Music Magazine facts and figures

Kerrang

Total circulation sales are 52,272 (50,128 in UK and republic of Ireland) - 01-Jul-2008 to 31-Dec-2008.
Weekly music magazine of the rock genre.

- First Published June 6th 1981 with Geoff Barton as editor.

- Is famous (and criticised) for repeating the process of discarding bands when new musical trends become popular.

- Kerrang! Australia was launched by Emap in the late 1990's, however it was a monthly music magazine.
- The publishing company is Bauer Consumer Media (Emap sold 2/3 of the company to Bauer)

- Cover price is £2.20, which is cheap for the target audience (students, young people with low incomes etc..)

-Single copy subscription sales are 5,523 (5,062 in UK and republic of Ireland) - 01-Jul-2008 to 31-Dec-2008.
The Kerrang! empire has it's own awards ceremony, TV music station, Radio station and website.

- The magazine gives out occassional free gifts to satisfy the viewer such as calenders and CD's, however posters are included in every issue.

- It overtook NME as the number 1 rock/music magazine in the UK.

- Emap advertised the magazine more through its digital mediums such as Kerrang TV and Kerrang radio. This allows the magazine to generate more circulation figures and therefore more revenue. (Masthead Branding)
-The target audience is 16-25 year olds and specific towards rock music fans. However in recent years, the age of the audience has dropped and it is more 14-17 year olds who tend to buy and read it due to its featured bands being more poppy.

NME

NME Readers are entertainment enthusiasts!
• 80% of NME readers feel that music is an important
part of their lives
• 79% of NME readers like to listen to new bands
• 63% specially choose to listen to indie/guitar bands
• 49% specially choose to listen to live bands in studio
• 52% are interested in taking a musical
course/qualification
• 36% are thinking of buying a musical instrument in the
next year
NME readers are techno savvy
• 72% have a broadband Internet connection at home
• 67% have bought something online in the last 12
months
• 59% agree they like to keep up with the latest
technologies
More about the reader
• 34% are working full time, 18% are working part time
and 26% are full time students
• 62% read at least 3 out of 4 issues
• Almost half (49%) have been reading NME for at least
3 years
• 84% think the magazine gives them what they want
spending an average of 46 minutes reading each
issue
Key Facts
Price £2.20
Frequency Weekly
Circulation 56,284
Readership 411,000
Launch Date 1952
Male/Female 73%/27%
Average Age 25
ABC1 73%
Target Market Men 17-30

contents and double page spread research

After Initial Research I now need to research and plan for my contents page. The contents page must integrate well with my front page and in order to do this I will use similar colour schemes and fonts to create a house theme for my magazine. Here are a few examples of music magazine contents pages.








As you can see, although the contents pages follow similar conventions, they are all unique and different. Nme, Q, and Kerrang are all very busy layouts- jam packed with information. I like the fact that alot of information gives the idea that you are getting a lot for your money and shows the magazine has a lot to offer. The layouts are also very visual with a varation of pictures to captivate readers and also so they do not lose interest by being over powered by words. However I feel all of these magazines are very masculine as busy/messy layouts appeal more to men than women. As my magazine has a target audience of women I do not think this type of layout would be suitable. On the other hand, Spin magazine is very simplistic and sophisticated. It is clear that Spin magazine is aimed at females and it is this type of layout which would appeal more to women as all the information is tidy and easy to find. My only issue with this contents is that there is not enough information and there does not appear to be a lot in the content of the magazine.











Further Research
From my previous research I have decided to look into contents pages which use one single image in the background in the contents page to enable me to have a better understanding of how to make this work for my magazine. I think the thing that I will have to be very careful about is that it doesn't end up looking too much like a second front page. However I feel that this concept has the ability to work well in my magazine as long as the construction is well executed. There needs to be clear differences between my front page and contents in order to differentiate the two. Therefore I will now research magazine which have used a similar technique and identify the ways in which they do this.


Double Page spread:















As you can see from the above there is a variety of ways to present and layout a double page spread, however it is important for me to recognise which style of layout will suit my magazine. For my magazine I feel it will be more appririate to use just one image spread across the two pages using text wrap to fit the images in. I think that this will suit the simple and clear layout of the rest of my magazine, also conforming to the house-theme that I have created. From looking at these examples I can see the way a double page should be constructed. All use fairly small fonts which have roman times type of type face. This is used as it is a text which is easy to read and also suggests that it is informative and separates the text from the graphics, titles etc. Many of the magazines also use different colours during the interview to highlight quotes or differentiate between when the interviewer is talking and when the interviewee is speaking, making it clear and coherent.
These things that I have learnt from my reserch I will apply to my own double page spread.

