as the picture of Noel Gallagher.

Page numbers are in a larger font and in various colours which also engages the reader and makes reader much easier on the whole.

The lower area of the page features the rest of the contents of the magazine, also with some description, not to disregard these other articles.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD NOV 14DesignThis double page spread in Q magazine is laid out in a two column design to the right of the 2nd page, and the main image featured to the left. Using this column structure helps make the article easier to read and allows more text to be placed on the page. It also allows a more professional broadsheet feel to the article.

The image is stylised to feature Prince and a guitar, amongst a background of drums, which symbolises that he’s back and playing live. The colouring is in a tie-dye style, which features his signature colours and also reflects his flamboyant and lavish personality. This colour scheme is used across the double page, which helps keep a clean look and allows the pages to flow alongside each other.

The image is captioned with a very large font which draws the reader in through the use of ellipsis. Another instance of this large font is used to begin the article, which helps engage the reader. The ellipsis is followed by another ellipsis which helps the article flow and introduces the article.

Two column design

Enlarged starting letter, following the page’s specific colour scheme for the article

Graphic overlaid on picture

Page numbers and date on each page.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD NOV 14LanguageQ uses a much more formal language style overall compared to NME and Kerrang!, but the style is still causal in a way that allows the articles to fully engage their varied audience. This helps contribute to their clean and professional feel across their articles and page design as a whole.

The segment is described as the ‘opening slot’ which is language usually found in a itinerary for a festival, gig or concert, thus fitting the context of the magazine.

The description of the interview throughout is detailed, whilst still having a causal feel, allowing the audience to relax even when reading language more complex than that found in NME or Kerrang!.

The language used fits the context of the article fully: A tribute to ‘Prince’ a well known and respected music artist and innovator in the music industry. It respects the artist in a way that NME or Kerrang! do not, as it details far more than ‘gossip’ or news. If the language wasn’t more formal that NME and Kerrang!, Q wouldn’t be able to achieve the audience it currently holds, thus differentiating themselves from other magazines brought a different readership.