Analysing music magazines

Analysing the front covers of music magazines

The front cover of a magazine is important, as it is used to grab a potential reader's attention and hold it. To do this, they use many different techniques, which I have analysed in THIS document.

History of Music Press

History of the Music Press

1950's

In 1952 NME (New Musical Express) launched.

It and Melody Maker were the main providers of musical news, however this was mainly music charts, singles and information on gigs. There was little criticism of the music featured in them.

1960's

Music journalism changed in the 1960’s with the Beatles, drug culture, and in 1967, Rolling Stone magazine. This contained coverage of the music industry, along with interviews with celebrities and current affairs, making it stand out from previous publications. It also appealed to a youthful audience, as it saw music as a culture rather than just entertainment.

1970's

The 70’s brought new genres like glam and prog rock, which changed the way music magazines reviewed music. As prog rock bands began spending more money on the effects of their performances, magazines became critical of them. NME moves away from writing about just music to writing about the politics and philosophy of songs, especially the burgeoning punk movement. This created a split in music journalism between magazines covering “real” music and technique like Melody Maker, and the “new” style of magazine like NME. Music culture also became more focused on the band’s image rather than the music, which was helped with the release of Smash Hits magazine in 1978. This was aimed at a younger audience, and contained “personality” interviews and band gossip, adding to the image of bands.

1980's

The rise of music videos and the launch of MTV in 1981 saw a change in direction for what was popular. Bands could now become famous with a flashy music video, such as Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing”, which changed the market that music magazines could fill. Independent music labels would produce “fanzines”, such as “Sniffin’ Glue”, which covered emerging trends or gave smaller bands a voice. Magazines that focused more on fashion than music also appeared, including “The Face” and “Blitz”. Magazines with similar styles to Smash Hits, but covering other genres than pop. These included Kerrang! Magazine in 1981 and Metal Hammer in 1983.

1990's

Music videos continued to grow into the dominant platform for exposure in music. MTV moved away from showing just music videos to showing other types of TV such as reality and game shows. Music magazines began to decline in popularity as more major publications such as newspapers began reviewing music.

2000's

The rise of the internet and social media has meant a sharp decline in sales for music magazines. Many magazines now publish their articles onto websites which can easily be shared, with the few kept as print exclusives ending up online later. Video streaming sites such as YouTube and Vimeo have also made accessing music videos easier than MTV, causing it to focus on its reality programmes. Major newspapers such as The Guardian now publish music reviews and news alongside everything else, showing that music has now become a part of mainstream culture.

Evaluation

Preliminary Project Evaluation

In my front cover, I have both used and challenged conventions. For example, I have used the convention of having cover lines consist of a larger phrase to catch the reader’s attention, and then a longer phrase underneath expanding on the subject. I challenged the convention of having the masthead at the top of the magazine with the slogan above or underneath by having the masthead down the side of my magazine with the slogan perpendicular at the top. I chose to do this so that my magazine stands out from the standard design, but not too much as to be confusing and put off potential readers.

I believe my front cover has turned out well. Comparing the final image with the image I started with, you can see that I managed to increase the overall quality of the photo, as well as turn it into a magazine cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel that my choice of house style could have been improved, as I did not factor in the colour of my background in the design stage, so the colour of the text did not show up well without a black or white outline. I also feel my choice of font did not fit the type of magazine I was looking for, as it was too bland.

I think that my time management could have been improved, as at the beginning of the project I did not have the focus I have at the end. If I had started with the mind-set I have at the end of the project, I could have spent more time on creating my front cover. Although I am happy with how it came out, I still feel I could have improved it more.

For my main coursework portfolio, I need to begin with the correct mind-set, in order to maximise the time I have to complete the project. Additionally, I should plan the cover photo and background, along with the layout and design of the front cover, before deciding on a house style, allowing me to properly co-ordinate the colour scheme. I should also focus somewhat on the smaller details of a magazine cover, which will allow me to create a more accurate and believable image for my portfolio.

Front Cover

Photography and Design Plan

 

Photography and Design Plan

Photography

For my photography, I will have a single model posing on a background of bricks. The bricks will be the main background, as it creates a similar atmosphere to around the school, and, while it is still exciting, it is plain enough that it will not make the magazine design hard to look at. The image will be from a worms-eye view, to create an air of drama and excitement. The model will be at a slight angle from the camera, which will create mystery in the image. The model will be someone in Sixth Form so the cover is relatable to the audience.

Cover mock-up

Features and Articles

On my front page, I will have three articles featured. the first will be about the model, meaning people immediately know his name, even if they only vaguely knew of him before. The secondary article will be on a topic that most people can relate to, so I have come up with 3 ideas:

• Netflix = Satan?
• How video games can increase your reaction time
• Study music - Yes or No?

I decided to go with "Netflix = Satan?" as this grabs the reader's attention the most, and is also the most "mainstream" topic out of the three, so the largest amount of people in the target audience will be able to relate to it.

The third article will be on upcoming events at the school, and will give a brief list of the biggest events.

Magazine Plan

For my magazine name, I have multiple ideas. These are:

• 6^th Forum 
• 12+13
• Six

I have decided to use the name “6^th Forum”, as it is the most inventive name I came up with, being a pun on “6^th form” and “Forum”.

For a slogan, I will use the phrase "The front page of your school". This is similar to a famous internet forum, so some readers will recognize this and may be more likely to read the magazine.

House Style

For my colour scheme, I have chosen to use Forest Green for the main colour and white for the text on top of it, with the articles written in black with a white background. I decided on this colour scheme because it does not use any jarring colour combinations (like the school logo’s colour scheme), so it is easier to read and also creates a relaxed tone. The dominant font will be Verdana, with titles in bold. I chose this font because it looks professional and easy to read, but is not the standard pick of Times New Roman or Arial. It should look something like this: 

Readership Profile

Readership profile:

The audience for my magazine is males and females between the ages of 16-18 studying at The Downs School Sixth Form. This is a varied readership profile, so to appeal to as many as possible, I need to cover a wide variety of subjects and areas, so that there can be at least something for everyone. I should also avoid polarizing topics (such as politics), so that people are less likely to disagree with the magazine, and then not read it.

I have spoken to a number of my peers about what they would want from a Sixth Form magazine, and these are the answers they gave:

·         “I want information about what’s going on behind closed doors at the school”

·         “Juicy goss”

·         “Useful information”

·         “Make it not boring”

·         “I’m not paying for it, I don’t care how good it is”

Out of my sample group, not a single person said they would be willing to pay for a Sixth Form magazine, therefore I have decided my magazine will be free.

It seems the most popular topics for a school magazine would be topics about the school, and the interactions between people at school, meaning polarizing topics will not be an issue. To make the magazine “not boring”, I will employ an informal tone, which will engage readers. Additionally, information about upcoming events around the school would also motivate people to read the magazine.

Preliminary Task 1 & 2

Preliminary Task 1 & 2

I have reviewed three magazine covers, and identified conventions and style features used by them.

I have also annotated one front cover, identifying the same conventions and style features in practice.

This work can be viewed HERE