Market Research

Mathew.

Music Magazines available in the UK.

• There are several music magazines in the UK that cover multiple genres and tastes. These include: Kerrang!, NME, Q, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Mojo, Mixmag, We Love Pop and Top of the Pops.

Publishers, circulation, readers and mission statements.

• Kerrang!, Q and Mojo are all published by the same company… Bauer Media.

• Kerrang! aim to target people around the 22 year age mark, who are enthusiastic about music and like rock music in particular. They have a circulation of around 44,013.

• Q aim at a target audience around the age of 29, readers of this magazine are usually into Brit-pop but are highly open minded as Q magazine offers quite a lot of fresh and new acts. They have a circulation of around 89,450.

• Mojo aim to target people of the age 37, readers will include people who love to discover new music from a wide range of genres, they will probably have been into music for a ling time as it is for music fanatics who have a long maintained love for it. They have a circulation of around 91,678.

• However, Classic Rock and Metal Hammer are produced by Future.

• Classic Rock’s audience members are of the age 35+ and men. Classic Rock audiences are loyal and engaged fans who are happily influenced by the magazine as 96% of readers report to have taken positive action as a result of the contents. They have a circulation of 71,242.

• Metal Hammer aim to attract young men, with an average age of 22. Their audiences are engaging, responsive and creative as 2/3 of people are creating their own music at their own will. They have a circulation of 41,777.

• Lastly, out of the bunch, on it’s own, is NME magazine- published by ICP| Inspire. NME’s audience is a male majority with an average age of 23. The readers if this magazine are trusting and happy to find new things out. They have a circulation of 33,875.

Textual Analysis:

The Date and Price: this is a

necessary convention- it allows the reader to see whether they have missed an issue, need the issue or already have the issue. The price is also necessary as it shows the reader how much the magazine is; however, it is printed small so that the audience’s attention is now drawn to it as it can often be costly.

Masthead: the font of this title is

cracked from the K letter outwards. This could potentially be onomatopoeia as Karrang! Sounds like something smashing.

Barcode: A barcode is a

common necessity, this allows the potential readers to scan the item and pay for it.

Subheadings: these are used

very often on the front and throughout magazines- they are used initially on the front to entice and engage readers- making them want to read the news that has been published by the media.

Sub-Images: these are images

around the bold, initial picture- used to show what lies within the magazine, what artists the articles are going to address and possible posters. Linking them with cover lines helps to add more information to the images. Often, sub-images are used to show secondary leads for people who are not interested in the main piece.

Buzz Words: these are mainly

used to announce to the reader ‘hot’ topics.

Layout: the layout of this front cover

mainly consists of vibrant reds, blacks and white, this creates a large contrast between black and white which catches the potential readers’ attention. The red could possible be debated to symbolise the passion that Kerrang! have for music and all things rock. Also, the “hot shots” banner placed above an anchorage is used to relate the picture the banner and the information all together.

Main Image: the feature

article photo is very large in comparison to anything else on the page and also has eye contact to interact with the reader, this entices the reader and also alerts people to what the contents of this magazine are going to entail. Also, on this magazine, the Main Image works in tandem with the Buzzword “Hotshots” to create a juxtaposition, thus enticing people even more.

Plugs: these are often used along

side with sub images and sub heading to show the audience the inside without turning from the cover.

Puff: this is a technique used to get

the audience to believe that the music in this magazine is far better than any music in any other magazine meaning that the reader will want that magazine more.

Freebie: freebies are largely

used to make the readers believe that they are getting something more from the magazine than they were first expecting.

Layout: the layout of this page is simple,

mise-en-scene is used to mirror both the article and the picture so it has a more appealing effect on the eyes. The torso and head are the centre piece and the arms are the first column and last. Simplicity is key in this double page spread because it shows how the magazine is set up for it’s audience of a young, average age of 22 who are looking for simple, easy to find, interesting information. The stage light affect as a boarder also helps to instil the idea that Kerrang! are able to recruit large stars for interviews.

Main image: Mise-en-

scene is used- displaying tattoos and an ear plug to further depict the genre of the magazine, showing that the audience are hopefully going to be interested in such music. This idea of black on white is again used but through mise-en-scene this time with the picture on the shirt being a white rose on a black background, on a white shirt.

Centrefold: centrefolds can often divide

pages awkwardly, they separate an image from the text. However, this magazine has used several notions to link them back together; the crossover of the pull quote, the changing room lights boarder affect and the stars around the artist and pull quote.

