Target audience

Audiences are separated into groups using quantitive data; on gender, age and social class. Gender is separated into two categories; male and female. This can then be separated into ages: 15 and under, 16-24, 25-35, 36-55 and 56 and over. I have decided to aim my magazine at both male and female but mainly females, this will age from 16-24. This is because from my research I found that it is mainly young females that like this sort of music (R&B). My target audience is most likely to be in the c-d grade (unemployed/semi-skilled workers). This should be the correct target audience as most 16-24 year olds are in education, or recently gone in to work. Therefore, making a low price for the magazine should be correct. They would like to see a main image that covers the whole page which is appealing to them perhaps showing attitude. Also, a good main headline. Tease devices such as winning tickets to an R&B concert which will appeal to them. They will also want good main headlines which will interest them and persuade them to buy the magazine. Demographics are important so I can figure out more about my target audience. Including relatively new bands in my magazine should make young readers interested in the magazine and buy it. Therefore, my front cover should be very appealing and eye catching meeting the target audience's needs. 

My chosen music genre

For my music magazine I will create an R&B music magazine. The main R&B magazine is Vibe. This is because I like this style of music and therefore know a lot about it. R&B magazine's are all different and are targetted to men and women as this is a wide music genre. I will focus my magazine on females but also males. I looked on R&B music charts and noticed which artists featured on this, these consist of; JLS, Rizzle Kicks and Professor green. These artists are supported by males and females. However, JLS mainly have female fans. An example of a music magazine I found of this genre is:


This magazine will be aimed at men and women. However, this magazine in particular is more focussed on the male audience as it talks a lot about sex. This magazine shows attitude which can be considered for my magazine. This is aimed towards the younger audience as it shows attitude and a young artist.


This magazine shows an audience of males and females. However, this one is slightly more leading to female fans of women hence the body. This magazine features an MCU shot of Chris Brown which will appeal to a lot of people.


These images help me decide how to plan my music magazine and what to include in it.    

Middle page spread

This double page spread is from the rock/indie magazine 'NME'. This contains monochrome colours. The blue in this double page spread connotes indie. The colour also shows that it is vibrant this helps promote for a wider audience. The page title is given in the top left hand corner(byline) followed by a caption underneath. The purpose of this article is to entertain and inform the audience ('need to know' box). It shows that its purpose is to entertain by having a quote 'Of course we're a sexual band. We're the teenagers and thats all they think about'(pull quote) which has a comical tone. There is also use of colloquial language when it says 'Young, dumb and full of..filthy tunes'. From this double page spread you can tell that the audience is 16-24's (young-mid audience) and that the older generation most probably wouldn't like this. The font in this magazine is a mixture of serif and sans-serif. All the text in this magazine is simple and direct, it all stands out to the reader and is clear to read as they have bold statements which will attract the audience. The photograph is a high angle shot of the band. The big image is eye catching and will attract the younger audience. This magazine helps me plan my own magazine as highlighting main elements is very effective and they use certain devices to attract their audience. They also use drop capitals which looks very good.

The main image takes up one whole page spread this shows what the article is about and appeals to the audience and makes it clear what the article is about as the image relates to it. The article has a 'C' which covers almost the whole page this looks very effective and appealing to the audience. At the bottom left hand side there is a pull quote which is taken from the article this is often informative or humorous and gives the reader a brief look at what the article is about. Another image is shown at the bottom right hand side of the article and this shows the reader more information on the article. The colour scheme of red and black is very effective and appealing to the audience. The mise-en-scene of Cheryl Cole of the main image fits in with the colour scheme and leather, black and studs are usually related to rock.

