This document outlines the tasks involved in music magazine research. It discusses uses and gratifications theory and how consumers actively engage with media. It also provides information on major British magazine publishers like IPC Media and Bauer Media Group. The document includes the results of a questionnaire given to students about their music magazine preferences. It reflects on how the questionnaire provides insight into designing an appealing music magazine.

1. Research Tasks.

2. Front page Contents 1 3 2 4 5 9 8 7 6 10 11 15 13 12 19 18 17 16 22 20 21 23 14 33 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 35 34 32 38 37 36 41 40 39 47 46 45 44 43 42 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 55 56 57 58 A different take on classical music Up-coming solo artists Interview with Escada Up-coming bands A look at music from the past from favourite artists Interview with band Current concerts playing around the world A look at award winning artists Favourite scores from all time classics Behind the music The50 greatest pianists ever Top tips on where to buy the best instruments Interview with Sarah Chang The life of a composer Audience’s favourites from Mozart Festival previews Secret behind composing a good song Interview with Paul Potts Interview with Paul Potts continued.. How to get your music heard Music Festival of London Image page full of bands History of music A British take on music An American take on music Interview with Sarah welling Exclusive interview with.. An editors farewell

3. Article – New band Front Page Article – New band Cont’d Feature About new MTV show Advert – Upcoming Gig Mag’sfav artists Mag’sfav artists Problem Page Problem Page Advert – Cosmetics Contents Charts list Charts list Advert – MTV Article on New Popular genre Of music Genre of Music Cont’d Advert – Subscribe To mag Form to Post for subscription Overflow Contents Advert for Upcoming Gig MTV show Cont’d Comments And emails Page Celebrity news Celebrity news Article – Uprising Artists Article- Uprising Artists Top tens Of month Fashion Article by Biba Free Poster – Muse Free Poster- Muse A few Words from The editor Mobile Apps Advert Back cover Perfume Advert Article – New band Cont’d Advert – River Island Interview With Passion Pit Passion Pit Cont’d Passion Pit Tour dates And Info Advert – New iPod Celebrity news Latest Stage- Fashion page Album Review page Review Page Cont’d Interview Jason Mraz Jason Mraz Cont’d Compe- Tition for iPod Free Poster Advert – cosmetics Advert – Album Advert – New Artist Interview Adele Interview Adele Feature on Artists ex’s And love lives Feature on Love lives cont’d 1 3 2 4 5 9 8 7 6 10 11 15 13 12 19 18 17 16 22 20 21 23 14 33 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 35 34 32 38 37 36 41 40 39 47 46 45 44 43 42 Advert – Topshop Advert – Topshop Advert – Ben and Jerry’s Most Desirable Albums of The month 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 55 56 57 58

4. Uses and Gratifications The uses and gratifications theory illustrates how people consume the media and bring it into their lives actively. My magazine fits into this theory as it offers information to the reader and offers them more entertainment and knowledge of their selected subject. The magazine also offers other extras to try to engage and bring in the audience. For example, free gifts and competitions. The reader will also actively consume the media by entering the competitions and taking part in it. From my magazine, the reader can indulge in their particular interest and get a wider range of interests and be introduced to new aspects by the media/magazine.

5. Research into magazine institutions British magazine institutions such as IPC Media produce many magazines of all different genres for all different interests. IPC Media produces many magazines including, Marie Claire, Now, Look and The Field. The company produces magazines under five different categories. Connect (women’s magazines, i.e. Now), Ignite! (men’s lifestyle), Inspire (leisure), TX (television magazines) and Southbank (women’s lifestyle). The company IPC is so big that it needs different sectors to be able to function. Bauer media group is based in Hamburg, Germany. It produces magazines such as MOJO, Kerrang and Q. This company is recognised in 15 different countries. Emap was the second larges media institution in the UK until 2007 when the company split up and sold off. Emap produced magazines such as Nursing Times, Architects’ Journal, Local Government Chronicle and Broadcast.

