Music Magazine Mastheads by Slidely Slideshow 'Q' magazine has this large white 'Q' with the red background and it represents the magazine of 'Q'. It is present on almost every single page of the magazine and the colour scheme of red and white are used also throughout the magazine. The writing is a serif font due to the flick on the Q etc.
'NME' have a very similar masthead to that of 'Q' magazine with white writing and a red background. The writing is what looks like an ARIAL font because it is more rectangular and it is in block capitals to make it stand out. Here is the 'Kerrang' masthead and as you can see the writing is white with a black background. The writing is a special type of font which looks quite rough giving the impression that Kerrang is more of a rock music magazine. The exclamation mark also emphasises this.
Here is the 'Vibe' masthead and as you can see the writing is black which is uncommon for music magazines because as you can see from above all the other mastheads are white writing. The font for the 'vibe' logo seems to be a more vibrant font which is similar to the magazine itself.
Q magazine front covers: I have chosen Q magazine as one of the magazines to research front covers for because my chosen genre of Indie/Indie rock is represented by this magazine more so than others.
This first front cover has a picture of the band Coldplay. There are four members in the band and they are placed a different lengths behind each other, the lead singer being at the front with the other band members behind. There are various advertisements for other bands around the main image with a large cover line across the front outlining that it is a world exclusive interview with coldplay.
This next front cover is of the lead singer for Foo Fighters and a special effect has been used effectively as he has his mouth open the other three band members are shown in a sort of explosion inside his mouth. There are various advertisements for different bands around the page with the graphic on the right and the masthead on the left.
This front cover for Q magazine is slightly different with the front cover having a certain layout used. There is a one column table on the right with the list of elements within the magazine which as you can tell is different to the other magazine covers on show. The picture is of Noel Gallagher standing beside a large amplifier. This is a different shot to all the others and therefore it shows the different page layouts that Q magazine have done.
NME front covers: I have chosen NME as a magazine to research for front covers because similar to that of Q magazine these magazines represent the genre I have chosen of Indie/Indie rock.
This first front cover from NME is of Alex Turner, lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane, a solo artist. At the time of this magazine the two got together to form a band called 'The last shadow puppets' and they made an album together which is why they were being interviewed. The image has them back to back but also it is a medium shot of them both. There are various advertisements around the page mainly on the left and this layout is different to that of Q magazine. They make use of a pull quote to give an insight to what is included in the interview.
This next front cover is a more recent front cover and it has a picture of the Arctic Monkeys on the front. The lead singer Alex Turner is at the front of the picture followed by the other band members behind. This photo is similar to that of the first front cover shown of Coldplay with the lead singer at the front and the other members behind. There is very little shown on this front cover because the story within the magazine is of such high importance with Arctic Monkeys very recently releasing their new album called 'AM'.
Here is another front cover and The Gallagher brothers are being shown as they are members of the band 'Oasis'. This cover has much more on the page than the previous cover shown and this illustrates that NME vary their front page layout depending on the story involved and the band on show. There is a cover line across the front in white writing and a black background which is different from all the other writing on the page and this makes the cover line stand out more effectively.
My chosen genre - Indie/Indie Rock Independent music (often shortened to indie music or indie) is music produced independently from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-yourself it-approach to recording and publishing. The term indie is sometimes also used to describe a genre (such as indie rock, indie metal or indie pop); as a genre term, "indie" may include music that is not independently produced, and most independent music artists do not fall into a single, defined musical style or genre and usually create music that can be categorized into other genres.
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include indie pop, jangle pop, C86, and lo-fi, among others. Originally used to describe record labels, the term became associated with the music they produced and was initially used interchangeably with alternative rock. As grunge and punk revival bands in the US, and then Britpop bands in the UK, broke into the mainstream in the 1990s, it came to be used to identify those acts that retained an outsider and underground perspective. In the 2000s, as a result of changes in the music industry and the growing importance of the Internet, a number of indie rock acts began to enjoy commercial success, leading to questions about its meaningfulness as a term.
The term indie rock, derived from "independent," describes the small and relatively low-budget labels on which it is released and the do-it-yourself attitude of the bands and artists involved. Although distribution deals are often struck with major corporate companies, these labels and the bands they host have attempted to retain their autonomy, leaving them free to explore sounds, emotions and subjects of limited appeal to large, mainstream audiences.
Above information gathered from wikipedia Live Performances (Indie/Indie rock bands) Live performance of Arctic Monkeys performing their single 'R U Mine?' at Glastonbury 2013. These are one of many indie rock bands and are currently one of the most well known Indie rock bands out there. Live performance of 'Mumford and Sons' performing their single 'The Cave' at Glastonbury 2013. 'Mumford and Sons' are famous for their folk rock vibe which makes them particularly unique in the industry.
