Music Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis

As I have found out from researching double page spreads to analyse, most tend to keep the writing to one side and the image to the other. The image above does not show this as there is lots of images with text all around it. However the article goes across to the next pages so we do not know how it is continued.

A lot of articles are based around questions and answers, especially in an interview which is more likely because we are looking at music magazines where the institution of it wants to give readers the up to date gossip on key figures that industry. However we do have to take into account that there are articles in music magazines which are not to the question and answer format but more as an informative piece or a debating one. Like the article above is more of an interview (question and answer) piece.

The font used for the features headline is usually in a different font that makes it stand out. Also the serif font relates to the type of music the article is about. For instance like this one where it's about a contemporary music band the serif font is quirky and modern. Whereas if the music magazine was for rock music the serif font would take on a more gothic style.

The colours that have been chosen interlink with each other as the band members are all wearing black clothing. The headline uses these colours to tie it all in.

The picture of the band has been taken as a medium long shot. This means that the majority of someone’s body is viewable. Using a medium long shot gives the reader a sense that the image is dominant in a sense but unknown world wide, yet reinforces the importance of this feature being about them.

I think this double page spread gives of a modern feel relatable to the magazine and the band it has interviewed. I think the use of serif font and colour work really well with the modernistic view as well. However I do not like how they have put a block colour behind all of the text that is over the picture as it breaks the image up too much.

Music Magazine Contents Page Analysis

Masthead -This lets the reader know what page there looking at so when flicking through, especially the contents page would be something most people would want to read. Most likely to be at the top of the page. In a bold serif font with a bold colour too. NME magazine places it's masthead at the top and uses a simple font face but that still manages to be bold and eye catching. This is because of the white and red font on a black background.

Features - Features are again formatted in a listed structure. This is much easier for a reader as it makes finding what you want fast and easy. This magazine has an every month section on its contents page similar to that of the regulars from the first magazine I looked at. This shows the magazine as being consistent and regular.

Layout - The way NME magazine sets out their contents like many other music magazine with a large picture of the image with title from the main page and a list of other articles.

Date - The date of publication is present on the page as it is underneath the masthead and is clear to read.

Contact Details - There is a website URL address for the magazine which will contain contact details but there is not really any contact details.

Images - Over both of the pages there are several images that relate to the list of contents, the main image is the large one of Jay-Z as he is the main image on the front cover.

Page Numbers - Page numbers are situated next to each feature headline. They are in a different colour than the headline itself, but are the same size of the font. There are also a page number on each picture that is related to the list whether it is a feature or a regular; this is situated in the corners of the pictures.

Music Magazine Front Cover Analysis

Language - The first thing we notice on any magazine cover is the image, if we don't like the images were more likely to move on to the next magazine on the shelf. The Wombats who the main image is off is very well known as The Wombats who have recently hit the headlines with their debut album. Keeping to the theme on contemporary music The Wombats are dressed in the typical trend of an indie band, which is in tune with the magazine normally. The mast head, font type and font colour are all simple yet effective too. This is crucial when targeting specific audiences because anything other than contemporary would be misleading and would loose some customers.

The camera shot used (Medium Long Shot) creates an eye catching statement look. This will automatically draw the reader’s attention, as they are displaying the typical view of a band being energetic.

The layout of this magazine is very simple, there is little unfilled space; this is very eye catching with the image clearly being what the institution wants you to focus on. The choices of colours used are typical to most magazines using black with a splash of a different colour, to highlight they key parts of each headline like that of 'The Wombats'.

Like other magazines 'NME' consists of a barcode and price on the front. This may be because they wish to let the reader decide on whether to buy it or not, based on the price because for some it would not be a consideration with the types of musical acts on the covers. Like the majority of magazines the month of publication and the year is printed in the lower right corner of the cover page.

Ideology- The ideology of this magazine seems to be to show an up to date, in the moment outlook on contemporary music. It does this by using well known people within the industry to cover their magazine as well as who they feature in it. Using a stylish, laddish, confident pose The Wombats show the right ideology for the magazine.

Institution - NME music magazines institution is IPC Media, which produces over 85 iconic media brands, with our print brands alone reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 44% of UK men –almost 27 million UK adults – while our online brands collectively reach 20 million users every month. IPC's diverse print and digital portfolio offers something for everyone, with a focus on three core audiences: men, mass market women and upmarket women.