Pull Quote: a pull quote is often

used to allow the reader to know instantly what the article is about. In this case, Karrang! have extrapolated a quote from the Q&A article to clearly denote how the kind of topic that the article is about.

Buzz Word: the buzz

word on this page is done for a single reason, to alert the reader of further information online… this “NEWS” tells the reader that- if wanted- there is a lot more information to be found.

Drop Caps: A drop cap is

used to draw attention the beginning of the article. As other techniques are used to make the rest of the article look appealing, the drop cap is essential in drawing the readers attention the front/beginning of the text.

Subheadings: these are used

very differently to the front cover. Where they were used on the front cover to show different contents of the magazine, they are used here to highlight where the questions are. This highlight of questions is also done by filling the background colour in too.

Heading: This is used to initiate the typed writing aspect of this page, it helps to invite the reader to start their

consumption of information. Without a heading, the text would look blocked and formal, thus causing the reading to be disinterested in reading it. This is because a magazine is largely used to obtain information through brief articles. A lack of heading makes it look like there is more reading to be done than there actually is.

Plug: these are used to create a

general idea of what this issue of Kerrang! is going to involve, this is depicted as it involved pictures of double page spreads of features artists and bands. Also, there are plugs simply of numbers to allow the reader to quickly locate the page that the featured pictures are, ergo creating efficiency and simplicity.

Subheadings: Plentiful

subheadings can be used to show quite literally what is going to be in the magazine and where to find it.

Main image: the main image

here is a large picture of Taylor Jardine who is the singer of the band We Are The In Crowd… this fits in with her positioning; she has her hands out, stretched to block you from looking anywhere else in the picture and it makes you focus on her face, representing her as the main attraction. This is a very common convention within magazines as it directs the focus and also take up more space on the page.

Buzz word: here, the buzz

word(s) are “Hello Readers”- this gains the readers attention, thus alerting them to the directly addressed message from the Editor of Kerrang!- this makes the magazine feel personal and makes the reader feel more a part of the Kerrang! society. Sub-images: these are used frequently throughout this magazine. This is either to take up space so that the magazine doesn’t get

flooded with writing that is reproduced over and over again and/or it can be used to simply give the reader something to look at and add context the writing.

Puff: this puff is discrete in that it

doesn’t stand out as a puff. The use of reviews means that there have been good things said about this magazine- as many magazines do, they will have left out the bad reviews- and so they are inflating their positive feedback through the dismissal of negative reviews.

Heading: the heading of this

page is used clearly to denote what the “contents” of the page are- the use of denotations are to be simple and efficient and ergo is the outcome of the heading.

Issue number and date: the issue

number and date is printed on the contents page to iterate when and how many Kerrang! issues have been produces so that readers can follow the magazine.

Layout: the layout of this magazine is

designed so that the page is largely dominated by the main thing but there are lots of little aspects to this page that help give the reader relative information.

Subheadings: Subheadings

are used to alert the reader of topics in the magazines and second leads. They can be Q&As, articles etc.- but subheading traditionally are placed with image which further illustrate the subjects. They can even be used as selling lines for more enticement.

Main Image: The main

image on this front page is a close-up of Dave Grohl, this close-up shows him as very large, which in this music genre is very symbolic to his and his bands success. It also purports the type of music this magazine represents.

Freebie: the freebie on this page

can be argued to show what prerogatives are available to the readers of this magazine - knowing what prizes are in store gets the reader to get excited and eager about the magazine.

Sub-Images: there are few sub

images on this front cover; however, they are a convenience and well placed as they are out of the way but linked with kickers and cover lines to create a preview kind of feel, so that the reader understands what this magazine is about.

Buzz Words: “WIN” is used

in this magazine to show instantly something that the reader might be interested in. And “Musical Express” was is used to inspire a feeling that this magazine could take

Masthead: the big NME title is blocky, this mirrors

everything else on the front page and starts to set a tone and theme- the big close up of Dave Grohl and the rest of the big, blocky writing all in boxed form to show subtle sophistication

Layout: Once again, the layout of

this magazine centres around a large main image of big celebrities- Dave Grohl- featuring lots of red, black and white as these are often the colours associated with rock… contrast of white and black showing the often controversial private lives the artists lead and the red representing the passion they have in music. There is also a lot of yellow, that mixed with red creates orange and all three of these colours are often twined to create a fire look- to represent fiery passion.

