Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

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MARKET RESEARCH UK Music Magazines – Media Studies Coursework 2015/16

Transcript of Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Page 1: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

MARKET RESEARCHUK Music Magazines – Media Studies Coursework 2015/16

Page 2: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

UK Music MagazinesQ Magazine – Published by Bauer Media Group

• High class magazine spread across almost all genres. Also touches on other aspects of life such as non-musical celebrity interviews, film, fashion and TV-based content.

Kerrang! – Published by Bauer Media Group• Heavy rock focus – focuses purely on music production and

analysis. Famously chaotically presented and is priced at around £2.20

Mixmag – Published by Development Hell Ltd.• Exclusively dance music – also features fashion but is very

concise in its reviews and constantly pursues “good” music of the genre, rather than just the most popular artists that will get the largest readerbase.

Page 3: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Q Magazine• Q is a high-class, contemporary and stylish music

magazine designed for a very sophisticated, musically focused audience.

• It is published by Bauer Media, who produce other such higher-brow publications as Empire, FHM and Grazia.

• Q is famous for its slick, minimalist design and characteristic black, white and red colour scheme.

• Although it primarily features music-based content, Q also covers film, TV and radio reviews. These reviews are often quoted by the content producers in their advertising campaigns, as Q holds a strong reputation as a reliable curator of modern media.

• Q is published monthly at a price of around £3.99. This slightly varies per issue depending on size.

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Q’s Reader Profile29 Years Old: Fairly young, yet old enough to appear more “refined” than the student audience (as is Q’s presentation). This will appeal to students as well as older audiences as this age is not too far from either, so they can identify with this character. Also, this is the age at which most of the population has settled with their interests (e.g. music) and has the disposable income with which to buy (for example) music magazines.

Leeds: Surprisingly, Q has chosen to use a fairly Northern city to appeal to their audience with. Lots of potential readers will live here as it is a fairly young city (lots of students and development), and they (along with those in neighbouring cities as Leeds is very central in the North) will feel connected and at ease with the magazine, encouraging them to buy it.

Socially Active: Chris seems socially prolific and “cool”. This will make readers want to be like him and potentially buy the magazine.

Loves music: Assumedly, Q’s potential audience are going to love music. Thus, they connect with Chris as they share a passion. It suggests that in reading the magazine, they will get to know other music lovers

Attends music events: Chris is shown to enjoy live music, and it is suggested that he has the money and time to spend on attending it regularly. This will further connect with Q’s ideal audience: musically interested and with the income required to attend such events. He’s shown to be a leader in his social circles, which is a desirable role that many readers may want to liken themselves to.

Further income reference: Lets readers know that if they buy Q, they ‘will’ become part of a well-off group who have the time and money to indulge in ‘quality’ and ‘deluxe’ stylings.

Quality: Chris is shown to enjoy high musical quality, which we can safely assume potential readers also will. This puts them in a similar social group, which likens them to each other and makes readers more likely to want to be like Chris and buy the magazine.

Technologically current: The age group Q is aiming at is likely to be up to date with their tech, especially considering their above average income.

High A/B/C1 Percentage: The terms A/B/C1 represent the 3 highest classifications of social status in Britain (in that they perform non-manual work and have high income). The fact that 71.8% of Q’s readers are in these categories tells us that the magazine is aimed at those with higher incomes, who are likely “better educated” than the lower classes.

Higher Median Age: This tells readers that they need not be as young as Chris to enjoy the magazine. 34 is arguably approaching middle age, and by that point in most people’s lives they have settled on a lifestyle, so this age does not alienate any potential audience who will have the money to subscribe to a fairly expensive magazine.

Fairly low employment rate: 70% suggests that the magazine is appropriate for those in work, but also doesn’t alienate those in full-time education or retirement (or redundancy). This maximises potential audience for the publication.

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Front Cover Analysis

Cover lines of most popular/current artists are featured in the left third of the cover – this is naturally the first part of the page that the (western) eye is drawn to, as it follows common reading convention of top left-bottom right. These cover lines are placed here in order to grab the attention of a glancing shopper.The lead cover line of the cover is written in a bright red, handwritten-looking sans serif font. The bright colour fits in with Q’s famous colour scheme and contrasts with the dark background of the artist to draw the reader’s eye. The font makes it look as if the artist has personally signed this copy of the magazine, which makes it seem special and exclusive. It also suggests that the artist was quite personally involved with creating this magazine, so readers can expect very in-depth interviews and content about them. Assuming that they admire the artist, they will want to know such personal information and so they will want to buy the magazine.Barcode – displays magazine price and publishing date in a clear, recognizable format. This lets readers know whether the magazine is current or outdated, and the price will obviously influence their purchase so it is displayed in the same standardised way on every magazine. The barcode itself can be scanned by a cashier in order to sell the magazine.

