Music magazine mock ups

 

 

 

 

These are the mock ups for my music magazine. This will be my layout of each page and how it will be presented. It helps to give me an idea of the final layout of the magazine because even though I have already done rough first drafts it helps me to compare the actual ones to the mock ups and shows me where I need to improve. Hopefully, my final versions will look like these mock ups.

Music magazine front cover first draft

I made the main picture of the band large and clear so it is obvious to the audience on who the main feature is about. I also added many more features such as extra sell and cover lines. I tried to make the edition seem more wintery seeing as it is a 'winter special' edition so I added more colours such as blue that reflect this. For my final version, I may add some more headings and more features that reflect the winter style of the magazine. Also, I will add more headings and change the overall house style of the magazine. I might use different software such as Photoshop or InDesign which allows me to personalise my magazine more in order to change this. Furthermore, I think currently the main picture takes up too much space so I may change this for the final version of my music magazine.

Music magazine contents page first draft

I was reasonably happy with my first draft but decided to change the background colour and the side of the page numbers. Another key feature I have added is the colour of the editors note  and I have changed it from yellow to green so the text is easier to read. For my final version, I may also change the layout and add some extra features and pictures. I think the current version is just too bright and so for my final version I may change that along with possibly using a different picture as I don't think the picture clearly shows to the reader what it is about. To make my magazine look more like a magazine I might use different software for example Photoshop which will allow me to change the look and feel of the magazine.

Music magazine double page spread first draft

 

This is my first draft for my double page spread. I have added 10 questions and an introduction interview as well as changing the layout slightly. My questions are simple and informal and also involve some humour. For the final version, I may change the layout and colours and add some more pictures. It currently doesn't look like an actual interview so for the final version I will aim to change that by possibly using different software such as Photoshop which will add more style to my magazine in will also make it easier for my to produce a double page spread which genuinely looks like one.

Music magazine name audience research

For my music magazine audience research, I asked 30 people around the College about what name they preferred. In the end, it was close run between 'Special pop' and 'SoundZ'. However, one third of all people asked chose 'SoundZ' as an ideal name for my music pop magazine and so that is the reason I chose it as the name of my magazine.

10 questions I will use on my double page spread music magazine

Because my target audience for my magazine is young teenagers, I will need to include lots of pictures and not too much writing. My questions will have to be simple and also informal as a teenage pop magazine isn't very serious. These are the 10 questions I have thought of:

How does it feel having such an active fan base?

I am using this question because then fans of the band will feel familiar with them and be pleased that the magazine mentions them. It almost gives the fans a sense of belonging.

Who is the funniest member of your group?

I have included this question because it's informal and adds some humour to the interview.

What would you recommend to any aspiring pop stars?

I have used this question because my magazine is a pop magazine so it relates to the readers and any ambitions they may have. Moreover, my target audience are mostly young so the question fits in well with them.

What was the best moment of your career?

This question is also very useful because it gives some background information about the group and still doesn't go into great detail because it focuses on a single event.

How did you meet the other two members?

This question is useful to the interview because once again, it relates to the band and gives some background knowledge to the reader.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

This question also has the potential for some humour which breaks up the past few questions. Furthermore, it is something the readers can relate to as it is asking him a question from when he was their sort of age.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

This question shows what style of music he is into and also gives some more background knowledge to the reader and about the band member.

What is the best venue you have performed at?

I am including this question because it may give some familiarity to the reader and also seems interesting for the reader to find out.

What was your funniest moment on tour?

This adds some more humour and fun to the magazine and will make the readers laugh.

What are 'Sixth Form Beats' future plans?

This is a good question to finish the interview with and also adds some exclusivity to the magazine. This question should keep the target audience reading until the very end and be enough to keep their attention.

Overall, these are the questions I will probably use in my double page spread interview. I might change a few things for the final one but these questions are generally the ones I will use for my magazine. I tried to use a mixture of different styled questions so hopefully, it keeps my target audience attracted and reading.

Uses and gratifications theory

Recently we learned about how the media can manipulate minds and opinions of an audience. This could be useful for our final media project as I can learn how to suit my magazine to appeal to my target audience. Learning about it has allowed me to think of ways of adding value and how I can extend my magazine especially as technology change.