Audience - The NME advertisers pack states what their audience profile is as the following:

Male: 71%

Female: 29%

Median age: 23

Student: 31%

ABC1: 65%

Circulation: 357,000

Representation - this magazine is representing well known, talked about figures within the music industry. By using figures like these for example The Wombats, the representation of the magazine which is a positive take on what is happening at the moment within that industry is capable of happening.

My Music Magazine Target Audience

My magazine will target both male and female readers from the age of 15 and onwards, as it is looking at a more student market. It will appeal to those individuals who have a passion for the latest trends in music and who wish to learn more about the industry itself and the artists who represent it. On the other hand it will also target those individuals who wish to learn more about music festivals and gigs as this is commonly used in music magazines by which they review tours and line-ups for festivals. Having fewer restrictions allows my magazine to appeal to the highest number of customers as possible. This allows me to get a higher profit than say if I limited the magazine to only males, and making money is the highest priority of these sorts of magazines.

Front Cover & Contents Analysis

My front page contains a clear large logo which I know is essential for a good quality magazine. This logo in my opinion can relate to school life and many students, as the title ‘Chenderit times’ captures pupils attention while its keeps them focused on the fact it is a newspaper.

My magazine front cover uses a medium close up shot of a student on the cover with relevant props to the title of this image. The text is normally placed either to one of the sides and sometimes the main image title is placed centrally so it is in line with the image so people know the two relate. This is the layout I used because my research showed many best selling magazines are similar and I wanted to make mine look and feel real in the same ways.

I think another main part of my front cover which gives the professional look of an actually magazine, is the few small images on the contents pages. This is because the audience is mainly attracted to the photography in the magazines.

I used a desk top publisher (DTP) to create all of my front cover and contents page. I found it useful to manipulate the imagery and text, especially when re-arranging the layout.

I believe I reflect the values of the target audience as I show what information that is included in the magazine, using images which are eye catching.

The main aim of my magazine, if it was real and available to students, is to give them what they want and more, and for each pupil to look forward to the next issue.
Creating these two pages will help me design and create my final music magazine pages, with the different uses of imagery and layout.

I feel that after doing this task that I would prefer not to use a DTP program, as it can be difficult to manipulate different aspects of the front cover and contents. I found it easier to use a photo manipulator to design the music magazine as I find it much easier to manipulate the design.

Preliminary School Magazine Final Front Cover & Contents Page

School magazine task

Front cover

Contents page

The Forms & Conventions Of A Magazine

The conventions of a magazine can change depending on whether their target market is for a niche or mass audience. The mass section will contain magazines that have a large target audience. For example, a magazine like Q has a very large target audience as it focuses on a wide variety of music genres. While a niche magazine will target a small section of the public and will make a small amount of profit compared to those with a mass audience that would give the magazine a large circulation. For example, Sailing is a magazine focused on sailing so it has a very niche audience as it caters purely for their needs with a low circulation. Where as a large section of the public would not have any interest in this magazine.

Magazine front covers tend to stick with a standard layout with a large masthead along the top, with a medium long shot on the front cover showing the main pull of that particular issue. Many magazines may use this large picture and claim to have an exclusive as a way to grab the reader’s attention. The front cover will contain many different subtitles with titles of different articles inside the magazine which will also be in the contents page.
Large Title - This will draw attention to the magazine through use of bright colours and a bold font type. The title also distinguishes this magazine from others of a similar kind.
Main Image - This will be relevant to the magazine and the genre of music, is usually of a band or solo artist who is of high demand or has a large expose within their field.
Cover Lines - This is to give the reader an idea of what they can find within the magazine. Cover Lines will usually cover a wide range of subjects within the genre and be the most appealing to customers out of all the articles inside.
Main Image Cover Line - This is just a reference to the picture, will most likely be eye catching.
Date Published - This is so the readers can keep track on each issue. Making sure they do not miss one.
Institution Name - This is usually in the small print at the bottom of the cover.
Contact Details - This could be in the form of a telephone number, fax number or website.
Price - This is because magazines are profit based. Having the price on the front cover makes sense so it is easier for readers to see how much they will have to pay, this may determine what client is attracted to the magazine as some customers may have a limit as to what they spend.

Magazine contents pages tend to have a list of feature and regulars in their magazines. This may be over one or two pages as some magazines will split the sections up, in order to allow more detail in the contents and more images that are relevant to the individual articles within the magazine. Each different subtitle has a small detail of what the article is about to try entice the reader to go further, into the magazine and read about that particular article.