Numerical plug/puff – bright to attract the eye and is the only artificial shape on the page to be rounded. This makes is seem unique and like it has been added on to the magazine – this appears to the reader as bonus content, which seems more exclusive and valuable even though it has been planned from the start of production. The term “essential!” insinuates that the reader needs to read this, and passively encourages them to read the magazine to find out what it is that they seem like they are missing out on. By making the reader feel like they’re missing out, Q makes the reader feel as if it is a bad thing not to buy the magazine.

Bottom Strip shows other artists that might interest the reader and leads off with an ellipsis, inviting the reader inside to finish the sentence. Every other feature is coloured bright red to show that more than one subject can be found inside. If they were all white, it would seem like one sentence about one subject. This makes the magazine appear fuller and more worthwhile.

The magazine’s recognizable logo/masthead fills a lot of space in the top left of the cover (this is where the western eye is naturally first drawn to upon reading a page). It is simply designed and presented in bold contrasting colours, characteristic of the magazine. This will help to catch the wandering eyes of shoppers or to help regular readers to find the magazine on the shelf. The colour scheme used (black, white and red) is quite classically masculine, but not too characteristically specific of a certain audience (e.g. class or nationality), so as not to exclude any potential audience. The subheading/tagline “Awards Special Edition” makes this specific edition of the magazine seem more exclusive and desirable, and is written in a luxurious serif font similar to the title itself, “Q”. The name “Q” is a play on words, as the term “cue” is used in the music industry to signal the start a performance or recording. This suggests that after reading this title, the reader will be shown a musical performance in form of the magazine itself. It invites the reader inside by telling them that something brilliant is to come, while mentally holding them in their natural habitat of listening to music.

Main/Lead/Splash ImageThis image covers the entire page and features the artist Ed Sheeran. It tells us that he is going to be the main feature of this issue because, as well as the main headline being his name and the fact that this is the only (and largest) image on the front cover. This images serves to catch the eye of his fans, or to make readers who don’t know him wonder who he is and come over to pick up the magazine. The artist is looking up and away from the camera, which makes us instinctively wonder what he is interested in. The image has been edited to make him seem more colourful and attractive, and he appears with his famous guitar to let readers know what kind of musician he is.

Cover lines of lesser known/less currently popular artists put in the right third as have lower read priority, so it doesn’t matter so much if they’re read last.

Simple, recognisable, professional colour scheme hints at class and efficiency, whilst remaining eyecatching and matching with elements of the splash image.

Large “white” space over guitar tells us about the artist, what sort of music to expect to find in the magazine, and to remind us that this magazine is music focused. It also gives the readers eye a resting space so they are not overfaced with text on the cover, and assume that the magazine will be too technical or analytical inside. This lets them know that there will be plenty of nice design and hardware featured.

This headline implies that this edition of Q features the best musical content of the entire year, so seems very desirable to anyone interested in the development of music. The subline tells us that these articles will be in depth and personal as they were co-created by the artists they are about.

The photograph itself is a medium, eye level shot of the artist with his instrument (prop) in simple, but stylish modern costume. It is lit from above, giving the artist an almost heavenly quality, suggesting that he is very good at what he does.

All fonts on the page are sans serif, excluding the masthead, tagline and splash feature “Ed Sheeran”. This is likely for enhanced readability, as it makes the words very clear so that readers are attracted by the big names and don’t just skim over any difficult looking ones.

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Contents Page AnalysisColour scheme continues from front page, but headings are minimized to make way for content

Large image of main featured band gets readers interested – they may open to this page in the shop so if they are shown a band they know, they are more likely to buy the magazine. Also provides “white space” so that readers are not put off by a wall of text as they open the magazine. Band are posed using direct address to attract the readers’ attention. Also, the photo is labelled “The Courteneers” to tell readers who these people are, but this is also presented the same way as all the other articles with a page number and short description. This promises readers that each article will have as much detail as this one.

