Planning My Music Magazine

Magazine Layout

Using my music magazine research i am now going to sketch out ideas of layouts for my main cover, contents page and double-page spread. I have alot of varied ideas thanks to annotating and looking into how magazine companies design layouts.

Front Cover Layout Plans

I really want my music magazine to look realistic and not like a school project, therefore i am choosing idea four as my main layout for my front cover. However, I haven't yet thought of a name for my magazine, I think as i progress through my planning it will come to me naturally. I think this layout looks the best and not too much going off like possibly Idea two, i also like everything to be central as i think it looks neater and better looking so this cover is perfect.

Contents Page Layouts

After sketching out layout ideas for my contents page i have come to the decision of making idea four the final layout design. I really like this design as i took aspects of the other contents page ideas and put them all together onto one page. However, when designing this on Photoshop i don't think i will have the scattered photos at the bottom as messy as i have sketched out, i think it would look too out of place and not neat enough if it was as untidy as that.

Double Page Spread Layouts

Because of the amount of writing on the front cover and contents page i am choosing idea two as my double page spread. It's quite controversial actually seen as half of the first page is just one large image of the main cover celebrity but instead of the medium close-up of just head and shoulders i will be shooting a long shot with the star posing head to toe. I will also include where the clothes are from and how much they are on the same page with small text at the bottom and a large quote what the celebrity has said in the interview that will draw the reader in to read the interview. On the second page will be an interview that i have already written down and planned with possibly a few relevant photos scattered around.

Final Layouts

My final layouts are displayed to the right, I have chosen these layouts in particular because i think they all have a similar look which will make them look asif they are all from the same magazine. I will also make sure that the colour scheme will be similar or maybe even the same throughout the pages.



Magazine Colour Scheme


I conducted a small questionnaire researching into what type of colour schemem appeals to people in my target market. I printed out 30 copies of the questionnair ans gave it to a variety of people aged between 15 and 25. I found that nobody at all was interested in a neutral colour scheme and the favourite was bright. Therefore i am going to go with a bright colourfull colour scheme as this is the mosy favoured colour scheme and hopefully will appeal to my target audience.

These is the excact replica of the questionnaire i handed out.

As i have displayed below, all of the people in my class circled a bright colour scheme.!

    Magazine Name

I conducted a another small questionnaire asking family and friends in the same age-range chosen what was their favourite Magazine name; I handed out 20 copies. To the upper left is the exact replica of the questionnaire which asked people to circle one of their favourite names. The options were: Phat Beats, Beat Freak, Phunk, POW!, Musik, Oh Sh*t and Purple Beat. Basically these were names that just came to mind which i thought were relevant and original. To the upper right is the results displayed on a bar chart, People of my age range preferred "Beat Freak" which i was happy about as this was one of my personal favourites. No one liked "Musik" and "Purple Beat" whereas "Phunk" came in close second.

According to my results i am going to choose "Beat Freak" as a final name decision for my music magazine. I think it is an excellent name which is unusual, relevant but still original. I will now play around with different types of font styles.

To the right is a selection of fonts i have experimented with, i think all of them are really nice but i think my favourite one is either the 5th or 6th one down. Therefore I am considering using the fonts, "Berlin Sans FB Demi" or "Cinema Gothic BTN Inline". I don't want anything too over the top as i think this would make it look amature and childish.

(left) This is a rough plan of the masthead on Beat Freak magazine. I want bright colourful stripes behind it to make it stand out.

Target Audience

Brainstorming

Below is a brainstorm looking into what Beat Freak is going to be about.

Main Cover Image

 Beat Freak is an RnB/Chart music magazine that will appeal to mainly 15-25 year olds who are interested in all of the top songs in a particular month. It specialises mainly in RnB, but any style and any artist that is new and/or popular at that moment in time. For the January's 2011 issue i really wanted a young, female artist who's character was very over the top and suited the genre of Beat Freak. I have chosen the name "Mz Frank" for the young female character. I have drawn out several illustrations of her in different outfits which i think will suit the genre and colour scheme of the front cover. Below I have annotated each illustration and will use this as a guide to styling the young female character for the front cover. As you can see she has a unique hip-hop/grime look mixed with a girly style and a hint of sex appeal so she appeals to men aswell as women. I have based her character and look on N-Dubz/Nicki Minaj and Lady Sovereign as she raps aswell as sings.

