market research of existing music magazines

By Charlotte Griffin

Music magazines available in the UK:

• Kerrang!• Classic Rock• Metal Hammer• Q• NME• Mojo• Top Of The Pops• BBC Music Magazine• and many more…

Complete list of music magazines

• ‘BBC Music Magazine is the world’s best-selling classical music magazine’ says their website. http://subscribe.classical-music.com/?utm_source=google-http://subscribe.classical-music.com&utm_medium=ppc-exact&utm_term=bbc-music-magazine&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=Cj0KEQiA-aujBRDqj772vpGfgooBEiQAzWAZUit45DwqpHttMmepQb4MSRzlGE95HWHvYCnLMqcz8IYaAjo_8P8HAQ

• Aimed at ‘classical music connoisseurs and new enthusiasts’.• Immediate Media Co publishes the BBC Music Magazine, and

overall publishes 34 websites and 50 magazines, with over 1 million subscribers, a brand reach of 11 million UK consumers.

• The magazine’s total circulation (print and digital) is 41,226.

A brown and orange colour theme flows throughout the magazine so can be seen not only on the front cover, but the contents page and double page spread I have found. These colours create a warm and comfortable feel to relax their readers

The banner is used to show more information that can be found inside and to entice the target market to buy the product

The headline is used to show what the main item in the magazine will be. It has been written it capitals to make it stand out from the rest of the text.

The use of visual banners contributes to the classical feel of the magazine therefore complimenting the style of music the magazine is about

Front cover:

The graphic designer of the magazine feels confident enough about the brand of the product that they can cover up part of the mast head

A serif font is used on the mast head to create a fluid shape that compliments the genre of music they associate themselves with

The text has been written is white to stand out from their colour themes

The cover lines show to the reader what is inside, enticing them to buy the magazine to find out more

The bar code is a convention for the use of retailers

The price is a common convention expected on all magazines. It is written in a small font as the company do not want that to stand out and discourage the target market from buying the product

The buzz word ‘plus’ in capitals, a larger font and red lettering stands out to avoid it being hidden in the bottom corner and to attract the audience’s attention to that item

The brown and orange colour theme is continued on the contents page which creates fluidity and professionalism

White text is also a recurring theme throughout this magazine as it is a contrast against the background colours making it easier to read. It is also written in a large font as some of their readers will be elderly people who may have trouble reading small text

A big image is used that runs over two columns to make it stand out and fill any unnecessary white space

Different shaped images have been used to contrast the uniformity of the columns

Text is used to explain the purpose of each image

Contents page:

Images are used to split up the text, add colour to the page and to illustrate what else will be found inside

As BBC Music Magazine is a monthly magazine, rather than putting the full date of issue, it simply puts the month to identify which product it is

Subtitles are used to categorise sections of the magazine to make it easier for the reader to find a specific article they are looking for. They are written in capitals to make them stand out from the rest of the text

Columns have been used in the contents page as it is a layout the reader is used to and to keep the text tidy. This column layout has also been used to place the images on the page so that it doesn’t look chaotic or messy

A pun is used as the headline on this double page spread to introduce the reader to this article. Changing a popular song lyric to a headline shows the reader that the writer has musical knowledge

The graphology of this headline is different from the rest of the text as the font has a medieval script feel about it, using crosses and differently shaped letters. This compliments the word ‘knight’ as it all relates to the same semantic field

Columns have been used on this page to keep the text neat and organised, but also to create a shape

The first letter of this paragraph is a drop cap (a larger size and fills the length of three lines of text). This makes the paragraph stand out and look more appealing to read. It also indicates that it is an important paragraph

The recurring theme of white text is continued in this article as it stands out form the dark background so is easy to read

The name of the magazine and page number is placed in the bottom corner of both pages

Double page spread:

The orange lighting and brown setting in the background keeps the colour theme flowing throughout the issue, making it seem professional but also creating a warm, cosy atmosphere

The column layout has been carried on into the image using the vertical lines in the background and the position of the man

This double page spread goes against the convention of placing the text on the right hand side of the page and the image on the left, perhaps to make it stand out when a reader is looking through the magazine

• ‘Launched in 1952, the New Musical Express is the world's greatest and most influential weekly music magazine, known globally as the NME’ their website claims. http://www.nme-magazine.com/about_us/

• In it’s ‘about us’ section is talks about indie, rock and britpop, so it can be assumed that the audience are young adults with passions for these styles of music.