List of each article with page numbers and short descriptions – shows the reader what is available to them and gets them right into the articles they want to read. Also shows off best articles too draw readers in if they have a “flick through” in the shop.

Common features repeated in every issue – gives reliability and makes the magazine seem more professional and established

Dateline (Date and Issue No.) – Lets readers know whether or not this issue is recent, which will give them context for what they are about to read. This is in the same place for each issue Stating only the month and year reinforces the idea that this is a monthly publication.

The magazine is split in two: this review section is presented as separate as it deals with a different side of the music content. Repetition of the “Q” logo reinforces the brand and builds brand loyalty.

Special edition features listen in luxurious gold font – adds value to the publication and emphasizes exclusivity. These features are also grouped together so that they can be accessed easily by those interested, as this is likely why some readers have bought this specific edition

Gold subtitle is positioned half way down the left of the page, and contrasts from the rest of the colour scheme in order to draw attention to itself, as Oasis are a big name in music so reading this will tempt in a large audience of their fans

Both parts of the magazine have a featured photo to represent what they are each about. The larger image is for the more stylish celebrity-focused portion of the magazine, where the smaller image is more reserved as the review portion of the magazine is less bothered about the glam of the bands, instead analysing the way music is constructed.

This photo is a side/naturally lit long shot featuring no props but instead the band stood in direct address in an unusual environment. The band occupy the upper half of the photo, so we can consider it a low-angle shot as the band are also looking slightly down on us. This emphasizes power or proficiency in their art. The chosen costumes are fairly plain, so do not detract attention from the band’s physical appearance.

This photo is a backlit, long eye level shot, featuring an extravagant costume and direct address in a more refined location than the one above. This is likely because Nick Cave is a much more refined artist.

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Double Page Spread Analysis Background Image shows artists' heritage – associates article with country of issue (UK) and personally relates to readers, making them feel at home with the article.

Drop Cap draws the readers attention to the start of the article, and leaves them wondering what the rest of the word is, so they are likely to read on into the article once they have started. This is an effective way of leading readers into an otherwise intimidatingly large piece of unbroken text. This drop cap is also very similar to the magazine’s logo and shares its colour scheme.

Pull Quote of a lyrical parody of Justin Timberlake’s “sexyback” – entertaining to music fans and gives a preview into the sort of fun tone the article is written in. Implies on the return of the artist (the words “I’M BACK” are larger than the rest of the quote), and so intrigues readers as to what he has to say.

Not direct address, but the artist is posed as he appears at concerts with his guitar (as fans know him), and his eyes are set on something. This could be metaphorical for him looking to future goals in his musical career, which suits the article as that is what it talks about.

Brief Summary introduces readers to the artist if they don’t already know him. This helps to interest more than just the fans of this particular artist, and gives a bit of background to those who do.

Short sub-headline introduces the artist and asks the reader a rhetorical question. Answering this question requires them to read into the article to find out, so this creates a desire in the readers mind to read on. This also shows readers that the magazine is informative, rather than just a useless pastime. If the reader now realises that they have learnt something, they will want to read on

Artist’s outfit and appearance reflects the colour scheme of the magazine. Black (grey), white and a reddish-orange. The surrounding image is also edited to compliment these sorts of colours, so the whole page seems to flow together and appears cohesive. The article is

spread over one page, while the other is used for the headline and artist photograph. This offers ease of reading while still remaining visually impressive.

The bottom outer corner of each page states the page number, month of issue and also shows the magazine logo. This helps readers to navigate their way around the magazine, as well as to know how recently the magazine was issued. This will inform them as to whether or not the information discussed is still accurate. Also, repetition of the magazine logo builds brand loyalty, encouraging future purchase of the magazine

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Kerrang!’s Reader Profile 22 Years Old: This suggests that Jim has either just entered the world of work, or is studying at university. This age group are often attributed to rock music, and any potential readers in this group will identify with Jim and want to purchase the magazine.

Rock Music: It is very clearly stated that Kerrang! is a rock-focused magazine. This is quite a broad genre, so will not alienate those only interested in specific types of rock, but it will make readers feel as if they have found the right magazine for them.

The Kerrang! Reader is shown to be extremely passionate about his music, which we can assume someone who will give the money and time into reading a magazine dedicated to it will be too. This helps with character identification as the audience reading this may find that they share some of the tropes Jim is shown to have here.