Typography

It is often argued that fonts "are the clothes that words wear" meaning that all fonts used are as relection on the style and connation of my magazine. It is therefore important to choose a font which is approriate for my magazine. I want to use a varaition of font to break up information,

these are the varation of texts I have tried and tested so far I have decided that the first text called BASE 04 will be used to emphasize important aspects of the magazine such as the main interview article etc I have also chosen to use the fourth font called "indy pimp" I like this font because it is very tall and thin and reminds me of the typeface used in spin. It is easy to read by has a unique clean design element to it.

Planning- Poses/clothing make-up

Something that is fundamental to decide before I take pictures is to research poses, costume background etc. This will ensure my photoshoot is organsised and I have a clear idea of what I want so I can direct my model clearly to get the best results.
I will not be sticking to one idea and I will be experimenting with a range of techniques in order to produce a powerful, strong image. However there are some definate influences in my ideas.

Agyness Deyn
Although Agyness Deyn is a fashion model she has a distinctive, powerful look which I have been inspired by.

Agness Deyn has a slight masculine edgy look to her. She has a very rock chick edgy image and photos of her are often simple yet have high impact. I love the way she uses her hands expressivly in a lot of her poses and have taken inspiration from many of them.
Her make up is also fairly simple and not too over stated; her face is fresh looking and her dark eyes are the feature which predominantly stand out. Her clothing is often bold but simple, not too fussy or it would draw away from her face.


Marina Diamandis
Marina & the Diamonds, is the recording name of Welsh-born London-based singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis who is fairly new to the music scene. This is a character I particularly identify with for my magazine as I feel she appeals to the market that my magazine is aimed at. The genre of her music is alternative, indie, new wave, pop and this is clear and reflected in her image.


One of the main things I like about Marina is her conceputual, unquie photos which reflect her style and music. She is stylish and feminine and appeals to women as she is not a sexual figure. I love the red lipstick and nails with pale skin and backgrounds and also the bright spotlight lighting often used in her photos.

Response to moodboard

These are a few "mock up" layouts of my magazine using pictures that I feel fits with the image of my magazine with my logo in order to get a better idea of what I want my front cover to look like.

For this mock layout I have changed the colours of my logo to suit the picture which now looks as if it is almost on fire. While I do like this I feel the logo was more effective and powerful previously and I do not feel that the logo particularly suits this image. However I really love this photograph it says a lot without physically using words. The image shows a powerful, strong woman with lots of attitude. This kind of image is what I aspire to achieve in my magazine.

This layout is much more feminine and I feel like this would appeal to a bigger range of people. The logo it clear but does not over power the image which is very important to bear in mind.

Mood board

Now that I have my logo, I need to start thinking about the photos and the layout of my music magazine. These are a few examples of some magazines that particularly caught my eye, though they are not all strictly music magazines.I feel they follow the conventions I am looking for. What I like from these examples are the simplicity, the image is striking and the information is clear. They have a sophication and sleek look to them and are all very feminine. From this I now have a clearer idea of what I want my front cover to look like and I now know i want a simple background but a fun youthful picture as my layout is going to be fairly miminalistic therefore I need a picture which can speak for itself. Another thing I have noticed from the magazines that are fairly well known and sucessful are hybrid meaning that they have a mix of genres included. This doesn't limit the direction of the magazine and allows the magazine to change with modern times. This is an element which I am also planning to persue. My magazine will predominatly be aimed towards indie/alternative music,however I also want to include pop and hip hop artists such a Jay Z, Lady Gaga and many others whos music appeals to a wide variety of people. This means my photographic must be fairly generic as it has to appeal to a large assortment of people.

Further Development

♡Further logo development♡


Although I was very happy with my previous design I was still playing around with colours and effects and inspired from my initial design i decided to give the "!" more definition. And despite this only being an experiment as such it infact works very well and just adds to the design.

Extending on the space theme from my previous adjustments I am now using the paint brush tool, adding small squares around the text giving it a star like feel. This has revoultionised my design and has brought it to life. I am very pleased and feel like this gives my logo the edge it needed and makes it different and unique.