• Their mission statement is ‘to provide up to date and new information, reviews and listings of the best new music’.

• Their slogan is "first for music news“.• NME’s circulation is 19,491.• IPC Group Limited publishes NME along with over 100

different magazine brands and is the UK’s leading consumer Magazine Producer.

A sans serif font has been used on their masthead to make it look clean cut and bold, suggesting the same standards for their product

Buzz words such as‘Exclusive’ draw in the audience as it makesthe consumer feel more involved. It also creates the impression that this is the only place you can find out the information, persuading the consumer to buy it

The dominant image covers the majority of the page. The image is a mid shot of a well known musician, used to attract an audience interested in the style of music that he is known for. He is wearing black clothing and has black hair, meaning that he contrasts, therefore stands out from, the light blue background

The subheading is in a slightly larger font than most of the text so that it stands out when the consumer first sees the magazine. It usually shows the main content of the product

Front cover:

The colours used (blue, red, and black) suggests that the primary audience is male, as they are stereotypically masculine colours. In my research I have found that 73% of their readership are males

Two sub images have been used to give the audience a taster of what is inside the product. It also fills any empty space to make the cover more interesting and look more appealing

The date and price is a convention expected on all magazines. The price is in a smaller font as the company does not want it to stand out as it is not appealing to the audience

The barcode is a commonconvention used so that the consumer can purchase the product

The subheadings are used to group the text making it more organised and easier for the reader to understand. The subheadings are written in a larger font so they stand out

A column structure has been used to keep the page organised. The NME advertisement runs across two columns showing that the are not rigid rules to follow

‘The UK’s No 1 Gig Guide’ could be NME magazine’s unique selling point (USP), so placing it on a bright red background in a shape that stands out highlights it’s prominence in the magazine and draws the readers eye

The date is a convention in all magazines to make it easier for both audience and manufacturers to identify the specific issue of the magazine

Contents page:

Their masthead is used as a logo on the contents page to reiterate the brand name

The colour theme of black and red is carried on in the contents page to create continuity and show professionalism The band index is a weekly

convention used in NME magazines to make it easier for music fans to find their favourite bands. This creates ease of access for the readers

A drop cap is used for decorative purposes in modern magazines, but they were originally used in old newspapers to show where the article started as the pages were crammed with text

Columns have been used to organise the main body of the text, grouping relevant points together therefore making the article easier to read

In the introduction to the article people’s names have been put in bold to make them stand out from the rest of the text making it easier for the reader to notice them

Using a quotation as the title gives the article an atmosphere of importance and relevance as it suggests that the journalist has had direct contact with the subject of the text

The title causes the audience to ask questions and makes them curious as to what may be discussed in the main body of text, causing them to continue reading

The page number has been placed in the bottom right hand corner to make it easier for the reader to see when they are flicking through the magazine

Double page spread:

Placing the image on the left is a convention in magazines as it causes the reader to see the image before reading the text because in our language the eye moves to read from left to right. The image is used to capture the audience's attention and in most cases show who or what the article on the right is about

A studio shot is used as it will have been taken with specific requirements to fit in with the themes and ideals of NME magazine

A sepia image has been used in this double page spread to suggest ideas of ageing and going back in time, this idea links back to the title of the article ‘It keeps dragging me back’. Music lovers will know that David Bowie was most popular during the 70’s so that is probably when the photograph was taken

• They claim that they are ‘the UK’s biggest music magazine’ and are ‘the arbiter of taste, standing for music of substance across all platforms’. http://www.qthemusic.com/

• Q magazine also say that their ‘influence is unquestioned and its opinions are so trusted that they shape the views of artists and readers alike’.

• Their circulation is 89,450.• Their audience is ‘younger and more affluent than any

other music monthly’ according to them.