“THEIR” is referring to Jim’s favourite band. This nonspecific term allows the reader to put their current favourite artist name in place of “THEIR” and further connect with Jim. This will suggest to them that others who read this magazine will like the same type of music that they do, and it builds a sense of community that encourages readers to buy the magazine and feel part of a special group.

Rock often carries with it a strong fashion sense, which readers will identify with as they are likely to serve the same role as Jim in their social circles.

Generally, Jim is described as a strong, cool member of society, which many readers will aspire to be. This carries across the idea that if they, too, read Kerrang!, then maybe they can be like Jim and become a better person by expressing themselves further. Of course, this is nonsense but it encourages readers as they subconsciously believe that buying the magazine will make them a better person.

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Front Cover AnalysisBright eyecatching colour scheme – contrasting colours draw the readers eye. This scheme is present throughout graphic designs, text colours, puffs and even artist costumes (yellow on Cobain’s shirt, white and red on Mercury) This makes the magazine stand out in the shop and reflects the bright, bold attitude the magazine is written in and its subject matter. These colours are often associated with danger, which both grab the readers attention and fit in with the commonly dangerous themes that come with rock music and culture.

Top strip shows magazine contents. Key words are presented in larger, more eyecatching text and alongside artist faces in order to catch the attention of their fans. Classic tabloid style puffs “Rock Shocker!” and “World Exclusive!” interest readers and increase the apparent value of the magazine. The way the top strip is also set back and made to appear as if torn away fits with the main aesthetic of the magazine; rough and grungy.

The Kerrang! Logo/masthead is made to appear smashed, and stands out from the darker background in bright white with black highlights. The shattered look fits with the style of music the magazine discusses, and it seems much more weathered than Q or Mixmag. In the eyes of its readers, this is a good thing as rock often claims to celebrate raw emotion more than other genres.

The masthead is actually obstructed by this arrangement of prolific artists in direct address, many of whom potential readers will recognise. This technique is employed by quite a large number of magazines, especially those like Kerrang! which are going for a chaotic appearance. This makes it seem like the magazine is less of an organisation and more authentic/passionate about music. This is so that readers feel personally connected with the magazine and build brand loyalty. If the magazine can also make readers feel close to and on the same level as their heroes (all of these shots are medium close up, and at eye level), then they are likely to buy it.

Cover line/Numerical Plug/Splash Feature addresses the reader directly “you” and gives the imperative “need”, implying that anyone reading this cover must buy the magazine to read its contents. The skull and gravestone graphics also link into the meaning of the words (theme of death) and the numerical aspect makes readers wonder what number 1 will be, so they feel intrigued and are likely to take a look inside.

Lots of different photos of different artists – appeals to a wide fanbase and is visually attractive. This number of different images suggests that the magazine will have a lot of varied content.

Cover Lines lead with artist name, ask rhetorical questions etc. to interest readers. More visual links to language used, all use same colour scheme but different colours within that scheme are used to make certain words stand out

Competition puff offers the reader a chance to directly profit from reading the magazine. Classic spiked sticker shape and this puff is placed onto a black background to make it extra prominent. Notice how all the biggest/most tempting features are shown in yellow.

Further direct address makes the magazine feel personal to each reader, and insinuates that the magazine will fulfil their tastes.

Bottom Strip lists big names in the genre, hoping to catch the eye of their many fans.

Most of the magazine’s contents are listed in the left third of the cover. This is likely because this is where the reader will first look and it is best to catch their attention here before they move on to another magazine.

Page 10: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Kerrang! Contents Page AnalysisHuge image of the magazine’s main article lets fans recognise their band and also gives a preview of the article itself – if a reader is flicking through in the shop, they will see how fleshed out this part of the magazine is and want to buy it. This is a medium long shot which shows off the motion of the subject, while still providing enough detail to show off their outfit and ensure recognition.

“This Week” makes the magazine’s contents seem up to date and current.

Editor’s Note personifies the magazine and makes the reader feel cared for. This heightens exclusivity and shows that care goes into making the magazine. The handwritten signature reminds the reader that real effort has been put into making this publication and that the editor is proud of it.

Contents are separated by style rather than band. This simplifies reading and quickly lays out what the magazine has to offer.

Masthead font carries through the magazine to other headings. This creates a sense of continuity and lets readers know where to look first to learn what the page is. The photo itself is very

dark, which reflects the tones covered in the publication. The titles all stand out against the dark background as they are contrasting colours

Advertising for subscription to the magazine encourages further dedication and expenditure – ensures that readers buy every issue when it is released, and so increases income for the publisher.