Actual Outfits

Above are the actual outfits i want Mz Frank (me) to wear for the photo shoot. As you can see outfit 1 is very hip-hop orientated, outfit two is quite quirky and outfit three is very girly.

Drawn-out Copies Of Beat Freak.

Here are the exact hand-drawn replicas of my Beat Freak main cover, contents page and double-page spread. Everything on the designs will be produced near enough exactly how it is on my drawings.

(left) This is my Beat Freak main cover, i took allot of inspiration from several "Billboard" magazines that caught my attention. I want it to be jam packed full of information, text styles and sizes to give it an interesting factor so people will want to read it. I have also listed on the front cover that because this is the first ever issue of Beat Freak it comes with an exclusive Beat Freak t-shirt suitable for any gender. I also want the colour scheme to be bright and funky.

(right) This is a hand-drawn replica of the contents page for Beat Freak, i want it to look neat and well-organised but have a sense of craziness to it also. As you can see i have also labelled each section of contents list with different headings to help people find what they want straight away. I also have the cover star (Mz Frank) have a small introduction section at the top which is what i found was a similar technique used in music magazines all ready on the market. I have also incorporated a popular technique of labelling photos with numbers which is a different way of displaying contents.  

(left) first page, (right) second page) These 2 separate images are the separate pages for my double-page spread, I really wanted alot of the textual interview displayed as music magazines aren't just about the photos, people are also interested in reading about new artists. The first page with the large image of "Mz Frank"  is going to be displayed as if she is holding the fact file below her herself, i will use photo shop in order to do this effect.

 I have also used lines in order to show where the writing will be, where the large speech marks are i am going to take an interesting quote out of the interview and display it so people will want to know about it and therefore read it. The second page is mainly text but again with a second large text section where i will display another quote. The photos are also scattered everywhere.

(left) This is the interview and fact file written out in rough, i have planned it all before so i can simply copy it off the paper. It is on 6 sides of paper, hopefully this will be enough to fit onto the double page spread. It isn't an exact replica; just a guide.

Academic Theories

Mediasphere

A mediasphere is a term used to describe the collective ecology of the world media, including:

• newspapers
• journals
• television
• radio
• books
• novels
• advertising
• press releases
• publicity
• and the blogosphere to include any and media both broadcast and published.

John Hartley defines it as the whole universe of media, both factual and fictional in all terms (print. electronic, screen) and all genres (news, drama) all taste hierarchies (from art to entertainment) in all languages in all countries.

It therefore completely encloses and contains as a differentiated part of itself the (Habermasian) public sphere ( or the many public sphere's ) and it is itself contained by the much larger semiosphere - that is the whole universe of sense-making by whatever means, including speech.

Analysing Music Magazines

 Analysing Music Magazine Covers

Main Cover Trademarks

In general main cover trademarks are a large masthead, a main cover image usually in the centre of the page and large text usually about the main cover star/s. Then down the sides you can have little sections that draws the audience in about whats inside the music magazine. The colour schemes are varied but usually match the main cover image in some way.

Analysing Music Magazine Contents Pages

Contents Page Trademarks

In general contents page trademarks are a large masthead saying "contents" or "this week". Then a way to display all of the contents inside using numbering. Either a column down the side of the page or maybe even labelled photos. It may also have a section about the maincover star/image or the magazine editor.

Analysing Music Magazine Double-Page Spreads

Double-Page Spread Trademarks

In general double-page-spread trademarks are a large image on either side of the page along with a reasonable amount of writing about the person/people on the photo.

Conclusion

Overall, analysing these has really helped me and gave me the knowledge about the different colour schemes, layouts and features that are popular in the Industry of the main covers, contents pages and double-page spreads in music magazines. After doing this it has given me lots and lots of ideas with designing my own music magazine. I already have a lot of ideas in mind and will start sketching out several different layouts for the main covers, contents pages and double page spreads.

