Research and Planning

Over the last 10 years magazines have seen a reduction in the amount of magazines that are brought each year. The main cause behind this is the increasing use of the internet. Readers can now subscribe to their favourite magazines online and like them on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. This change in the way we view music magazines has meant the publishers have had to increase the quality of their magazines to ensure that people go out and buy them rather than viewing them on the internet.

Magazine front cover analysis.

The name of the magazine “KERRANG!” is written the same way on each magazine and in the same place. It uses the same font and font colour and is always behind the main front feature. This is to make sure it doesn’t take the focus of them (in this case paramore). It also helps to build up a strong brand image for the magazine.

The bold magazine name is eye catching and it very noticeable. The background for the main image is a blue cloudy sky. This adds depth to the image and makes it interesting. However, it is subtle and doesn’t draw focus away from the band.

It’s clear that the magazines colours are red, white and yellow. These colours work well together and don’t clash. Yellow is used boldly to name the band and the white is then used to give a quick and very brief summary of what it is about.

The band is clearly the main focus. The girl in the middle is clearly the lead singer as she is in the middle. However, this doesn’t draw focus from the other band members.

However, it is clear that she is the main focus and the bright lighting of the photo clearly shows up her hair and makes it look very effective. The lead singers lipstick is also very vibrant and colourful.

The main image is bright and clear. This again helps to make it the main focus of the magazine and also helps to draw attention to it.

Paramore are a well-known icon in the emo rock world and this will attract lots of readers and could influence people to buy the magazine. The magazine is attractive to usual readers and could also bring in new readers as well.

The magazine is aimed at a very particular audience.

The image of the band is using direct address. The members of the band are looking directly at the readers. This will help the magazine to interact with each individual reader.

The image of the band is a medium shot and this takes up most of the space on the front cover.

The bands name is 'Paramore' and because they are the main feature of the magazine their name is kept bold and large. Because it says “the return of Paramore” it is all written in the same colour (yellow) and the same font type. The bands name has been increased in size to draw attention. This tells the reader that they are the main feature of this issue.

The words exclusive are written in red inside a white arrow like box. This brings attention to it and makes it clear that this wont be in any other magazine similar to Kerrang!.

The cost and barcode of the magazine is kept small yet noticeable for the readers.

The masthead on this cover is bold and at the top of the page. This makes it more noticeable and it stands out more, it is the first thing the viewer sees. The masthead is also at the top so that when it is on display in the shop e.g. WHSmiths people can see it on the shelves.
The masthead is clearly the biggest text on the page. However, the main cover line is almost as big and it is in front of the image whereas the cover line is in front of the band.
The main text in the centre is bright yellow with a black outline, this makes it stand out and clearly show what the main article in the magazine is about.  The colour and outline of the text also help the magazine to stand out. It also highlights the band’s name.
The straplines on the cover are full of different names of the bands and also the different features of the magazine. The straplines are filled in with black to stand out but they aren’t meant to distract from the main magazine.
The cover lines are only on the right hand side. This is because the main image is slightly off the centre and to the left. The blue bar down the side contains all of the cover lines. The first three bands to be mentioned all have pictures of the main singers. After this three there is just a list to advertise what is coming up in the magazine.
The barcode is small but easy to find.
The main image on the front cover is bright and clear. The back ground is of a 'perfect' blue sky. This fills in the white spaces but doesn’t distract from the main band members.
The main image fills the majority of the cover. However, Kerrang is famous for its busy look and so it is full of other photos, upcoming tours, etc.
It has a very bold layout and it is very noticeable when next to other music magazines.

Kerrang facts:
Editor - James McMahon
Frequency - wekly
Circulation - 42,077
Publisher - Bauer Media Group
Founder - Geoff Barton
First issue - 6 june 1981
Country - UK
Based in - London
Language - English
Website - kerrang.com
ISSN - 0262-6624