The main attraction this double page spread is the page title. The text is written in a dark and bold font, highlighted in yellow which stands out shows that the text is important. This has been made to stand out as it is important information to this article. The use of artists has been used to attract people into buying the article as Rihanna is one of the most famous R&B icons around and Drake is well known for been an R&B artist. Therefore, this article attracts both male and female artists to attract a wider audience. The text that’s says ‘RIHANNA ft Drake’ Rihanna is all in capitals and Drakes isn’t I feel they have done this because Rihanna is the main person as the article is about her but you know it will mention Drake, I feel they have put the text in blue because it is more of a male related colour then yellow so it is trying to attract the male audience. The second attraction is the column on the right hand side which shows Rihanna's past hairstyles which people may want to copy. This will appeal to the female audience as they will be interested in this and it also gives the reader more information about Rihanna. The main image stands out as it is directly in the middle of the page and Rihanna is looking directly towards the audience this is a conventional approach.  Another main attraction goes down to the terminal area. The first thing you see is a little yellow box that has a sub title saying ‘along similar lines’ it is short and catchy which will make  people want to read it. The colour scheme is in yellow, black and white. This is effective as they all stand out when they are put together as they are contrasting colours. The background of this article is in white which makes everything else on the page stand out and putting the side column with a black background makes it stand out. These features make the magazine more appealing to the audience and therefore may choose this over others on the market. This page consists of more pictures than text as for this age group are not as likely to be as interested in reading the articles. The article is promoting Rihanna's new single which is also shown in the page title which makes it sound catchy. The text is also persuasive which will persuade the audience to buy/listen to Rihanna's new single. The main title is also a rhetorical interrogative which involves the reader. This magazine is aimed at 16-24's which have an interest in R&B as the artist and text shows.

Contents page

This magazine includes a page title of 'Contents' this informs the reader of what is on this page. It also has a 'features' section which includes everything in the magazine. It has an 'Oasis special' this will be aimed at fans of Oasis another persuasive device to get people to buy it. The colour scheme is continuous as the colours of red and black has carried on. This magazine contains a large, bold font. As I researched various magazine's I realised that 'Q' contents pages and covers all use the same layout on each page to keep it consistent. The letter 'Q' is used on every page which could be seen as their "stamp". The 'Q' means 'quality'. Their use of the colour red, white and black shows consists well together and stands out. This could also make the magazine type and genre more recognisable. They use a review box which can be read quickly. They put the headlines in capital letters to make it more noticeable. The main image is placed to the right of the page which will be noticed straight away as the reader turns onto this page. Having a contents page makes an overview of the magazine and informs the reader what is in it and where. The image is a long shot which shows the whole body, this works well for the magazine as it makes it the main focus. The target market of this magazine is fans of rock as shown by using rock artists to represent and appeal to the target audience. The artists in this magazine are shown to have attitude and to look professional.


'NME' was published in 1952 they have an audience of 16-26 year olds, the genre is indie/rock. This magazine was the first british paper to include a singles chart and was the best selling British music magazine in 1970. This is a contents page of 'NME' which is clearly marked on the magazine in the red font (logo) this is followed by 'this week' showing what is in the magazine. Every section has a heading of the category e.g. 'news'. The headings make it easier for the reader to read the page they want to. The main image is unusually a music venue instead of an artist however, many famous have performed here. Readers will be interested in this to find out more on the recent news. This magazine has an advert for a magazine company which has relevance to this as you can buy NME on a subscription. The colour scheme carries on throughout the magazine as shown on this page (the consistent colours of red and black). The main image is in the centre of this page showing that this is the main focus and attraction. The target market of this magazine is fans of rock as it has rock artists included in the magazine and rock language which will appeal to the target audience.

This contents page is from an R&B magazine 'Vibe'. R&B music is usually aimed towards women and this is shown on the magazine. It aims to catch the audience's eye by the main image and appearance. The page title is shown in a big and bold font. The image is of an R&B artist 'Ciara', she is very famous and this will attract people to buy the magazine. The image is a long shot which works well for the magazine as it shows the whole body. The image will attract readers due to her lack of clothing and the image is made to look 'sexy' as she has heels on and very little clothing this adds to the music stereotype. The clothing which Ciara is wearing also blends in well with the colour scheme this makes it look more professional. Although, Vibe magazine isn't only aimed at women but also men at the age of roughly 16-24's.  The image will attract both females and males. Women may be interested in this because they idiolise Ciara or some may not be interested in her. Men may admire Ciara persuading them to buy the magazine. The layout of this magazine is very basic as it is aimed at younger males and females. The faded grey background and black text makes it easier for the audience to read. The masthead is written in white which makes it the main focus and informs the reader what is on this page.

