Masthead for my music magazine

This is going to be the masthead for my music magazine. I chose this particular font as it is simple, bold and stands out. I like the idea of having a different colour of the font underneath the main part of the masthead spelling 'Magazine.' I thought this would work well with the main black writing above it.

Definitions - Genre, Sub-genre, Hybrid genre

 

Genre

The genre of a magazine refers to the category or the subject that it represents. Examples being entertainment (music, gossip) or sports / fitness magazines. Magazines genres can relate to anything, such as magazines that appeal to men and magazines that appeal more to women or magazines relate to age - teen magazines being a good example.

Sub Genre

A sub genre is a deeper categorization of a magazine, in music magazines can relate to all different types of music. For example, while Kerrang relates more to rock music a magazine like Mixmag would relate to dance / electronic music.

Hybrid Genre

A hybrid genre mixes two genres / themes together, for example a magazine might cover both music and fashion in its publication and relate the two. An example of this could be having a section that relates to festival wear in a music magazine for the festival season.

Magazine contents textual analysis

This magazines' contents page has one main background image on the right side of the page, rather than having many different images to attach to individual stories. The main image relates to the first feature in the contents page, and features a cover star although she is not the main cover story. The main image is placed next to the stories and is shaped so that the writing can fit around it. In conjunction with the story on Florence Welch there is a pull quote used by Welch herself places at the bottom of the page, giving further detail into the article and making readers want to know about that specific article. 'Florence Welch explains' suggests to readers that there is a deeper meaning behind what she says and that she has many other things in the article justifying her quote. In terms of her image she has quite a proud and tall stand, and she looks as though she is comfortable. The story related to her being comfortable as a figure as 'John harris goes behind the glamour.' It feels as though the picture is connoting this glamour and style, and that in the writing is where people find out about her character.

The color scheme is simplistic as it uses two to three colors, and the text colors blend well together. The background color is plain and helps add more detail to the main image as it doesn't have lots of detail and is just a simple background color. Florence wears all black which merges with the simplicity of the background colour, but has dashes of colour that spark emphasis for example her jewellery and her bright hair.

The stories are laid out neatly and well arranged, and the page numbers are in order from lowest to highest. It has been made clear where the cover story is, as it is seperated from the other stories with two lines above and below it. As well as this, the page numbers are used in order rather than being mixed up - this explains why the cover story is used towards the bottom rather than at the top of the page.

The features page has a formal style, and it doesn't feature any pugs or special offers that might be present in a contents with less formality. Each article also names the people interviewing the artists for the article. This could suggest that a feature in the double page spread will also include their name and mention that they have written the article.

The sub heading below the masthead contains city names, which could be the main cities that the magazine is published in or where the magazine is produced. Either way it seems to have some sort of significance in relation to the magazine.

Aquinas magazine evaluation

My college magazine doesn't flood with detail and has a fairly simple layout. I didn't use too many colours and only added certain colours in certain different parts for example the pug that has an offer on it is yellow, one to stand out and but also to be different to the other colours. The colour writing blends in with the colour of the photo / what the cover star  is wearing which I think is quite a good effect as it fits in well with the image. The background colour is simply white and I think this allows other colours to stand out, for example the masthead being bold and black.

I liked the idea of having an image coming off the main image on the front cover to relate to it, and also to add more detail. The main cover story both relates to the producer of the band and the actual band itself so it was important to have both on the front cover so people find it believable and people want to learn more about it.

The secondary cover stories in my magazine relate to my research that I conducted in class, and I think they are good stories to use as they relate to college and to teenage life; two fundamental aspects of my magazine. As well as this, the stories in my magazine relate to peoples future, which I think is something many college students will be thinking about and taking action on. The magazines aim is both to entertain and to educate, but I aimed it to be more informal than formal - an example being the main cover story containing 'Aquinas' hottest new band.'I think my magazine has a good offer / competition on the front cover, offering a free river island giveaway; relating to my research and also linking to students as an important purchase for them would be clothing.

I aimed my masthead to be bold and simplistic as I think many magazine mastheads are like that and don't aim to be too fancy as it can make the magazine look unprofessional and can be a bit confusing as a bold masthead can draw the reader in more directly.

What I would change

To my improve my magazine I think I could use up more space and possibly add more detail to it as I think it can look quite minimal but I was stuck on what to include on it, and I figured that maybe a minimal look might be a beneficial look.