Page is split into two sections, one for main feature and one for the rest of the magazine. This makes the main feature seem more important and special as it deserves its own section.

These page previews tempt readers to turn to the listed pages as they are most likely the most visually striking in the magazine. They all share similar dark, monochromatic colour schemes which gives the magazine a consistent and professional edge.

Page 11: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Kerrang! Double Page Spread AnalysisEntire spread uses only three colours. That black and red are very dark and contrast the white for ease of reading and to fit in with the dark tone of the magazine. This could also suggest themes of mystery and nostalgia, which are akin to those in the article.

Large artist images reflect the idea that the band are working hard (as detailed in the article) as the artists look determined and are not posing for their photos (candid). They are also posed with their instruments, and in performance costume as that is how readers will recognise them. These are both slight low angle shots, so still allow the reader to look up to the artists while giving full view of their appearance. They are all fairly dimly lit from single light sources, which suggest themes of sadness and struggle (as the band are experiencing).

Direct pull quote from the band makes it seem as if they are talking to the reader directly – contributes to exclusivity and makes the article seem more authentic.

Short reviews of new tracks – trying to accustom readers to the bands new sound by likening them to their old music. Magazines like this serve the purpose of guiding and encouraging its readers through new musical developments, which is partly why bands love to be featured in them.

The article quite long, but lot of this spread is taken up by images in order to catch readers attention. Hence, a very small font size has been utilized.

Comical puffs add a lighter edge to the article which could otherwise come across as intimidating. Many of these little comments are present throughout the magazine, and they add a personal edge to its presentation, as if a friend is reading the magazine alongside the reader and commenting on its contents.

Very small page numbers and magazine title for navigation and brand loyalty by constantly reminding the reader whose magazine they are reading(as before)

Direct address is not used here as the band are changing their style, so are made to seem distant and somewhat mournful for their past (black and white)

The term news is present to tell the reader that the magazine is updating them on recent events, and that otherwise they may have missed out on this important information. This creates a dependency upon the magazine, encouraging future purchase. A weblink is also present to increase traffic to the Kerrang! Website: an example of cross-media convergence.

“World Exclusive” tells the reader that they cannot get this information anywhere else, which will encourage them to buy Kerrang! In future in hope of more content they would have otherwise missed out on. It is presented on a star-studded film roll to liken it to the Hollywood glam of celebrity news that enchants so many people around the world.

Page 12: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Mixmag’s Reader ProfileMixmag’s readers are massively more likely to be male than female. This could be because the genres it covers are enjoyed more by men, but I think it is more likely that women buy fewer music magazines as a whole, considering that the other two publications I have studied are also male dominated.

The age 24 suggests that Mixmag’s readers are very young, but old enough to drink and do most things one would need to go on nights out. The dance and electronic music it discusses are mostly played in clubs and bars, which are vastly dominated by this age group as they have the time, energy and freedom to go out.

Although previously stated to be mostly male, more female fans are shown here than male fans. This could be to attract more of the male audience, as these girls are all stylish and attractive and young men might like to think that by being a fan of this magazine, they might get a chance to meet such people.

Mixmag’s readers are written here to be independent social leaders, both in their fashion and musical lives which we can expect them to be as they must be very extroverted to go out and dance to the music they love. This will resonate with anyone who already is, or wants to be like this.

Mixmag readers are also very up to date with technology. This could partly be because electronic music is created using masses of it, but more likely because they are almost exclusively part of the digital generation. Electronic and dance music is very rarely enjoyed by older generations.

Because it is so commonly associated with an extravagant and fashionable social life, dance music fans have a very high average rate of income.

These statistics suggest that Mixmag readers are very single-minded in their music choices, and that they are very active people who have plenty to do. This suggests that the magazine might be quite concise because readers may not have the time to read a longer publication.

Page 13: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Front Cover Analysis

Striking monochromatic cyan colour scheme stands out and fits with the futuristic, clean and electronic house theme of the magazine. This particular shade of blue is often associated with electronics and so is fitting to use in a dance magazine.

The “Special Issue” tagline makes the magazine seem more than it is. Really, it’s just another artist to study, but Daft Punk’s prominence and importance in the genre will attract a wide audience of readers, even those who are not too dance-inspired so Mixmag makes a big splash feature out of them in order to sell more copies.Striking, futuristic splash feature font choice seems to stand out from the page, reaching out to the reader and getting their attention.