Pop magazine names and planning

I knew my magazine name had to be short and snappy but easy to remember. My target audience is teenagers and with them being at schools, my magazine could spread quickly if the name catches on in the sort of places my target audience stays or socialises. As well as this, I wanted my magazine name to fit the styles of other similar pop magazines. I did some research and these were some of the names I found:

 Top of the pops is presented as very lively with the stars and the pink background. Moreover, the name is very catchy and rhymes so feels familiar to say. This was definitely the sort of style I was looking for.

 'We love pop' is also a very good example of a pop magazine that is aimed for my target audience. The name is presented in a text speech symbol which represents the fact many teenagers use social media and phones nowadays to communicate. This shows the magazine is trying to keep in touch with its target audience. As well as this, you can clearly see it is a British magazine with the love heart with British flag that is a clever move by the editors to show it is a British magazine but also keeps similar to the magazine house style with the love heart. The magazine also uses the word 'we' to stay familiar with the target audience and also gives a sense of belonging to the reader.

 The 'classic pop' music magazine also keeps in style with the general colour of black and red. The text is easy to read and contrasts against the dark background. This for perhaps an older audience due to the fact it is 'classic' so is kept simplistic compared to the previous logos/names and doesn't have to be lively and loud.

Q magazine is a very famous pop magazine. It is symbolised by its simple logo which immediately shows to the reader that it is Q magazine. It is instantly recognisable and helps to separate the magazine from competitors. The target audience of Q magazine is mostly for young adults so once again, does not represent the target audience I am aiming for. However, what it does show is that a logo doesn't need to be long or too complicated in order to be noticed.

In the end, I decided to name my magazine 'SOUNDZ'. The name will probably be in a different font and colour but it is my name. I chose the name because it relates to pop, is easy to say and sounds catchy. It isn't too complicated but reflects to pop music with the word 'sound'. Hopefully, this name will stick with my magazine and attract the untended target audience.

The cover lines of my music magazine.

Because i'm making a pop magazine, and my target audience is teenage girls, my cover lines will have to be informal and short but snappy. On my front cover, I  will include cover lines such as 'exclusive gossip and news!' This makes the audience interested and encourages a purchase because they want to know what this news is. Furthermore, if the news is 'exclusive' then the audience will think that there isn't anywhere else to find out the news. Moreover, it also gives a sense of exclusivity if the reader does buy it and it gives the magazine a sense of 'limited edition'.

Other cover lines I might include are 'the interview you have all been waiting for!' This also excites the reader because makes the reader feel as if they will miss out if they don't read and the cover line links to the main boy band theme throughout the magazine.

I will also include a sell line that says 'you can't miss out!' This once again makes the reader desperate and forces into a possible purchase. It is short but snappy and very effective.

As well as this, I will include cover lines that are separate to the main Question and Answer double page spread interview. These could be 'star gets big surprise!' and 'special edition'. I will also include special prizes and the usual competition.

Finally, I will also have links to the 'New year special' edition of the magazine which gives the magazine more 'exclusivity' and 'special edition' feel about it.  However, I won't fill the page with cover lines but instead make it clear and simple for the reader to understand with the big issues clearly advertised on the front cover.

Pictures that I might use on my music magazine

I used my photo shoot research and made my own picture that that looked similar to them. Here, they are standing by a wall looking very 'cool' and serious just like the bands I compared. The band leader is stood in the centre of the picture with his arms around the band members. You can tell he is the band leader because he is stood in the centre of the picture leading the other two members.  Moreover, they are dressed very similar so no one stands out.

 I chose this picture because it portrays the lead member of the band as stylish and sophisticated. This is especially useful as my interview will be based on him and his opinion of the band. Moreover, with his stance it shows that he is positive and it portrays a happy image for the magazine.

Here, the lead member is meeting a surprised fan. This will fit perfectly on my magazine because my target audience is full of pop fans and by showing a picture of him with a fan, it increases the image of him and his band.