I have made a slight adjustment to the previous design by adding a light glow from the bottom of the text. Though it is a simple and slight differnence I feel it adds real impact to the logo and makes it stand out that bit more and also gives it a space like feel rather that a club feel like a neon sign.

This is my second design, where I have now changed the font to "cherry light". The font works much better with the glow and I have also changed the colour to purple to make it more feminine. The design has a very party/club feel to it and I like this, however iIstill feel there is something missing from it which gives in that extra edge to it.

This is my first initial idea. I used an urban feeling font to try and keep it modern and hightlighted the exclamition mark with a neon glow to make it stand out. After creating this i do not feel as if the font works well with the colours or effects and have decided it is not suitable for my magazine. It is very masculine and would not appeal to my target market. However there are elements of this design I do really like. I think the colours work very well togther and i like the neon glow.




Now that I begun developing my logo I am playing around with fonts an effects on photoshop in order to create and imaginative, powerful brand for my magazine.

Development of masterhead

Now that I have chosen my name "No!se" I need to develop the font in order to present a look which is suitable for the front of a music magazine.

These are a few ideas that I have played with. I really like the first font which is called "pulse" as it links really well with the idea of music. However I do not feel like this is powerful enough alone for my logo and have decided that I may use it instead as one of the caption fonts. From this early experimentation I love the bold fonts which make a statement, however another element I am very fond of is making the exclamation mark in the middle of the word a different colour. This draws attention to the word and also gives it an edginess and youthful feel to it.

Naming my magazine

This was a task I found particularly hard as the name of the magazine is crutial to the fundamentals of the magazine.The name is all part of the image and connotation that my magazine will give out and I needed to think of a name that was unique, inetresting but also simple. Before I did this I thought of a few examples off good current music magazine names such as Kerrang, Q, NME, Spin. All these names are quite simple yet effective and this is an element I am looking for in the name of my magazine.These are just a few of my inital ideas
Elite Pulse Chord Wave Exclusive Alternative Intune Inspire Unplugged Melody Track Record Stage Door Overdrive Crisp Disconnected Distinct Sound Noise Pulse Download Anarchy
Out of these many names I wanted and understated simple name which still stood out. The main names which appeal to me the most currently are download, anarchy, sound, disconnected, pulse and noise. In order to choose the name I really want I will have to play with fonts and see which name LOOKS the best.

I have deicded that from this my name will be "Noise" with an ! replacing the i to give it a more modern "funky" look to it. The reason I have chosen this name is because it is bold on the page and makes a statement, it is an easy word to remember and relates to the subject of my magazine- music. The name is simple and straight forward just like I intend my for magazine. I want my magazine to be purely about music and about going back to basics.

Music Magazine Analysis

• Produced by IPC
  
• Costs £2.30


• Published weekly every Wednesday



• Target market men aged 17-30
  
• Circulation 40,948 (ABC Jan-Jun 09)


• Readership 388,000(NRS Jul 08-Jun 09)
  
  
• 69% of readers are males


• 31% of readers are women


• The average age that reads NME is 24 years of age


• Was launched in 1952 and is a British Magazine


• NME stands for news musical express


• Music tabloid magazine

Analysis of cover:

Title, masterheads/logos, typefaces and graphics

• Clear use of layers that have been used to put lead singers; Hayley Williams's head over the NME logo. Although this covers the logo NME is such a well known brand it is not essential for us to see all the logo to know what magazine it is.




• There is a clear use of house fonts and colours creating the cliche construction of an NME layout.




• A theme of primary colours are used for the captions and sub titles- red white and black which appeal to the magazines target audience of males. Red white and black are simple yet effective colours which still stand out but to not detract from the main subject of the cover.


• Simple bold fonts are used to emphasise them yet do not distract us from the main image.


• Three different fonts are used to break up information and make it easier on the eyes



• The bands name is in pink which is taken from the colour in the girls Hayley Williams lips
  



• This adds continuity to the magazine and establishes the idea that the image and title are linked making it instantly clear who the main feature of the magazine will be. Although the words "paramore" are in pink it is appropriate as the word paramore means lover and pink is automatically linked with the idea of love. Also it is a very deep pink so while being different to attract attention it does not demaculinate the picture.

Main image

• The men in the background also maintain the edginess and masculinity of the magazine

The image of Paramore is a reflection of their music which is slightly dark, edgy and quirky. This is shown in their clothing which are dark which adds mystery but also sophistication, yet are dressed fairly modestly showing their laid back attitude.This picture shows what the band is all about and reaches out to readers who enjoy this type of music.