Institutions Research

Top Companies Of The Music Magazine Industry:
Case Studies & Cover Analysis

The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart. In the 1970s it became the best-selling British music magazine. The paper's first issue was published on 7 March 1952 after the Musical Express and Accordion Weekly was bought by London music promoter Maurice Kinn, and relaunched as the New Musical Express. It was initially published in a non-glossy tabloid format on standard newsprint.
Editor: Krissi Murison


NME Magazine Covers Analysis 

I don’t like this NME music magazine at all, it was produced in to 1970’s and you can definitely tell. It looks old fashioned, un-appealing and un-colourful. I think it is too dark and miserable looking and could do with a splash of colour to brighten it up. However, I do like the photograph and the expression on the persons face. I think that would be the only thing that draws the audience in to buy it because it’s as if the person is looking at you. It also has a sense of mystery to it which I also like. But overall it’s too dated and un-appealing.

This magazine is definitely an improvement to the first magazine from the 1970’s, this one is from the 80’s and I really like the colours on it, I like the colour scheme of red, white, black and yellow which I have noticed is a popular colour scheme for most of the other music magazines I have written about from Q and Kerrang! aswell. I have also noticed that a red background with yellow writing is a favourite colour combination as the colours complement each other (complimentary colours). I also like how the full word of the NME initials is displayed in the letters.

This is one of my favourite magazine covers out of the other magazines from the other big UK companies. I absolutely love the colour scheme of pinks, purples and whites. I think it’s quite controversial however having such girly colours alongside a very well-known “bad boy” figure in the celebrity world; but it works. Overall I love everything about this music magazine and will it take into consideration when producing my own.


NME's Typical Reader Profile
Males or females aged between 15-60 depending on what style of music they're into. NME appeals to people who are interested in rock/indie music mixed in with a couple of comercial bands etc. They are interested in knowing about their favourite bands and reading interviews with them. They are also wanting to know where the latest Giggs are.



 Q is a music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, first published in October 1986, the magazine was sub-titled "The modern guide to music and more". Originally it was to be called Cue (as in the sense of cueing a record, ready to play), but the name was changed so that it wouldn't be mistaken for a snooker magazine. Another reason, cited in Q's 200th edition, is that a single-letter title would be more prominent on news stands. Q Radio launched in June 2008 as a full service radio station. There is also a Q TV television channel in the UK. Q also holds a yearly awards ceremony called the Q Awards.
Editor: Nichola Browne

 Q Magazine Covers Analysis

This Q magazine issue is from the 1980's, i quite like how the cover is set out and the colours are ok in my opinion. I don't think i would be drawn to this magazine if it was in a shop. I don't particularly think it looks appealing either. I think one of the main selling points of this particular magazine is the free gifts that comes with them, this one says in large text "free book!". I also like the funny photo at the top of the cover next to the masthead, i think it adds a humorous element.

This issue if from the 1990's, i don't think that it is any different in the style compared to the 80's cover. This cover in particular reminds me of the modern day newpaper, However i do like the large black and blue image layered behind Rod Stewart and the free CD. One similarity of the 90's and 80's issue is that both covers display red bold font infront of a bright yellow block of colour. I like how they've used this because it makes the text pop out of the page because of the contrasting colour.

This Q magazine cover is from the 2000's, this is my favourite cover out of the 3. Obviously it looks more modernised than the previous 2 magazines and i love how they've played around with the masthead and located it in the center of the page surrounded by photos of Courtney Love. However, i think one bad point about the magazine cover is that they're isn't enough text on it to display what the audience can read inside it. But i think it can also be seen as an effective look.


Q's Typical Reader Profile
Males or females aged between 15-60 depending on what style of music they're into. Q appeals to people who are interested in rock/indie/chart/pop music mixed in with a couple of comercial artists etc. They are interested in knowing about their favourite bands and singers and reading interviews with them. They are also wanting to know where the latest Giggs are and getting free gifts with the magazine. The 200th magazine above appeals particularly to females.

 

 

Kerrang! is a rock music magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. The magazine's name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar^. Kerrang! commenced publication on 7 June 1981 and was edited by Geoff Barton, initially as a one-time supplement in the Sounds newspaper, which focuses on the genre New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of other hard rock acts. AC/DC appeared on Kerrang!’s first cover.