Another thing that could have been interesting would be making my own background for my magazine. Although I chose to go for a simple look and keep the background white I think it would have been interesting to see what my magazine would look like with another background.

If I had more interesting images, or images that related to my cover stories I would have liked to include more images on my front cover to take more space up but also to add more detail to the front cover for the reader and to make the stories more visual rather than just writing on the page.

My contents page takes a similar colour scheme to my front cover, as they interweave I think this creates a consistency to the magazine which I think should be visible in a front cover and contents. As well as this I generally wanted them to look similar to create a theme and so they don't look miles apart. The masthead is the same as it is on the front cover, and is places on the left page above the main contents.

There are two sides to the contents, the left is based more around regular things that the magazine includes - an example being deals of the month or reviews of new music and media. The right handside contains features for example my main cover story which is the main subject of the features section. I was influences by mojo magazine when doing my contents as they also had a features and regulars page, and I think this is a good way to divide articles and make things easier to find as thats what contents are about.

I liked the idea of having a subscriptions section in my contents, where readers can find out more about how to buy the magazine every month - this also included an offer where aquinas students could get 50% off the magazine.

I liked including an editors letter in my contents as it let readers get an insight into some of the things included in the magazine and an insight into the editors mind and what the editor was thinking when making the magazine, as well as this it gives off a friendly feel and makes readers feel they are part of something.

What I would change

I may have included more images and more detail in the contents, however I was happy with the outcome of having a simple layout. I feel there could have been more things included in my contents to fill in gaps but I feel that I have said most things I wanted to.

I would include more page numbers on images that I used in my contents, as sometimes I don't think its been made clear what the images are related to.

Music magazine proposal

Music magazine proposal

My music magazines sub-genre is based around all styles of electronic and dance music. Taking inspiration from the likes of Mixmag, my music magazine follows and shares some of the same features. An example would be some of the offers available, in particular I really like the idea of having free CD’S or mixes available to readers as an offer in each issue.

My magazines name will be ‘GLITCH’, I felt that this name can relate to Electronic music in a number of different ways. A main idea behind the name is the idea of the technicality of Electronic music, the way that Glitches are sometimes used as sound effects in electronic music. As well as this, there is a style of music called Glitch, although my magazine won’t just be focused on that. The idea behind the name was to relate it to the music and I feel Glitches can both benefit and hinder electronic music.

My magazine will generally be aimed at different age group, but I think it will mainly be attractive to 16-30 year olds, especially those who enjoy going out and listening to electronic music. Also, those who attend clubs/parties/festivals – students and young people will generally be a main focus as they are more likely to benefit electronic music and the culture that surrounds the music.

There will be a range of features included in my music magazine. One main feature will be reviews of new music and live shows. I think this is something that is essential in many music magazines, for dance there will be many new mixes and records out each week/month and loads of new music to talk about. Live shows are also something that brings up conversation and insights, for example new club shows or tours that are bringing up hype towards a particular place or artist. Seasonal features such as Halloween or Christmas would be something I would use in my magazine, I think this benefits the magazine in terms of profit as seasonal features might be more worthy to people and people may want to keep them. In terms of featuring artists, I would like to have interviews or question and answer sessions with different views; these tend to bring up lots of interest as they both promote the artist to new fans; however fans that also are familiar with the artist can learn more about them. Finally, being a magazine based around electronic / dance music, I would like to include advertisements and sections about new technology and equipment that is available. I think this is an important feature in a magazine about electronic music as DJ’s / producers and artists are always using new gadgets for example synthesizers which make their music sound innovative and new, and bringing these up in the magazine provide an alleyway for producers to get hold of them.

I would like my magazine to be published by Development Hell Ltd as they have experience in the industry in terms of publishing dance music, with the magazine they publish ‘Mixmag’ being one of the biggest dance music magazines in the world. Working in conjunction with a publisher such as them would help me as I could learn from them and take lead from a magazine that sets out to do a similar thing as what they have already. Obviously, my magazine would have its own unique selling points as to why it should be chosen to work alongside Mixmag, otherwise it would just be replicating it.

I would like my magazine to be distributed both in print and via the internet. I think the idea of allowing fans to subscribe to the magazine via the web would be beneficial to my magazine and to readers as they don’t have to worry about picking up copies as they would come to them. The internet can also be a powerful tool in terms of building promotion for the magazine. Media can be used to help as magazines such as NME upload videos interviewing bands via the internet and build a closer interaction with bands and readers on social media, such as twitter and Facebook.