Plugs: these are sticker looking

things that can contain words or pictures- in this case… pictures AND words- to show the reader the basis of he magazine.

Barcode: allowing the buyer

to scan and pay for the item- this is essential in purchasing more or less ever item in a shop.

The Date and Price: the

barcode traditionally found in a corner on the front of a magazine, this ensures that the reader can see it and find the appropriate information; however, it is out of the way and out of sight when looking at the rest of the cover.

Textual Analysis:

Heading: the

heading here is a pulled quote. It is used here- in a large, bold font- to establish the intensity of the subject as important things are often made large and bold to make it noticed. Also, it has lettering like a newspaper to establish a magazine-y vibe for people who often like to read magazines.

Layout: the layout of this double page spread is very simple; picture on the

right, title up above and the main writing below- with very little crossovers. This simplistic layout makes it easy to see every aspect of the double page spread, with every aspect grabbing the audiences attention, but giving the writing its own space so that the reader can scour it with easy and extract the information they want. Although the main image, heading and main text are all separate, the picture and heading crossing over the centrefold again links them in with each other.

Main image: mise-en-scene is used with the display of tattoos and boyish clothing on a girl to render a link/connection between the writers and the readers as this magazine is aimed at a very specific audience and this audience is likely to dress in the same manner. Also, the use of boyish clothes on a girl brings both sexes together in terms of audience. A very pretty girls dressed head to toe in pink would not attract a man to read the article and on the other hand-A man dressed in very manly, dull clothing would not entice a girl. This combination of a girl in male clothing opens this article up to being read by both sexes. Also, red is a very unisex colour which relates her to both men and women again.

Subheading: the

subheading here is used to add a little more context to the page as the heading does very little for context. Adding context through subheading is generally an often convention as heading are mainly used to grab attention.

Drop Caps: a large,

bold, dropped “I” extends the magazine theme into the main text; this would entice people because continuity is a

Mise-en-scene: the colour of red is used frequently throughout the

whole page on this double page spread- with connotation of anger and irritation- fused with the stance of hands on the hips- with connotations of authority- renders ideas that Lily Allen has a very strong opinion on the matter at hand. This would intrigue readers to want to know what the issue is that has caused her to get so rallied up and annoyed.

Heading & Date: the heading and date work in tandem to alert the reader of the issue and the date,

the heading denotes that this magazine is “this week” and the date- located right underneath- is used to

specify which week it is that this magazine is relating to. Subheadings: a variety

of subheadings are used on this contents page because they all have very different reasons and purposes. First is the “Band Index” this is used to attract many people, people have different interests and especially when it comes to music, so identifying the bands bluntly, straight away will help to attract the right audience. Secondly , subheadings are used to identify pages and there contents, this is used simply to allow the reader to know where to go to read the articles that they are interested in. And lastly, is the use of a subheading to introduce a small, new article that recognises a member of the audience, this is useful because it gets people to read and find out how to get recognised as many people want to have their 15 minutes of fame. Buzz Words: the buzz word

“PLUS” it helping to depict that the audience is getting some extra information and it reels the reader in to see what is extra.

Plug: the yellow on this plug can have connotation of gold as the magazine is telling you that

you can save money (i.e GOLD) if you subscribe today. Ergo, in this context, a pug can be used to show the audience of certain deals that they are liable to obtain.

Masthead: the

masthead is used here to start a theme of red, which is used to highlight main and important areas on the page such as certain pages in the magazine from the contents, the band index and gig guide. This is done so that the audience’s attention is drawn to necessary and important areas of magazine.

Subheadings: Subheadings

on this magazine don’t entice the reader through subject topics like many other magazines. This magazine uses simple artist names to envelope the readers attention, this works by not distracting the reader and just showing them exactly what they want to see… what characters they are wanting.

Main Image: the main

image on this magazine is a large medium close-up of Cheryl Cole. Mise-en-scene is used- through the lipstick- to add to the consensus that Cheryl Cole is attractive as red has connotations of hot and fiery.

Freebie: the freebie on this front

cover is rather unconventional in that… It’s not giving away anything tangible like a sweater or a hat- they are giving the reader a never seen story and a set of unseen pictures. This makes the reader believe they would be obtaining more than they are paying for.Sub-Images: there are no sub-

images on this front cover as it is largely dominated by one character- this suggests that this magazine is set up for older audiences in terms of modern music as this is the genre that Cheryl Cole performs in- which is exactly the age group it is designed for as the median age of readers is 29.