Live performance of 'The Killers' performing their single 'Mr Brightside' live at the Royal Albert Hall. 'The Killers' have been voted one of the best all time indie rock bands and continue to produce singles and performances like the one here at the Royal Albert Hall.
Who are your favourite bands or artists currently?
How much time do you spend on the internet in a day?
What is your favourite social networking site?
What magazines do you often buy? In particular what music magazines do you read?
Do you regularly listen to the radio and if so what radio stations do you consistently listen to and why?
What does your typical weekend consist of?
The following video is a news report on my specific target audience. I interviewed two different people to see the differences and similarities to their responses on the above questions:
As shown in the above video it is clear that the genre of music that they both listen to is indie and alternative and a bit of rock. These are in fact my chosen genres for my magazine. They both stated that they listen to indie/indie rock bands like Bastille, Arctic Monkeys, You Me at Six, Deaf Havana etc who are more than likely to be included in my magazine contents page. They both roughly spend a 1-2 hours on the internet per day with Instagram being a popular social networking site among them. Q magazine and NME magazine are the two music magazines they regularly buy which are the two magazines which I have chosen to base my music magazine around since these magazines best represent my chosen genre. They both listen to Radio 1 as this radio station provides a variety of different artists and bands from different genres and radio 1 is renowned for introducing new upcoming bands onto the scene. Finally they both enjoy hanging with friends in their spare time and listening to music which highlights them as people who like music and so are perfect for my target audience.
Indie Scenesters are dedicated to finding the newest music, exploring all avenues to get there – online, print, record shops, club nights and word of mouth. Staying ahead of the curve is a must, but it’s borne out of a genuine love for music – and this is what separates them from those more fickle dabblers and dilettantes, the Hipsters. For Indie Scenesters, there’s nothing better than discovering new artists and spreading the love. Guitar music has seen its cool usurped by the rise in electronic-synth based music in recent years, and Indie Scenesters have broadened their musical tastes as a result. It’s no longer just about indie rock bands like Vampire Weekend, Indie Scenesters have embraced experimental, genre-blending artists like Four Tet. Yet, the Indie Scenester approach remains the same. It’s about championing independent artists rather than a specific genre, especially before the masses get in on the act. Boys and girls are rocking similar looks – skinny jeans, vintage and Converse/Vans. Their high street staples focus around the functional and unisex – Uniqlo, Cheap Mondays and American Apparel.
Hipsters prefer to be recognised as the trendsetters often living life to the fullest. More affluent than indie scenesters and highly retailed fashion items are of great interest. Fashion is very important to them and they have a slightly retro mind set. They are also interested in gadgets and latest technology. Trendies have got the cash to splash. They are early to mid 20s and very middle class. They likes shops like Urban Outfitters/Topshop. They are educated well with a like for reading on current/mainstream affairs. I gathered all of this information from UK tribes official website.
Possible magazine title names: The genre for my magazine is going to be indie/indie rock and I have chosen this genre because this is the type of music I listen to on a regular basis. These were some initial title names which i came up with.
I took some of my better magazine title names and took a tally from other people in my class and they decided which name they preferred. I chose people from my class as they are of a similar age to who my magazine is aimed at. Possible magazine title names: Unknown - I feel this ties in well with my genre because all indie bands are first unknown and they find their own way into the music industry and so i think this works well however I think it isn't enticing enough. Undiscovered - Similar to the one above all indie bands are undiscovered at first and thy are independent making their own way into music before eventually becoming known. Diverse - Indie bands have a different music style and so this makes them 'diverse' so i think this title works well however it doesn't have a music style to it making it unclear as to whether it is a music magazine or not. Distinct - Indie bands have a unique and distinct sound to their music and so i think this fits the genre particularly well. Modify - All music gets modified and although this is music related it can be applied to any music genre not just mine. Desolate - This means to differ and indie bands are different so i think this works well but it can be mislead for desolate meaning destruction so people may think the magazine is a rock magazine only when it isn't. Anonymous -This name is my least favourite out of all my titles but it still links in with my genre but lacks that musical touch. These were my initial ideas and after conferring with my teacher she decided that they weren't catchy enough and they wouldn't entice the audience to buy the magazine if i were to put it up on sale. Also they didn't tie in well with my genre and so i had to rethink of some new title names. I then decided to look up the definition for the word indie:
It is evident the independence is a particular importance within this genre and so i looked up some synonyms for the word 'independent':
I also thought that Indie bands are quite unique and have a unique sound so i looked up synonyms for the word 'unique':
After Having Researched all of these synonyms, I decided to change my approach and decide to choose a name that went against the idea of independence which Indie bands and artists represent and twist it round.