Edit: I may also take some more as I think I need to show the lead member Fazal more in my pictures and make it clear to the reader that he is the lead member of the group and an important figure.

Planning my double page spread edited.

For my double page spread, I will have a question and answer interview. I will get a picture of the band leader and then use that for the double page spread. This way, readers know that the interview is al about him and the band and it gives a more personalised feel to it. Questions on the double page spread will be about the band but also individual members. It will be light hearted and will be designed to keep the target audience reading. My target audience is teenage girls due to it being a very colourful pop magazine so there shouldn't be too much type but rather lots of colours and sub headings so the reader never feels overwhelmed about what to read. I will make the questions short and snappy and also had some humour so the article isn't seen as too serious and difficult to read. The fact the magazine is also an interview means that it has some exclusivity about it and this may attract my target audience and give a sense of limited edition.

My double page-spread  question and interview is specifically designed to fit in with the overall house style of the magazine about not being too serious and being fun and attractive to read. This fits in with my target audience and hopefully attracts them to the magazine. 

Edit: I have changed my double page spread and instead of using really bright colours I have used a more simplistic approach so this makes the interview easier to read and more accessible.

Planning my photoshoot edited.

For my photo shoot, I'm going to try and make a pop band or pop artist to be the main feature of my magazine. I'm going to try and make my photo as authentic as possible and make the band look like a real boy band.

Here, the band 'One Direction' are all stood in the same way and this is used to show that there is no distinction between the band members. Furthermore, they all look the same which further reinforces the point that they're a band. Moreover, they all have their arms around each other to show that the band are together and united. Finally, they're all smiling or have serious expressions which increases the positivity and seriousness that surrounds the band. I would like my photo to be similar to this because it the stances are overall look of the band is very 'cool' and 'stylish' so would fit perfectly within my pop magazine.

This is pop band 'The Wanted'. Like the One Direction photo they look very 'cool' and their facial expressions show they are serious but not unhappy. It also adds a layer of mystery about them because not much is revealed from the photo. I could use a picture like this for my magazine because it will make the audience want to read the magazine and see the question and answer interview inside. All of the colours are also the same so no particular band member is distinguished between the rest and none of them stand out.

                                                     

This is another pop band called 'Union J'. This is what my ideal front cover would look like with a simple white background which allows attention to focus on just the group. Once again, all of their arms are round each other to show unity between the group members. Moreover, they all have that 'cool' and mysterious look the other photos have shown and their eyes are focused firmly on the
camera. Finally, they are all similar to the other pictures because they all dress and look the same to show that there is no difference between them.






For my photo shoot, i'm going to use the slightly worn out walls in sections of the College. These are perfect because they provide no distraction to the main shot. I also plan to have the band leader in the centre of the shot to prove that he is the leader of the band and the one that does the most work. Moreover, I plan to have all of the members to be wearing the same sort of clothes styles so not one of them hugely stands out. I have gained these ideas from the 3 shots I analysed above and how a stylish, sophisticated pop boy band should look on a photo.

This was one of the ways I planned my photo and it helped me with my final shoot. If I was to do it again or need more pictures, I will use more varied locations and try to add some more variety to my photos.                                                



                         

The pop genre

 Loud, adventurous singers such as Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé are pop singers. Their music is often very quick and catchy and is designed to draw the audience into the song. Lyrics are easy to remember and can increase the popularity of a song.

 Pop concerts are loud and bright with many flashy lights representing the feeling of being alive and happy. The audience will come out of a concert feeling 'wowed' by a performance and this is what pop music to portray. Pop music has become undoubtedly more popular over recent years as trends and the flashy western style music has excited many fans.

 The audience for pop is usually teenage girls as seen in this picture. Pop represents the youth as a new beginning with music suited for crazy crowds with flags and banners. The popularity of pop bands also spreads due to social media that teenagers use. This enables a song to become more popular as teenagers talk about it in schools and colleges.