Editor: Paul Rees

Kerrang! Magazine Covers Analysis

This Kerrang! Magazine issue is a recent cover,I really like this cover of kerrang!. I love the vivid colour schemes of red,black,white and yellow and how they match and intertwine with the main cover image. I also like how the main cover image is layered over the top of the Kerrang! masthead showing that people already know what the magazine is so the image can cover some of it which makes it more effective. I also like how they’ve incorporated the person’s bright red hair into the colour scheme as well.

This issue is again another recent Kerrang! cover; the first thing that jumps out at me on the page is the main cover image. Due to the two men’s appearance, gestures and expressions it really shows the audience what type of genre the magazine is- Rock. In a way it’s almost a stereotypical view of heavy metal band members however it appeals to its target audience and in my opinion draws the consumer in. I also like how both of the men are looking into the camera and one of them is pointing as if its pointing to you which can bring in an aspect of Integration and Social Interaction within the magazine. The offensive gesture the other man is doing is offensive but again shows the audience the personality and genre of the music magazine.

This recently produced Kerrang! magazine is again very similar to the two other Kerrang! magazines. They all have the colour schemes of red, black, white and yellow which can be seen as a trademark within the appearance of the front cover. It also makes the magazine recognisable to the audience by just the colour scheme and look of the magazine without even knowing which magazine it is. However, this is my least favourite magazine out of the three, I don’t like the main cover image- they look too boring and in my opinion uninteresting.


Kerrang!'s Typical Reader Profile
Particularly men (or women!) who are into the heavy metal/rock genre of music. They are wanting to know about their favourite bands and knowing about the lastest types of guitars out for example. They are also wanting to know ehre the lastest giggs are at.

Regulation and Control

Regulation and Control basically means what should and what shouldn't be allowed in Magazines, events may regularly occur within the industry which debates how free the press should be controlled and regulated.

A code of practice was agreed to by editors and owners of News Papers/Magazines which is essentially a form of self-regulation. However due to events like the death of Princess Diana for instance issued a tighter control into the public domain. This code which was introduced covers:

• The right to reply for individuals that are written about
• The need to distinguish between comment and fact 
• Accuracy & Not to mislead
• Privacy and harassment
• Misrepresentation
• Cheque book journalism
• Intrusion into grief or shock
• Identifying relatives and friends of convicted individuals
• The reporting of issues relating to children
• Dealing with victims of sexual assault
• Confidential sources
• The definition of public interest

Because of these issues that are under tight control, when producing my music magazine i will take these regulations and controls into consideration.

Producing Process
To briefly explain what happens when producing magazines there are several stages. The first stage is important meetings with the magazine production team: editors, journalists, photographers, researchers etc. In the meetings they discuss what they want in the next issue of the magazine and talk about layout and other features. They then produce a draft copy of the magazine and send it to a higher person on the editing team who decides what goes where, recommend changes to improve the magazine and overall decides if it is good enough to  be produced as the final cover. When the final draft is eventually decided they production team design it on a computer using a programme such as "quark" for example. Once the team have produced the magazine, layout, photographs, text etc, it is finally printed and distributed.


Publishing Companies

One world wide magazine publishing company is Condé Nast Publications. Its main offices are located in New York,Chicago, Miami, Madrid, Milan, Tokyo, London and Paris. Condé Nast is run by S.I. Newhouse Jr, and is a division of Advance Publications, who have owned the company since 1959. Condé Nast is credited with creating a used magazine marketing strategy emphasizing magazines focused on a particular class or interest, sometimes known as lifestyle magazines. Many Condé Nast magazines have their principal focus in fashion, although the company's publications also include travel, food, home, culture, and other interests.


(Information Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cond%C3%A9_Nast_Publications)

Just some of the magazines Condé Nast have produced are:

Vogue, Teen Vogue, Mens Vogue, GQ, House and garden, Vogue Decoration, Brides, Golf for women, Golf World, Wired, Vanity Fair and the New Yorker. To the left is a collection of different brands of magazines produced by Condé Nast. I really like every single one except "The New Yorker" and "Vanity Fair" because i really don't like animation for the main cover image. I think it looks old-fashioned, boring and un-appealing. My favourite one especially is the 1st Vogue with Kate Moss. I love the layout, colour scheme and mostly the photo of her as its very high fashion and appealing to women aswell as men.