I would like my magazine to be affordable, and not become something that is a burden to fans of the magazine as then they wouldn’t find it as interesting and want to buy it. I would say around £2/3 would be the best price to sell my magazine at, as it isn’t too pricey and fans can get hold of it relatively easy without having to spend too much. Also I wouldn’t charge loads as people can get so much off the internet nowadays that it just wouldn’t be beneficial and would put people off buying the magazine.

I think my unique selling point for my magazine is the offers that it will uphold. An example being the chance of winning free getaways / holidays with friends whereby winners can attend club shows or festivals wherever the holiday is situated and can enjoy dance music at its best in an environment that has a party lifestyle. As well as this I will offer free records / mixes which showcase new producers / artists work, which would be beneficial to promoting their music and also beneficial to the magazine in terms of associating genres and artists with the magazine.

Aquinas contents page

Aquinas front cover

mood board music magazine

Ideas for my music magazine

Generating ideas for my music magazine

NAME – GLITCH MAGAZINE

GENRE / SUBGENRE – My music magazine will be mostly based on Dance / Electronic music. Similar to a magazine such as Mixmag that features DJ’s and artists from genres such as House, Drum and Bass, Dubstep, Garage and more.

AGE – It could be relevant to anyone who has an interest in the music but main preferences would be 16 – 30 year olds, in particular students and club / festival goers.

FEATURES – Events, venues / gigs –club / warehouse parties, festivals. There will be featured artists / upcoming DJ’s as well as classic bands / artists.

REVIEW SECTION – Reviews of the latest electronic / dance music, a rating out of 10 and a detailed description and explanation of it’s positive and negatives, and effects.

ADVERTS AND OFFERS – HOLIDAYS / FREE MIXES, CD’S – Things that are generally associated with dance music , for example on holiday people would listen to dance music so it’s a good idea to put a competition for a getaway or holiday with friends. Free mixes / CD’s are a good idea as readers will want to hear the latest music from the genre and what the magazine recommends as a good listen.

INFLUENCES – Magazines such as Mixmag that promote dance / electronic music. Influences and ideas I might use are the idea of featuring artists and free mixes / CD’s.

Magazine full textual analysis

The magazine is named NME, aimed at fans of new and upcoming Alternative music. The front cover has many bold and interesting points to it. The masthead is an acronym of 'New Musical Express' already giving readers an insight of what the magazine promotes and what it stands for. The masthead in this issue is white suiting the color scheme of the magazine's front cover. The masthead is bold and the letters are tight together, making it easily seen by readers, especially with it being at the top left of the page.

There is a strip at the top which introduces Reading and Leeds festival lineup suggests that readers might be interested in the bands playing that bill. As well as this the strip introduces the bands as though they are 'stars' in a film or some sort of production, which could connote musics drive to entertain as well as give people something to listen to or make the music and bands seem more glamorous. The names of the band switch in color between red, and white to make it more interesting to read. Just underneath is a pug which gives readers the chance to win tickets to the festival, which could suggest that the top strip or bar is used to draw readers in and make them interested and then make them want to enter the magazines competition. This could be seen as a good advertising technique not just for the festival but the magazine itself.

The main image takes over the full page and is directly focused on Robert Smith, the lead singer of the Cure. Although Robert looks into the readers eye, he doesn't appear serious, in fact he appears as though he is putting on a silly face. This could connote that the band or his music is playful or that they aren't trying to be too serious. The main cover story in the left third is named a 'world exclusive interview' and would straight away appeal to any Cure or Robert Smith fans interested in hearing what he has to say. It also denotes how fans will only find certain information in this magazine. This once again is a great advertising and branding technique for NME as it could sell much more copies with something that is exclusive to such a broad audience.

The magazine has four secondary cover stories on the right hand side, and one of the left hand side all supporting the main article and all with different bands artists making an appeal or showing off their character. The story to the left 'Noel meets Balotelli' is linked with both music and football, and with that is linked with the city of Manchester. This story has a pull quote 'He's my F****** hero' the swearing connotes how shocking the interview or story might be and could connote the character of Noel Gallagher, as well as making people want to read it for it's edge and playfulness. This could link with the main story which includes 'A generation ready to stick to fingers up' which once again shows off attitude and could connote rock music culture, especially Punk culture which has always aimed to be shocking and have lots off attitude.

The barcode and price are situated at the bottom right of the front cover, quite typical of many magazines.

Contents flat plan