Typical boy bands or singers such as One Direction or Justin Beiber attract millions of fans worldwide due to their 'good looks' and 'style' that pop's main audience teenage girls are attracted to . Extra merchandise is also used such as calendars and cups that spread the bands image and popularity. It is also a way for teenage fans to escape the usual confines of life and give them something to focus on in their teenage years. There are also many male fans as well that are attracted by the catchiness of the music. Many pop stars or bands are only popular for a few years but during this time, mass amounts of money is earned through their popularity within the genre.

Music magazine styles and ideas

SoundZ - This is the name of my magazine and font of the magazine. I chose the name because the word 'Sound' represent music and the big 'Z' makes it stand out and sound unique. Furthermore, being a pop magazine the name will be quick and catchy and with my target audience being teenage girls, the name should spread quickly through the likes of schools and social media. The 'accent' font that I chose is creative and stands out from ordinary magazines in that it looks creative and stands out. My magazine is informal so this font perfectly fits the idea of the magazine being informal and colourful.

I will also have explosions of colour in my magazine such as this as it makes the magazine seem loud and perfectly fits the idea of a pop magazine. Pop magazines are supposed to be unique and loud and colourful. Including shapes like this gives the magazine a sense of fun and it fits into the  typical house style of a pop magazine. It also fits into the typical teenage audience. teenage girls who are my target audience, enjoy vibrant and bright colours and by including shapes like this, the target audience are likely to be attracted.

SoundZ                                         SoundZ

Soundz                                                   Soundz

SoundZ                                      SoundZ

SoundZ

SoundZ

These were other styles I thought of because they all have something different about them. However in the end, I chose SoundZ because it looked the best and fitted into the magazine house style of creativity and uniqueness.

 

Music magazine questionnaire analysis

Out off the 10 respondents that answered, all but one were under the age of 17. This is useful especially if I want to find do a pop magazine which are generally catered towards a younger audiences.

Out off the 10 respondents that answered, the large majority were male. This means, the survey could be slightly biased toward what males think rather than females and not give a balanced view.

The vast majority of my respondents were from the UK which is useful because I am planning to produce and release my magazine for a UK audience.

This question was also useful because it allows me to get a key idea on the general amount of people that regularly buy magazines.

This categorically showed to me that my  magazine should definitely be priced under £5 as most people don't pay any more per month.

This was also useful because it showed that 60% of respondents would be more likely to buy a magazine with the offer of a free git inside the magazine.

This showed me the genre and other music magazines people purchase and could be useful for me in comparing their styles.

This question was very useful because it showed to me that the majority of people prefer to focus on content rather than design or price. It means that in order to achieve success for my magazine, I should focus on what is inside and the articles.

I needed to get an idea of the type of singer or band those answering the questionnaire would like to see on the front of the magazine. The results were very varied and gave me an interesting idea of the sort of singers or bands people are into.

Seeing as my magazine is a pop magazine, I wanted to see what artists people associated with pop. The responses were all different so helped me to understand the large profile of pop and the amount of different bands and singers there are.

This question was very useful for me to figure out what people wanted on a front cover and how I can use these answers for my own.

This question helped to decide on what would be included in my double page spread and what type of article people enjoy reading.

This question was helpful in that it helped me to realise that the majority of people prefer big images rather than lots of text. This will fit the house style of my pop magazine as being bifg and colourful with small amounts of text.

 

This question also showed me that most people prefer having a competition in  the magazine and that I should definitely advertise one in my own in order to make it seam attractive to the audience.




Overall, I found the answers to my questionnaire very useful. They answered all the key questions I wanted to learn about magazines, music and pop. The answers allowed me to realise important things such as not pricing the magazine over £5; putting a competition into the magazine and making using more images than text. Furthermore, it helped me to understand the sort of music people listen to and who they associate with pop. The fact most of my respondents were under 17 was also useful in that I'm doing a pop magazine and most of those who read pop magazine are under the age of 17.

My music magazine institution.

 These reasons are why I chose Bauer magazine as my music magazine institution ahead of the other competitors.

Music genre stereotypes

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my music stereotypes power point. It took a lot of research to find out the style of each music and types of fans that follow it. Stereotypes and how different sections of society are portrayed in the media and I tried to find out how each group is represented. In the power point, I thoroughly analysed each of the main music types from pop to classical and this power point was what I found out.