Analysis of Clash

Layout.
The magazine I have chosen to analyse is an issue of Clash, which features a photo of James Blake on the front cover. The cover lines are positioned all over the cover, and the masthead is positioned at the top of the magazine, in very large and bold writing. The model is positioned in the in the middle third of the cover.
Colour.
The colours on this cover are very striking, with the bright yellow of the background and words James Blake. The masthead is in bold white font, and it stands out clearly against the yellow background. The cover lines are black and red, which also stand out vividly against the yellow.
People.
There is only one person shown on the cover and it is James Blake, who is an English electronic music producer and singer-songwriter from London. He is not well-known yet, so that gives the impression that this magazine is to promote new coming music and artists, such as the NME magazine.
Target Audience.
The target audience appears to be for indie music fans. This is because the cover titles represent indie artists, such as White Lies and Adele, and so by reading what is in the contents of the magazine the reader has an idea of the genre of the magazine.
Clothing.
The clothing worn by James Blake is a simple chequered shirt which is done all the way up to his neck. This is a classic 'indie-hipster' style of dress, and so it emphasises that particular style of dress and also shows smartness.
Background.
The background is yellow, and is darker from the top and gradually turns a lighter shade by the bottom of the cover. It's very simple and clean, and yellow is also a primary colour which represents purity and newness.
Wording.
The wording is quite interesting on the cover, as the creators of the magazine have achieved a little bit of word play such as alliteration to make the cover lines sound more intriguing. These include 'Adele After...' and the use of sibilance such as 'The Secrets of The Siren's Success', and also a use of rhyme and rhythm with 'Twisting the Face of Drum and Bass'. These word techniques are used to add effect when the person reads them and it gives the magazine a bit of character and humour, which attracts people.
Shot Type.
The shot type is a close up which clearly shows all of James Blake's face and shoulders. 

 

   

Categories	Music magazine
Frequency	monthly
First issue	2004
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Website	www.clashmusic.com
ISSN	1743-0801

Analysis of Kmag

The image has been overlapped with the masthead. This creates a feeling of depth on the front cover.

The background is green and shadowed. This creates a sense of mystery about the image and makes us want to know more about it.

The bright red text stands out against the background and catches the reader’s attention.

The pose the person is pulling suggests that he is worried but also very confident. The expression shows that there is a story to tell and he is willing to share it with the reader. This helps to create a sense of mystery.

The tag line entices the audience and is very effective at making them want to read the magazine.

Contents page

­Articles exclusive to this issue of the magazine.

Titles of these articles are given names which will make the reader want to read them and it is very informative.

Buzzword used next to the name of a popular band and will help to intrigue the reader and make them want to read it.

Every month gives the reader the sense of a routine and it is the same in every magazine. It doesn’t change.

'Q Review' is quite a catchy name and goes with the magazine nicely. It also attracts the readers attention. It is quite an informative part of the magazine.

'THE WORLD’S BIGGEST AND BEST MUSIC GUIDE' is to make the audience almost trust the magazine and is a catch line to make the people to want to buy the magazine.

The pull quote on the main image makes the reader wonder what is happening in the magazine

A large picture of the band who are being featured in the magazine helps to tell the reader that this will be the main band in the magazine. It grabs the readers attention. 

Contents page 2

The logo and the name of the music magazine has been put into the corner of the page, which makes it seem more subtle as the front cover is designed so that the reader becomes aware of the magazine they are looking at.

The article of James Blunt is placed second even when the main picture shows him and nothing else it seems odd that there should be such a large dominant picture of him and yet he is placed second on the contents, usually I would assume it would be first and therefore the main article.

There is a separate section on the contents page of features of the magazine that are in there 'every month'. This helps to break the magazine up. The black banner over the white writing divides on the page and keeps the colour scheme the same, whilst also quite plain.

The red arrow on the bottom right of the page helps to show that the reader has to turn over the page but this seems just a bit of common sense. It is almost an interactive feature.

The picture of James Blunt takes up the majority of the page. However, on the left it appears that part of the picture has been cut off by the text leaving a flat edge to part of the image. This could have been better planned by having a transparent textbox so it doesn’t overlap the text.

The title contents makes it even clearer that this is a contents page. The style almost merges 232Contents NOV05. This is an interesting point of the design and makes it have an artistic feel to it.

 

Categories	Music magazine
Frequency	Monthly
Publisher	Bauer Media Group
Total circulation	80,418[1]
First issue	October 1986
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Website	Q the Music

Contents page 3

Messages from the editor and signature make the reader feel like the editor is talking to them in a letter. This makes it feel more personal.

Showing the front cover with notes from the editor involve the reader in a non-formal style.

The colour scheme of this particular issue is constant throughout, with grunge style border, relating the style of the music the magazine represents.

Pictures of artists and bands separated into columns in main house style to create structure. Bold band names and images catch the reader’s eye and entice them to read more. Page numbers next to artists make it easy from the reader to flick to page of interest.