• The lead singer Hayley Williams has a very intense gaze looking face on into the camera. This is intense gaze is engaging and enticing and draws readers in. Her body language shows she is fiesty and has attitude. It also a stereo-typical pose that is associated with teenagers/ youngpeople which makes the band appeal to this young market. Her hair and lips are a striking contrast to the rest of cover which draws our attention to the centre of the page. She has green chipped nail varnish showing she is unique and different, giving her a punky look and a sense of carefree attitude.

Content and Language

• "685 UK gigs listed"- gives the reader the idea of varitey and also that they are getting alot for their money.


• "everyone else has fallen for them will you?" This is a direct question adressed to the reader making the tone of the magazine friend-like and also personal to each individual.


• "Guns, gods and 4 million albulms sold"- This alliteration is a common technquie used in magazines to engage readers it breaks down the information created a relexed and fun tone to the magazine


• Persuasive language is used through the magazine using rhetrical questions such as "will you" which engages and adds intrest. The magazine also makes big bold statements such as "USA love us" which are also emotive and engaging.


• The magazine "tells" us what we want and tells us this is a good quality magazine this is highlights through the use of the bold definate statements and bold wording which can not be argued with.

All NME issues follow a similar layout to this magazine making it instantly reconginsable to its readers as do other music magazines such as Kerrang and Q magazine. However NME is made distinctive through its use of logo, signiture fonts and the use of bold and striking photography used to engage with the readers. The size of NME could be considered as its unquie seeling point as it is 300mm x 240 mm this gives the magazine more of a sqare shape where as opther magazines are taller and thinner. This makes NME stand out from the crowd because it is unusal and differnt making it instantly distinctive from other magazines.

Reflecting.

From this analysis of an issue of NME magazine I have learnt the techiques and stratagies magazine editiors use to engage thier readers and make their magazines disitnctive and unique. In order to make my magazine successful I will need to use similar techquies such as effective and persuasive language, striking engaging images, puns, allieteration, bold powerful statements, the rule of three and all the other various things that NME editors have used to attract their audiences.

Research

As a music magazine reader myself I am very excited to start this project. As a consumer of the product I am trying to market the question I have to ask myself in order to design a good magazine front cover is what attracts us to music magazines? Is it the pictures? Or the font or logo? Or the persuasive language we sub-consciously are enticed by?

In order to be able to design and market a good magazine it is important for me to understand the key concepts and conventions of a music magazine. I will therefore be doing some research into the leading brands of music magazines in order to identify aspects that make then successful and appealing.

NME

These are just a few past NME front covers however from these few examples I am begining to see a clear theme and uniform to the brand. The covers are all very visual and have striking crisp pictures which our eyes are automatically drawn to. The pictures are fairly simple yet have an omnicent, powerful edge to them. The page is then full with lots of information in a varitey of house fonts. I notice that throughout the editions many font are the same or similar. It seems to me that NME almost has a make-up or uniform and its style is so distinct that before even seeing the logo you know that is NME. This is an effective and unquie selling point for the magazine and is arguable one of the many reasons it is so sucessful.

Another thing I have noticed circles are used to draw attention to competitions and bands which is intresting way to draw attention to certain aspects of the magazine.Also the front cover is ALWAYS taken by the feature act of the magazine and very often has small snippets of interesting, unique quotes from their interviews to entice readers.

Kerrang!

From also looking at "KERRANG!", another leading magazine brand the convetions of music magazines are becoming clearer. Similarly to NME the covers of Kerrang are very visual and are packed with information. In both magazines it is the name of the featured act which is biggest and clearest and again our attentions are draw straight to the act. Both magazines also appear to have simpled but effective logos which are memorable and unique and the way the sub headings are arranged around the pictures are very similar. However there are some clear and fundamental differences Kerrangs layout is much more simplicitic and is less comercialised than NME. However it is obviously important for magazines to have differences otherwise we would all by the same one.

Main Task Brief

Main task: the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine (if done as group task, each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the magazine, following the same house style).

All images and text used must be original, produced by the candidate(s), minimum of four images per candidate.

The presentation of the research, planning and evaluation may take the form of any one, or combination of two or more, of the following:

* a presentation using slideshow software such as Powerpoint;

* a blog or website;

* a podcast;

* a DVD with 'extras'