Front cover

Front cover 1:
L-  The masthead is written in a clear, black font. The main focus in this is the main image rather than the masthead as the main image covers it. People would buy this magazine for the image/person rather than masthead. The colour scheme is consistent and consists of 3 main colours; black, pink and white. The font is in a very young style to appeal to the target audience. The main image covers the full page spread and is a long shot. It shows the emotion on the face and the full body. The front cover includes a skyline along the top of the magazine this is very visible to the reader it reads 'Free downloads! 10 new hot tracks' followed by the page number, this is very informative and persuasive.

I- 'Blender' magazine was a very large company in America and had all the latest information about the biggest acts shown in the magazine.

I- The target audience is shown in the magazine by using a female coloured font which symbols females (pink) and also a very famous celebrity which a lot of teenagers like. Also the other headlines in the magazine are shown to be aimed at the younger market as T-pain is liked by a lot of younger people and also the heading 'Kiss 'n' tell' as the magazine is aimed at younger females they will know that this is Kesha

A- The target audience is young females perhaps aged between 16-24 year olds. This is shown by the celebrity featured and text langauge used. Also people who are interested in Katy Perry and this genre of music (pop).

R- The featured artist is shown to be very young and fun as she is not wearing serious clothing such as a suit and this helps show who the magazine is aimed at as they will be interested in this which will make them buy it.

Front Cover 2:

L- The masthead is shown in a noticeable, white font. The main picture is an MCU shot this focus' on the celebrities face. The main image covers the whole page making it the main attraction. The colour theme consists of 2 main colours; white and pink. The font is in capitals throughout the magazine and in a very modern font.
I- This magazine is a weekly magazine which is one of the oldest magazine companies in the world. The masthead doesn't need to be shown in full as this is a very recognisable magazine which sells itself due to its images.
I- The music genre is shown through this magazine by having a main image of Lily Allen a pop star. It gives the impression that it is aimed at young females as it has bright colours.
A- The audience of this magazine is young females as it consists of bright colours and information about other pop stars such as Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift which the young females would be interested in.
R- The featured artist is shown to be young and pretty which a lot of young females would be interested in and want to be like. The artist is shown to look quite innocent which reflects on her music style.

Front cover 3:

L- The masthead in this magazine is shown in a classic font which may reflect on the dancing. The main shot is a long shot which shows the emotion as well as body actions. The colour scheme is blue and pink which is quite modern, this may also reflect on the style of dancing.
I- Dance is an American business which publishes magazines on different sorts of dance styles. The masthead is shown clearly and will be recognised by fans of the magazine as the font is very different, appealing and clear.
I- The genre is shown through this magazine by having a masthead called 'dance' which symbolises music and by having a main image of two people in dancing clothes and in a dancing position.
A- The audience of this magazine is people which are interested in different types of dance styles and music as shown in the image. Mainly people who are interested in hip hop as this is clearly marked towards the bottom of the magazine.
R- The image shows two dancers in a hip hop sort of pose and in hip hop clothing. The magazine is aimed at males and females but most probably females as dancing tends to be aimed towards them.

Music genre's

Different music genres:
There are many different types of music genre's which can be considered for my music magazine, a few of these consist of:
- R&B
- Indie
- Punk
- Techno
- Rock
- Pop
- Dance
- Hip hop
- Country
- Club
- Acoustic


And many more.

Music magazine front covers

Language

- Masthead (Short, dominant font)

- The main image (full page) must be an MCU (face and shoulders only) and the subjects face must be able to be clearly seen, and make eye contact with the audience.

-Bright colour scheme with clear house-style of two or three main colours.

- Anchorage

- Price & barcode

- Teasing contents along the bottom

- Competitions and free gifts

- Main article / feature advertised must relate to the the main image.

Institution 

I could research different genres of music magazines to help me produce my music magazine. This will help me come up with different ideas which I can include in my magazine and make it different to others. Looking at successful magazines will help me see what works and what I should do, this will help create my music magazine to a high standard. Then, I could look at similar genre's to mind to see how I can input these ideas, to make my magazine successful and appealing.

Ideology 

I will make sure my music magazine is appealing and suitable to my target audience in order for them to buy it. I will show who the magazine is aimed at on each page, by making it appealing to them. I will use suitable pictures and text to meet their needs.

Audience 

- The age of my target audience will be 16-24

- The gender will be male and female

- Who the magazine will be sold to....