Q magazine’s masthead and slogan, ‘discover great music’, has been slightly covered up by the image of Adele, showing that they are confident of their brand as it can be partially hidden but is still recognisable to their readers

The Q magazine masthead has a bright red background to make it stand out on a shelf full of magazines. Red is often used to represent passion, implying that this magazine is passionate about their product

The studio image has been taken so that her hair frames her face creating a natural border

Adele’s hair has a red tint to it’s colour, which contributes to the red colour theme that runs throughout the magazine

The image shows her looking directly at the audience giving the reader a sense of personal interaction, encouraging them to buy the magazine

The three subheadings have been grouped together in a rectangle to keep the cover free from clutter and make the image the prominent feature

This magazine is not afraid to use white space, making the layout clearer and less chaotic

The background behind the heading is dark, so the text is written in white to stand out and make it easy to read. The use of white could also be symbolic. This colour suggests innocence and honesty, perhaps implying that the contents of this magazine are honest

Front cover:

The use of gold on the front cover gives a sense of the product being precious and rare, encouraging the audience to buy it

In the golden circle they mention what could be their USP for this issue- an introduction by Paul McCartney. This stands out because of the gold and his name gives the issue a sense of importance

The barcode is placed in the bottom corner for easy access and to prevent it from spoiling the aesthetics of the cover

Alliteration has been used in the phrase ‘Bono’s Bum Deal’ to make the subtitle more memorable

Their logo is used twice on this contents page to get it into the readers’ head and make it recognisable

The banner has a black background giving the page a sense of formality and importance

The month and year of the release of this issue have been placed in the banner in the top left corner, making it easy to find but keeping it out of the way from the main body of text.

The image covers a large percentage of the page, showing that the article concerning the image is the main item in the magazine

A column layout has been used to keep the page organised and to group relevant sections together. The image compliments these columns by creating vertical lines that run down the page

One of the people in the image is wearing a pair of red brown shoes, contributing to the colour theme

The subtitles have been written in capitals and a larger font than the rest of the text to make them stand out from the page

Contents page:

The ‘Q list’ and ‘Q mail’ are two examples shown on this contents page of the magazine creating its own identity and making it seem like its contents are exclusive to this magazine- they cannot be found in any other media product

The buzz word ‘special’ has been used to capture the reader’s attention. The subtitle, page numbers and border of this section are all in gold, suggesting it is rare and valuable.

The red colour theme has been carried on in the contents page making it look professional and well thought-out

A convention in Q magazine is to place the first letter of the musicians name on top of the text. This is in red, making the colour theme more consistent. The ‘J’ highlights that the article is about Jay-Z

The article was written to entertain and inform the reader

Columns and paragraphs have been used to organise the text into groups. The columns structure has been used throughout the whole double page spread, with the quote in the corner of the image in a column and the red lighting splitting the page in half. This red lighting also contributes to the redcolour theme of the magazine

The logo of Q magazine, the page number, and the month and year of it’s release (as it is a monthly magazine) are placed in the bottom left hand corner. This keeps them out of the way and prevents them from ruining the over all aesthetics of the page

The two drop caps indicate the start of an important paragraph and makes them stand out from the rest of the text

This magazine uses a lot of block text showing that they have a lot to say about this subject and that the reader wants to find out all this information in detail

Double page spread:

A studio shot has been used because the image was taken specifically for this magazine so it has been designed to fit in with Q magazine’s style

The quote in the corner of the image is used to get the readers attention and make them interested in what the main body of text has to say

Common aspects in front covers:

• Image covering majority of page• Masthead at top of page• Subheadings• Studio image• Bar code and price in bottom corner• Sub images• Buzz words• Date of release• Colour theme

Common aspects in contents pages:

• Large image• Colour theme• Subheadings in a larger font• Column layout• A number of smaller images• Date• Masthead/logo• Grouped according to topic

Common aspects in double page spreads:

• Colour theme• Large image on left• Title• Studio shot• Drop caps• Page number• Column layout

Aspects I aim to use in my magazine:

• Front cover:o Image covering majority of pageo Masthead at top of pageo Bar code and price in bottom cornero Colour theme

• Contents page:o Large imageo Colour themeo Subheadings in a larger fonto Column layout

• Double page spread:o Colour themeo Titleo Studio shoto Column layout