The term “Legacy” (although just the name of the new soundtrack) brings with it feelings of professionalism, excellence and prolificacy. All of which are sought after attributes in the music industry, and will entice unknowing readers by suggesting that this issue of Mixmag documents Daft Punk’s entire discography.

A mixture of direct and indirect address holds the reader whilst showing that the duo are hard at work, and that this magazine contains their music.

Outfits befitting of the genre, the band are presented as if they are performing a set in their recognisable costumes and the backdrop even resembles one of their famous stages (Alive 2007). This may be pure coincidence or a callback to die hard fans, which would make them feel exclusive for knowing the reference and encourage their purchase through means of positive recognition

Free CD plug offers the reader a reward for buying the magazine, and is positioned so that it stands out from the black background (any other features of the same colour are very far away) and coloured so that the word “free” stands out and draws the reader’s eye.

“The World’s Biggest” is a claim which tells readers that if they want to buy any dance magazine, it should logically be this one. This is effective because if a reader is comparing this to any other dance magazine, they are more likely to choose this one as it has the most content, and likely the most funding/access to big artists. It also serves to tell readers exactly what sort of magazine this is, so is positioned at the top of the page to tell them as soon as they start reading.

“Your…clubbing guide” subliminally gets the reader to believe that they should already own this magazine. They feel a duty to buy it, and may also purchase in order to get help in the clubbing world if it intimidates them or if they are new to the genre. The imperative “Don’t stay in.” uses negative discouragement to make the reader believe that this is the right thing to do, and that the magazine is full of similar good information. The fire escape sign next to this statement suggests that the magazine will provide an escape for them; something which we all seek after so they will be more likely to buy the issue.

The masthead is written in a clear, semi-retro yet semi-futuristic font. This fits with the genre of the magazine because it has been around for a very long time, yet this font would not seem out of place in either time.

Puff advertises special contents, but invites the reader to open the magazine to see them. Party planners are featured because dance/clubbing fans are likely to have a lot of parties, so this feature is tailored specifically to them

White text stands out from the rest of the splash feature, instantly telling the reader what the article is about as this is where their eye will first most likely be drawn.Barcode, price and dateline are all clustered together so that all “official” information does not break up the flow of the rest of the page. Note that “Overseas” price is listen alongside the UK price, so we know that Development Hell Ltd must export their magazines to other countries.

Most content is placed in the right third, because the most important part of this issue is the fact that Daft Punk are featured.

Page 14: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Contents Page Analysis

Mostly monochromatic colour scheme, as with the house theme but the highlights of yellow and magenta are contrasting colours, which are also characteristic of the genre in their bright, ostentatious presentation.

Contents and dateline fonts represent different eras of the genre. “Contents” is in brighter white and bold because it is more likely what the reader wants to see. Although technically more important, the dateline isn’t what people buy the magazine for.Smaller review of the front cover gives credit to photographer, stylist and grooming team for the featured model. This shows that the magazine cares about its producers, and assumedly audience. This may also attract more similarly trained professionals to apply to work at Mixmag if they see that they will get such publicity.

Contents are written in a very precise, minimalist font. The lack of capital letters on the headings is a very modern convention, and could even be considered “fashionable”.

Contents are split by genre of article, and the magazine has a whole section on fashion which is surprising for a music magazine. This is because readers of Mixmag are most likely to be interested in fashion than other magazines thanks to their interest in clubbing and social presentation. Such crowd pleasers are often found throughout all sorts of magazines if they are general enough for a whole audience to enjoy.

Vintage-looking photo is a deliberate choice, as it takes a modern artist and puts him in the era of the start of dance, implying that he is innovative and that readers should go read about him. Direct address makes the reader feel connected to the article and pulls them in.

Photo blends with the background to make the magazine feel more cohesive and well constructed.

Retrofuturistic font again links with genre but is not explicitly stated to be a page number. This is clearly a style choice, but is rather difficult to read if unfamiliar to the reader. Small artist name suggests that it is not the artist that is designed to attract readers here, but instead his appearance. This is most likely because at the time Porter Robinson was a very small artist, but has since exploded in popularity. This number is presented in the same colours as the text in order to associate it with its informational value.