I came across the word 'Standard' as one of my favourite magazine titles. I then did a survey to see what other people thought was the best name for a title of a magazine and here were my results:
The survey above shows that 'Standard' was chosen as the best name for my magazine and this was also one of my favourites so I have chosen this as my final name for my magazine.
The second magazine that I have chosen to analyse is ‘NME’ magazine. ‘NME’ is a music magazine published and created by Theodore Smythson. It is a UK weekly pop/rock music journalism publication, published since March 1952. The circulation of the magazine is estimated at 23,924 as of July 2011. At first ‘NME’ was a music newspaper, and gradually moved towards a magazine during the 1980s and 1990s. ‘NME’ stands for ‘New Musical Express’ but the magazine is better known as the acronym ‘NME’. The use of the acronym makes the magazine easier to remember and it stands out more in shops up and down the country.
The company which publishes the magazine is IPC Media – Inspire. The founder of the magazine is Theodore Smythson and the current editor is Mike Williams (June 2012 – present). Theodore Smythson felt that they needed a magazine which can appeal to all age groups and so each weekly edition they have a band or artist that will appeal to a particular generation. Therefore the target audience for ‘NME’ is any specific age group as each week they have a different band from a different decade representing the magazine enticing all age groups to buy the magazine. ‘NME’ is fairly cheap in price, which makes it more likely to be bought, and more sales will be made increasing yearly income. The magazine itself features all music genres so it is well suited to all music lovers and has a mass audience because of this.
The Cover:
The main cover line of the magazine is 'MIA'. This signifies that 'MIA' the artists, is the main talking point of the magazine. We are told that there will be an article in the magazine about 'MIA' and we understand this through the use of this cover line.
The masthead for 'NME' is similar to that of 'Q magazine' with the large white letters of 'NME' and the red background. This takes up a large amount of the page on the magazine making it stand out as the name of the magazine. The colours used are bold and they stand out amongst everything els eon the cover. The masthead takes up a substantial part of the page and it is eye-catching to the audience.
The strap-line for this edition of the magazine is 'You just can't take her anywhere can you?'. This combines with the main story of the magazine which is an interview with ;MIA' and it is signifying that 'MIA' has done something wrong. This leaves the audience curious as to what she has done and so it entices the reader to buy the magazine. We are left wondering why you can't take her anywhere and for this reason we would buy the magazine in order to find out what has happened and therefore gaining 'NME' more sales of the product.
The main image is of 'MIA' the artsist/rapper and it is a close up of her across the front page. She is seen with her middle finger raised to the camera and this has been pix-elated. She is gazing directly at the camera in a suspicious way and she has a substantially large gold ring with a red diamond inside it. Firstly, the fact that she is swearing illustrates to us as the reader that she is trying to give off a 'bad girl' image. She is coming across as quite arrogant to the viewer, further enhancing our interest to her. We want to know why she is giving this image across to the public and so we are more likely to buy the magazine in order to find out why she is publicising herself in this way. The way in which she is gazing into the camera comes across as quite mysterious and this adds an unexpected feel to her, we are now interested to find out what kind of person she is and so will read the magazine to discover her identity. The large ring on her finger highlights her materialistic nature and it may imply that she is spoilt and she wants to show off what she has. The shiny gold top that she is wearing further enhances this point. Coming back to the middle finger pose she is portraying, it has been pix-lated in order for the magazine to be shown on the shelves. This front cover image is the only image present on the cover outlining its importance within the magazine. Along with the large image of 'MIA' there is also the word 'MIA' going vertically down the page and is shown as a headline. All the letters are in large white writing but the 'M' is surrounded by a green background, the 'I' a purple background and the 'A' an orange background. These letters stand out especially well on the cover, perfectly showing the audience that the girl shown on the cover is called 'MIA'. The use of different colours surrounding each letter of he rname is particularly effective as it is more appealing to the buyer but also, it combines quite well with the image of 'MIA' herself as she is showing various different colours through her clothing, jewellery and the make up she is wearing.
Beside the masthead 'NME' there are a few cover-lines present. These read, 'Eminem, television, Brandon Flowers and Savages.' All of these cover-lines are in the same font, colour etc. as the masthead for 'NME' itself. It is situated right beside the masthead as shown. These cover-lines allow the reader to be aware of what else there is to read about in the magazine, it conveys that there isn't just an interview of 'MIA' and there is also more information available. This opens the magazine out to all music genres not only the genre that 'MIA' represents which is a mixture of electronic, dance, alternative, hip-hop and world music but she is in fact a rapper.