6. Questionnaire How often do you buy music magazines? Weekly: Monthly: Occasionally: 6 Never: 3 If you were to buy a music magazine, which would you prefer? Q: Billboard: 3 Rolling Stone: 3 Spin: NME: 4 Kerrang!: What would you like to see in a music magazine? Interviews and Images: 6 Charts and Information: 3 Celebrity News: 2 How much would you pay for a magazine? £1 - £1.50: 3 £2 - £3: 7 £3 - £4: What is your favourite genre of music? Rock: Pop: R&B: 3 Indie: 4 Classical: Dark Wave: 1 Other: 2

7. Questionnaire Reflection and Evaluation The questionnaire proves that people from a certain age and background can have similar preferences in certain subjects (for example music and magazines). I asked several Henley College students about their preferences for a music magazine, and the majority said that they preferred magazines such as NME, would only read them occasionally, would only pay £1 -£1.50 for a music magazine and would prefer to see more interviews and images in the magazines. Majority of the students preferred the ever-growing in popularity, R&B and Indie genres of music. The questionnaire does also show diversity within the group of people that I asked, and shows how they all have differences in their tastes and although often similar, they do still have their own personal tastes. The questionnaire gives me an idea for how to create my magazine and what would be the most popular features and what would make it a good magazine and would make it liked by the readers.

8. This screenshot shows that different parts of the UK have different ratios of social groups or ‘tribes’. For example, the South East England features Townies, Indie Scenesters and Rahs as the three largest tribes in the area. Depending on environmental circumstances of where you live and the background you come from, it can alter the people within society that you may mix with. For example, in more Northern areas, it may prove that there are three completely different dominating tribes, due to the background and difference in area.

11. Personal Learning and Reflection ONE. My front cover analysis showed me that using certain images/colours/types of font can translate into different things in a metaphorical manner (for example, Curlz MT in pink is typically interpreted and gives off the impression of being feminine and girly.) This gives me ideas for how to portray my front cover for my magazine, and how I could use certain design techniques to make it appeal to my target audience and to make it stand out from other magazines in general or of that genre. I have also noticed that a bolder font and a bigger text size for the title of the main article on the front cover will capture the audiences attention more easily and certain fonts are good for helping to identify certain bands – especially if they have a particular font featured in their band logo.

12. Personal Learning and Reflection TWO. My contents analysis helped for me to understand how a contents page may be designed and how to make it easier to use and function. To make page numbers more visible, many magazine contents pages appear to have a separate colour theme running through the page in smaller elements, part of which are used for the page numbers. These colour themes may also be used for subheadings and smaller titles across the page, which helps the reader to pick out certain details and information visually through the differentiation of the colourings. I also know that with a contents page, it can be easier and more helpful to the reader if you feature a small description of what each page contains, giving them a small synopsis of what to expect from a certain page/article.

13. Personal Learning and Reflection THREE. I analysed several double page spreads from different music genre magazines with different types of articles/features. I learnt that pictures should be located strategically on a page, so there is still plenty of space to include the text, and that titles and images should go together as they relate to each other and can be easier for the audience to make connections (for example, some people may know the name of the musician, but not the face, and would then be able to link them. Or the opposite way around – some people may know the face of the personality but not their name. Therefore the connection can be made much quicker, and this may help to draw the reader in.) The images for double page spreads should represent the band/celebrity in a typical or recognisable way for that subject. Or the images should represent the person being related to the magazines style or embracing the genre of magazine that an article is created for. On a double page spread, the titles should be easily visible and should perhaps get the readers attention. For example, certain quotes of interest could be used which may interest people and leave them wondering what else the person may have stated, and whether the interview or article will be of interest.

14. Personal Learning and Reflection FOUR. Both of my audience research activities (‘Find your Tribe’ and the questionnaire) gave me ideas of how an audience may think and what they may wish to see in a magazine. They both made me understand what kind of people from the audience research would read the magazine that I am creating, and what kind of genre and style the magazine should be written in. For example, the magazine should have more unknown and controversial bands that would appeal to the kinds of people living in south east England and bands that would appeal to all kinds of classes and tribes and typical people. The audience research will also help me to write my magazine in a less biased manner, and to not just create the ideal magazine for me, that I would personally read, but little other people would find it of interest. I now understand that my magazine should be created in a little more of a general manner, so that it interesting to a wider audience and not just a select few that it could have been designed for.