Buzz Words: a buzzword

here is “Introducing”; albeit small, this is affective because is shows the reader what substantial contents they have.

Textual Analysis:Masthead: this masthead is in the form of a

drop cap, this makes it seem as though you are reading the magazine straight away. And often, this will make people want to buy the magazine because they will want to continue reading.

Layout: the subheadings and artist

names are all in block form and are very short and snappy, this means that they want to stick right to the point and leave all the information for inside the magazine. This makes the reader have to buy the magazine to see what is inside- it is often people with money to spare who buy things they know nothing about(“More money than sense” would be the applicable phrase). With money comes connotations of sophistication and also age- which is why this magazine is aimed at people around the age of 29.

Plugs: A plug here is the freebie of

the John Lennon story- being the only plug on the cover makes it stand out and causes attention to be drawn to it, thus highlighting the freebie and making the reader want to buy it more.

Barcode: a lack of barcode on

the front cover could suggest that this image is the most important part of the front cover- such a well known celebrity plastered across the page is used to lure people in to buying it and a relatively large barcode isn’t necessary on the front page; thus, it would just disrupt the image.

The Date and Price: the

date and price- like the barcode- is small as to not distract from the main image but is essential so that the readers are aware of the price and know which issue it is and so they know if they already have it or not.

Layout: the layout of

this magazine is very conventional, a picture on one side and an article on the other. The reason for this is- although the reader has something to look at while reading- the image does not get in the way of the writing and the reader can fold the page over- as many people like to do-without corrupting the ability to read the article in full. Also, the colour of the image is black and white to create a simplistic and appealing match with the black writing- with a white background- on the other page.

Main image: traditionally, nudity in a magazine is very stigmatised.. The

cross over the partially revealing picture of Lady Gaga lets the audience know that the illustrators are aware of the taboo crisis and brings a little piece of mind to the reader. This way there is a little more context added to the article with a wild picture of the artist- with the possible irritation and enraging of the audience being diminished.

Heading: there is a very small

heading on this page. This is because, although the majority of people know who this artist is and don’t need an introduction to the character, others will not know who this is; ergo, they will need a some context- a name.

Colour themes: although there is a theme of black and

white on this double page spread to create a certain feel, people will often feel like there is something missing if it is entirely black and white with no other colour as magazines usually are. The red “L” on this page is used to add this colour to satisfy-conscious or subconscious – the audience’s need for colour.

Drop Caps: Several drop caps are used in this magazine’s

double page spread. As this article is rather blocky and undivided by separating lines, the drop caps are placed in to break up the text and make it look less full and therefore entice the audience by making it look like there is less to read than there actually is.

Heading: the heading on this

contents page has a clear meaning and denotation- CONTENTS. This is often the heading of magazine contents page as there is little extra information and therefore no need for an extra heading.

Colour scheme: the colour red is used a lot on

this page, this is because, unlike a lot of other pages, there is a lot of necessary information; the FEATURES, the band’s names and an extra little piece at the bottom- using any other colour than red would not create the sense of urgency and excitement that the magazine is aiming for.

Layout: there is a very large

difference in the picture to text ratio, with pictures being more predominant than text, this illustrates for the audience how important the acts are in comparison to the text. Also, the heading follows a common convention of going horizontal; whereas, the main text heads vertical-this is done to free up a lot of space for images whilst still getting the needed information on the page.

Main image: the main image is

taking up the majority of this page, this is because the magazine is trying to stress the importance of this character in the music industry- as the Muse are a very well known band. Also, following this idea is the use of mise-en-scene as the artist is dressed in a shiny silver jacket, this could be construed as a way to represent him as worth a lot- and wealthy. Also, there are numbers allocated to each picture on this page, including the main picture so that the audience know which page to look at in order to get the “down-low” on this character- which are also shown at the left of this page in the main text column.

Sub-images: these images are

used to show the diverse music that the magazine covers within it. There is a man who looks a little like Jesus/the pope/Santa, there is a guy at the beach in speedos and there is the main image that shows a man in a satiable, formal attire. These different pictures carry many different connotations and therefore show a variety of music types.

Subheadings: these

subheadings are used to clearly show the location of the articles in the magazine and therefore create simplicity that is a common convention within contents pages. This simplicity allows reader to jump to the pages they want and avoid wasting time going through the pages one by one and getting frustrated.