There is very little writing on the front cover of this particular edition however this simplistic way of presenting the magazine has a positive effect. The very little writing on the cover is all in white and in the same font and all the writing is surrounded by a different coloured background which brings out the writing more stopping it from becoming over looked by the image which takes up nearly three quarters of the page. The mast head for 'NME' and the colours used are present throughout the magazine representing a consistent house style and an effective colour scheme is utilised throughout. As mentioned above, the use of the different coloured background on each letter of the word 'MIA' adds to the colour scheme used by 'NME'.
There are very little language devices used on the cover, however there is one device that is used and this is a question on the cover. This is the strap-line mentioned above and it reads, 'You just can't take her anywhere can you?' It could be seen as a rhetorical question, enticing the audience to buy the magazine because as previously mentioned, it leaves the audience curious as to what she has done and so it entices the reader to buy the magazine to find out what she has done wrong for the magazine to write this as their strap-line. The question is a particularly good device and for this reason it is likely to gain more sales of the product. 'NME' has a very unique layout as it's front cover. It is very different top various other music magazines like 'Q' and 'Kerrang'. These magazines front covers are filled with information giving the buyers an opportunity to know a lot or if not everything that is in that edition for the magazine. 'NME' however take a slightly different approach, they put very little on the front page which leaved the audience curious as to what is in the magazine giving them the chance to buy it to see what the magazine is all about. Obviously the main image and the various cover lines give information but this is substantially less compared to other magazines and this makes it stand out more to those buying the magazine. The Inside: The magazine has 66 pages and there are 9 pages of advertisements and all the advertisements advertise different types of products.
Clothes and Fashion: River Island Marketplace (different clothing) Food and Drink: Carling (Beer) Jack Daniels Music Advertisement: Bombay Bicycle Club (concert dates) Phoenix, Palma Violets, Reverend & The Makers and Peace (concert dates) Manic Street Preachers (concert dates) XFM advertising BOSE speakers
There are many different article types within a magazine. 'NME' being a music magazine mainly has articles to do with different artists and albums etc.
Introducing new tracks
Recent events, what has occurred in the music industry over the last week
Interviewing bands
Introducing new upcoming artists/bands
Reviews of albums/artists/ bands/singles
Looking back on old bands and how they've changed
There are 23 double page spreads:
Track of the week (top 20)
The week x4 (interviews of various bands)
More new music x2 (introducing new songs and bands)
Reviews x3
Image of the band 'Savages' but in particular the lead singer 'Jehnny Beth'
Advertisements x3
NME guide x2
MIA interview x3
Image of the groups Waxahatchee and Swearin'
Interview for Waxahatchee and Swearin' x2
Image and interview (Nirvana)
There are very few advertorials in the magazine, one of which is concert dates for various bands/artists. This is planted near the middle of the magazine and 'NME' have bunched a few double page spreads advertising bands/artists concert dates so that it gives the people reading the magazine the opportunity to take down the dates where bands/artists are performing and so they can book tickets to go. There is also an advertorial for the group the 'Savages' which in particular shows the lead singer 'Jehnny Beth' singing on stage with various fans reaching to haul her on the stage. This has a small piece of writing beside the image, however there is not enough writing for this to be an article within the magazine making it an advertorial.
House Style:
'NME' has a very unique house style. The masthead is 'NME' in huge white writing with a red border and this is present on a few pages of the magazine and so the house style for this magazine consists of this similar design. The contents page follows a similar layout to that of the rest of the magazine however it is very different to the front page with the red background and the white writing at the top with the 'NME' written at the top of the screen. This similar colour scheme is present throughout the magazine especially when there is an article particularly involving 'NME' themselves such as the reviews they do, the new track of the week, the NME guide etc.
One particular layout element they implement into the magazine is using three columns within articles. They often use three columns and this is present throughout the magazine presenting a consistent house style. Also something 'NME' like to implement into their magazine is taking up many pages with reviews and interviews etc. This is something that all magazines seem to do however it is particularly noticeable in 'NME' and so this gives a unified house style to them.
The colour scheme used by 'NME' makes them stand out from other music magazines. Although their masthead is similar to that of 'Q' magazine, they use variations of colours on the front cover and within the magazine which strongly appeal to any age generation which is their main target audience. Also the use of this colour scheme or in fact not having a fixed colour scheme and using various different colours, it allow the magazine to be more eye catching, enticing more people to buy the magazine strongly increasing their income.
As you can see from the two images here the masthead is extremely similar. However 'NME' take son a more colourful approach to the cover making it more appealing and eye catching on the shelf compared to 'Q' which have very few colours on the cover. These differences give each magazine a specific house style.
Preliminary exercise: using DTP and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally you must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate your grasp of DTP.
Main task: the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine (if done as group task, each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the magazine, following the same house style).