Memorable web address provides the assumedly tech-savvy young readers with another access point to the magazine. This is another example of cross-media convergence.

Visually striking page previews tempt readers in by having very little description accompanying them. This creates a sense of mystique and wonder within the magazine, as readers now actively want to find out what purpose these images serve. Each of the photos we see here are either from the features or fashion sections. We can assume either that these are the most popular sections, or simply that the others contain very little imagery.

Page 15: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Double Page Spread AnalysisClassy sans serif cover line makes a pun to entertain readers whilst still informing them of who the article is about.

Semi-opaque text filter lays over half (one page) of the image. This retains visual lustre while providing an even coloured area in which text can be clearly read thanks to its high contrast with the white font. This is necessary because the font chosen is very fine and small.

Very low angle shot of the artist posed as relaxed, yet almost disapproving in direct address suggests his pride and power in the genre. This couples with an expensive, conservative costume and ostentatious location to create an image of excellence and superiority, as the artist often presents himself. This is also a play on words as he is in a house similar to that which a real Duke might live.

Dramatic single-source key lighting casts dramatic shadows up and away from the camera.

Colour scheme follows house style of black/grey and white with one key colour (in this case green). Magazines such as Kerrang! often feature far more different colours. Serif tagline reads in a far more casual tone of writing, which pulls readers into the article with a sense of security. This line still contains an imperative statement however, which keeps the article serious and informative.

Artist name is highlighted in bold to make a verbal connection with the cover line and introduce readers to the artist.

Offhand pose keeps a casual tone to the photo, so as not to scare the reader off.

Use of perspective makes the artist appear as tall as the staircase itself, further enhancing the air of power he holds.

List of similarly named artists adds comedic value, but also provides an opportunity for readers who don’t know Duke Dumont to recognise a name and feel at home with the article. Each of the artist photos here are presented in black and white, to separate them from the article which is in full colour. This colour disparity reminds the reader that this is not part of the main article.

The article itself is compressed onto a single page, producing an attractive looking spread that dedicated fans will still read, but doesn’t exactly invite the wandering eye. This could be intentional, given the spread’s exclusive tone, but I feel that some page space should have been sacrificed from the “The Aristocrats” feature to upscale this text and get more readers.

Page 16: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Conventions – Front Pages• Clear, but stylised masthead positioned top left of the page.• Large, sans serif fonts befitting of genre and tone (house style)• Large image of artists central on the page with a stylised splash feature

clarifying who they are. Image features direct address and genre-appropriate costume/props.

• Puffs, plugs and cover lines line the left and right thirds of the page, advertising the magazine’s contents.

• Use of numerical plugs (e.g. “50 Albums of 2014”), exciting taglines (e.g. Special Issue, Exclusive!, Special Awards Edition) and competitions (e.g. Win!) draws the reader in.

• Simple, eyecatching high contrast colour scheme throughout the image, graphics and surrounding text ties the cover together and makes it noticeable.

• Barcode, dateline, price usually listed together in the bottom right of the page.• Most important/valuable features are shown on top right to be read first.• Imperatives make the reader feel left out or dutiful to read the magazine.• Top and bottom strips quickly list general contents.

Page 17: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Conventions – Contents Pages• Sans serif fonts continue from the cover as this page is designed to

convey information quickly and interest/direct the reader.• Contents are divided up into different genres/types, similar to an

index to provide most information in shortest amount of time.• Editor’s note is often featured here to make the magazine feel

personal.• Most important text is highlighted in a different colour to provide an

overview of the page with a glance.• Page numbers on every feature.• Contents usually found in left third of the page to be read first.• Usually one or two large photos in the background, often of the same

artist from the front cover.• Common features are repeated in each magazine – gives a feel of

continuity and reliability to the magazine.

Page 18: Market Research and Textual Analysis of UK Music Magazines (Media Studies Coursework 2016)

Conventions – Double Page Spreads• Huge artist image from front cover often in direct address or

performing. • Article is printed in small, clear font on one page.• Article is arranged into two or three columns.• Each page is clearly set out into thirds, not all of which contain text.• Large pull quote from the article interest the reader as to their

context, imploring them to read.• Drop cap at beginning of article leads the reader in.• Colour scheme and fonts etc. (house style) continues from the

cover.• Article is written in a semi-casual tone which seems personal and

involving to the artist and reader alike.• Article is made to seem exclusive to the magazine so readers think

they can’t go anywhere else to get this information.