- The target audience will be more interested in solo artists.

Brief of a music magazine

Preliminary excercise
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 close-up plus 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 their grasp of DTP.

Evaluation of my magazine

The masthead on my college magazine is written in a bold font in Wyke college's colour scheme this makes students from the college aware that it is targeted towards them. The magazine has several headlines to give the buyer a brief taste of what the magazine is like and what is in it. I have mainly used the colour's purple and white as the colour scheme as this is basic and not too much (house style). The layout of the magazine has been made so if it was on a shelf the masthead would be shown so buyers can go straight to it and also so the headlines are shown. The main picture has been put in the middle so it is the main focus and so it shows a student learning giving Wyke a good reputation. Strap lines are used under headings to sum up a brief description of the story, using strap lines supports the headings and gives the reader more information. Teasing content has been used on the bottom of the magazine to promote a competition of winning a free ipad 2 this persuades the reader to buy the magazine.

This magazine would be distributed within the college as it is niche. Selling the magazine in a shop would be unnecessary as the magazine is aimed at Wyke students. However, posters around the college may be used to promote the magazine and make people more aware of it. Emails could be sent to students reminding them that the magazine is on sale. Also using the television and college Intranet would be appropriate as it is all internal, these all spread awareness.

This college magazine gives the students information on upcoming events and news within the college this gives them more knowledge on what is going on in their college. The college magazine is aimed to show that Wyke is a serious, hard working college and all the students work to the best of their ability. The magazine shows that Wyke has a good reputation and is a very good college to be at.

The college magazine would be aimed at Wyke college students because it has all the information about Wyke in and events. People from other colleges wouldn't buy this magazine as it isn't in interest to them. I attracted my audience by calling the masthead 'Wyke' making it obvious who the magazine is aimed at (Wyke college students). It is also shown that it is aimed at the students of Wyke as it shows a student on the front working hard and headlines on how to pass exams. The college magazine is a niche market and would only be aimed at the students from Wyke because they have different tastes and concerns to other colleges. However, is aimed to the whole college as they are all at Wyke for the same reason in which to pass.

The college magazine represents different social groups as there is a jobs section in which unemployed students can try and find work. The representation of the magazine is shown to be realistic and true, unlike some other magazines. The magazine has a certain reason to inform students instead of entertaining. The magazine is made to appeal to all students as it is very colourful and modern. If the magazine had old, boring fonts people are less likely to buy it. Also, advertising parties for Wyke students stereotypes students as it shows they all like to party and are outgoing. The student in the main image connotes the college to be hard working and successful.

Feedback

The magazine has a good colour scheme and represents the college well which makes it noticeable for the students. The information on the magazine is very persuasive making the reader want to buy. The title is very clear to who the magazine is aimed at. However, the layout could be improved. Overall, it is very good because it brings a lot of messages across.

How I would promote my magazine

I believe that the best way to promote my college magazine would be by putting posters around the college to make people more aware of it. Another way is by sending emails, these could be sent to students reminding them that the magazine is on sale and when the next issue is out. Also, using the television and college Intranet would be appropriate as it is all internal, and around the college making everyone aware of the magazine. These would all spread awareness.

Front Page

This is my final front cover design. I decided on this concept by looking at my drafts and seeing what could be improved one of these was by putting a picture as the background rather than having it plain. I added a teasing contents across the bottom to persuade people to buy the magazine and also to show what else is included in the magazine. I spread the text out so it is easier to understand and didn't overcroud the front page as this needs to be simple to catch the readers eye. I used this background as it is fresh and colourful which should be advertising. The colour scheme is mainly purple and white (Wyke college's theme) but added other colours to headings to make them appeal to the audience. The main image shows a student learning which shows a good reputation of the college and is relevant to the magazine and heading 'How to pass your exams'.

Contents Page

This is a mock of my contents page. I have given the background of this page the same colour as the logo to provide consistency. I have included images to make the page more interesting and give the writing more meaning. It also looks more appealing to the audience as they can see it visually. The pictures include page numbers so they can quickly look and skip to the page. For example, i did this for the bus picture as they may be in a rush and need the information quickly.

Magazine ideas

http://prezi.com/z8a1jugje9ia/college-magazine/