Poll results

I made some polls on my blog to find out what my target audience thought about certain issues regarding a music magazine. I hope this will help me create a music magazine that is suited to them and will attract the right audience effectively

Poll 1

This poll was about what people were interested in. I used four things that were likely to be used on a double page spread and asked people which they believe is the most interesting to be used. I found that the reviews was the most popular with interviews and recent music news being close behind. I will try to use all these in the magazine because i think they are the most relevant to the music magazine genre. Also, i will research how these are made to look effective and how they are used correctly in real magazines, this should help me decide whether to include them in my magazine and how i will produce them

Poll 2

This poll was about what made people want to buy the magazine in the first place, in regards to the front cover. The result of the poll shows that people are more interested in the main picture than the colour or the masthead. This could include how the picture is taken, who is in it or how it is used but i think i must research into how the front covers image can be produced effectively, helping the magazine seem effective and more professional. The poll also shows hat some people are more interested in the name of the magazine and its status in the music world. I think i have a grasp on the concept of a magazines image and status but i must research it to fully understand how it is used to its full potential.

Poll 3

This poll asked people what they thought the main audience is for a music magazine and the answers reinforced what i already knew about the audiences and who they are. The older teens and early 20's are the most likely to buy i a music magazine while younger teens can sometimes buy them but are less likely. This poll will hopefully help me target my magazine at the correct audience and the right people without it looking to vague and not attracting any of them.

Poll 4

This poll asked people how they magazine should feel and what pace it should have. This is because different magazines have different paces, for example; Q has a slower and more intellectual pace, creating a more professional and relaxed vibe, while Kerrang! is more fast paced and energetic creating a less serious and more fun magazine. The results show that people prefer this type of magazine because it shows that 80% of people who voted prefer the fast paced (even though the poll said Fat paced by accident) and concise magazine. I think that this is because the target audience prefer the genre of music that is related to this type of pace and magazine. This will allow me to make the magazine the right style to suit the audience and will hopefully keep them interested in it without going over the top

Genre Moodboard- Indie Rock

This moodboard contains images relevant to the genre of music i have chosen. I noticed the most of the images are in black and white and look quite gloomy but stylish at the same time which i think is a convention of the genre and i think i will use it in my images during the final pieces.

Genre Decision Summary

Genre - Indie Rock

I have decided to do the magazine based on an Indie Rock Genre. I have chosen this because i enjoy this genre and also i feel that it uses a more creative style and lets me be more creative like the image above which i think accurately represents what i am interested in. I think i have effectively researched the genres conventions and how it uses them to create a recognizable feel. Also, if i enjoy the genre of music itself and listen to it on a regular basis, i believe i will understand what the magazine should represent and the feel it should have. Furthermore  i believe it will allow the feel of the magazine be unique because each article and picture can be different if the content doesn't suit the style, letting it change accordingly.

Genre Mindmap

This mindmap will hopefully give me an idea on what genre to make my magazine and how to make it suitable for the people who read it, making it it an effective product in the process

Music Magazine Mind Map

Contents Page Analysis

Contents page Analysis

The page mainly uses a white background which is similar as the other contents pages of this magazine in other issues. The white background connotates the idea of purity and 'freshness' which suits the magazines theme. Also, the images are all varied in a number of different ways, one of which is the composition. The images all have a different composition, for example the picture of muse is a medium shot showing their whole bodies and showing their dominant stature, while the picture of John Lydon is a medium close up to show off the expression on his face.This makes each image distinguishable from the others making it easier to separate the different stories in the magazine. Also the red headings for the stories matches the style of the Q magazine logo which makes this recognizable as a Q magazine contents page. The use of the colours also hints connotations of the old chart standings available in newspapers and this keeps t the magazines retro but modern theme. The page also uses the same conventions as it usually does, the 'regulars' section is kept separate, the main story is made the biggest and most visible, the masthead is very prominent and visible and the images are all related to the stories they are involved in.

Q is a very large and well respected music magazine and most people trust them to deliver a sound verdict or judgement while a smaller magazine may not be. The fact that Q is so big means that there doesn't have to be much advertising for the magazine on the contents page and on the cover and it also allows the magazine to be recognized easily and know what it is associated with. 

The magazine is aimed at teenagers probably aged around 15-21 because it appeals to their tastes in music while also having the retro and rebellious theme which appeals to them. However the use of older artists can also appeal to older audiences as well because they will want to know their old favorites  are doing now. 

The main artist shown on this contents page is John Lydon and he is presented as a patriotic rebel like what he was in the sixties. This makes the audience think he is still as good as he used to be but he has matured a bit as well.

Music magazine Front Cover Analysis

Front cover analysis

The cover of this edition of Q magazine uses Muse as its main attraction, making them more dominant in the page. The caption to their image says; “where no band has gone before” which also relates to the background of the image which shows a space scene. This connotates the idea of the band being ‘out of this world’ and higher than anyone which relates to how this magazine and many others feel about a band as big as Muse, people see them as one of Britain’s or the world’s best bands at the moment so the use of the space background effectively presents this to the audience. The masthead is in the same place as it is in every issues and it the same bold red colour which keeps to the conventions of Q magazine and lets the reader instantly recognise the magazine as one for Q. Also, the bright bold red that it used connotates passion and love which relates to the attitude and lifestyle the magazine cover is trying to show, the artists and the audience are both very passionate about music and the general consensus of views on the magazine is that it has very high quality music and topics. The top of the magazine has a tear effect to separate the main cover subject and the other related stories and shows pull quotes. The tear effect connotates a rebellious theme which relates to the feature stories it is showing because they are about classic punk bands. The audience of this magazine is usually older teens but a lot of people in other audiences read this magazine, old and young. This means the cover is made to appeal to a wide range of readers, this is reflected on the variety of styles of images that are used. The image of muse is made to look more modern and sleek while the ‘punk pig out’ section at the top looks more like a classic punk rock album cover. This appeals to both older and younger audiences so the whole range of readers is targeted and is successfully attracted to the magazine.