Use of lines to separate columns makes it easier for the reader to identify their favourite artist quickly and makes a more relaxing portrait on the eyes for a quick scan.

Name of the photographer who supplied the image cover in small black text horizontal to the columns creates a sense of formality.

Large black box background with large yellow text makes the heading stand out.

Cover, date and issue number printed on the inside. White text stands out on black background.

Quote from band member with alarming content promoting the 'rock N’ Roll' lifestyle with stereotypical anarchist behaviour. This makes the reader feel like the band is talking directly to them, eye catching and enticing them to read more. Page number is also printed below the quote to allow the reader to go straight to the specific article.

The band’s name is also printed below in bold black on a plain white background. This helps it to stand out.

'This Week' informs the reader that they are receiving the very latest issue.

The magazine has been separated into separate areas of interest. This makes it easier to find what you want.

Band names are printed often in bold next to the page number they relate to making it easy for the reader to find what they are interested in.

Horizontal bullet point style contents tells the reader about everything that is within the magazine. It is clear and simple.

Bold subheadings add to the easy to read layout of contents with block sans serif font in a standing out yellow with black fill behind, sticking to the colour scheme which is persistent throughout.

Slogans below pictures and band names relating to articles within the magazine, making the articles seem exciting to the reader.

Advertisement for block bookings of the magazine delivered directly through the post using a clashing colour to catch the reader’s eye.  


Double page spread

The small text box 'news', containing what could be an important piece of information for the reader. This represents that the intended audience care about what’s going on and what bands are getting the prizes.

There is a bigger image to text ratio. This shows that the image is the main attraction and draws the reader in. The image is very bold and contrasts against the article. The image has been made up of singular images of each person of the band. Because of this bold and dark image, it represents that the readers are only interested in their music is specific article, and not their life story. The image portrays the band as being very serious about their music, which represents the intended audience, as they seem to be very serious about their music and it is a very large part of their lives.

The article on the double page spread uses black and red as its main colour pallet. This colour pallet has been used throughout the magazine, which has kept the colour theme consistent. Sub headings for each way that Korn have made their new album more adventurous than their previous albums have been enlarged and put into bold font. The font is small, although there are quotations that have been taken from the text that are in a larger font and are in a bold red colour “I don’t give a flying f*** what people think!” so there has been vulgar language used in order for members of the band to express themselves. This could also be representative of the intended audience as they may also use vulgar language in order to express their emotions.

The colour pallet of the text stands out as it is red, yellow and white, which contrasts against the very dark back-ground. The title stands out and tells the reader what the article on the double page spread is about.

A small box with information about the artists Skrillex is in the corner. This tells the readers about the new artist and how many plays he has had on various social networks including My Space, Twitter and Facebook. This conveys that the audience are interested in social networking and are up to date with the new technologies

Double page spread analysis 2

At the top of the page there is a web address where more information is available.

A quote has been used to give a preview of the article for the reader to quickly look at. This then entices the reader into reading the article and is a clever design feature.

The text is laid out in columns in a simple way as this is easy on the eye. This looks visually effective.

The 'fact file' provides background information on the band, giving a back catalogue of their music for people to listen to.

The dates of a famous tour are given next to the large text to emphasise that they are a good enough band to tour as part of Defenders of the faith.

Large bold headline is the name of the band, which makes it clear who they are to people who haven’t come across them before.  

 

 

Magazine publishers

Bauer Media

·         Music magazine

·         Target Industry

·         Top magazine publishers in the UK

·         Reaches 19 million adults in the UK through media

·         Conglomerate- they are a very large industry which routes many different types of business

·         Owns magazines, radio stations, marketing and advertising

Bauer brands

IPC
IPC distribute and market 23% of the UK's total magazine category. NME, which is in association with IPC advertising and is one of the magazines published. The target audience of their magazine is 15-25 and who are generally interested in indie/rock music/alternate. That was before the 70's when NME changed their genre to include punk/rock music as well.

Magazines published by IPC media

When looking at these magazine I noticed that they all kept to their house styles but the type of music featured in the magazines had a wide genre. It was noticeable that each of the magazines belonged to a particular genre but that the genre covered a wide area of music.

The front covers used bright images and cut them out very smoothly with no jagged edges or bad crops. They were very consistent within the quality of the images and it was very clear about what they were about. This is something I would have to consider when making my own magazine. To do this I would need to use bright lights and a good camera.