General questions about music magazines

1. What is a music magazine?

A music magazine is a magazine where the main focus is the music sub-genre and in
this it focuses on music and music culture.

2. What content (text/copy/articles/stories) would you expect to find in a music
magazine?
In a magazine that is focused on music I would expect to find:
- Tour Dates
- Festival Dates
- Interviews with the artists/bands
- Gig reviews
- Album Reviews
- Album release dates
- News and Gossip about artists/bands

3. What images would you expect to find in a music magazine?
In a music magazine I would expect to see:
- Pictures of the artists/Bands
- Album Artwork
- Photoshoot Photos
- Instruments
- Merchandise
- Images from Live performances

4. Identify general characteristics/ Features that you would expect to find in all music
magazines.
I would expect all music magazines to have a masthead so that its clear what the
name of the magazine is. On the front cover I would expect to see a main image that
is most likely a band or artist that one of the main articles of that issue is on. I would
expect to see the main cover line linking to the image on the front cover (Anchorage
Text). On the front cover of a music magazine I would expect the other cover lines to
be bout music related articles. There should also be a bar code as this is a legal
requirement, and most magazines have it on the front cover.




Questions about music magazines front covers.

Q1) Identify the features/ chatacteristics they all have
All the magazine have a masthead, which are all going across the top and they are
the largest text on the front cover. They all partially covered by the main image
but this is fine because they are well known and recognised magazines so their
branding is well established and they do not need to show their full masthead.
All the magazines have a main image of an artist/ band and then the main
coverline relates to that image (anchorage text) because they are the main focus
of that weeks issue.
Q2) Why are these features present on all of the magazines? Why are they important?
The masthead is present on all the magazines so that they can create a brand and so that the buyer
recognises what the name of the magazine is when they are buying it. It also allows the buyer to find
the same magazine if they want to continue to buy it in the future. It is important for the designer of
these magazines to keep to the codes and conventions where the masthead is concerned because
its where the buyer will look first to find the name.
The main image is covering a part of the masthead and the masthead is still recognisable even
without being able to see it for a long time, this is important as it shows that the brand is developed
and well established, which is a stage that all magazine companies want to be at. The main images
on all of the magazines are an artist or band (Black Veil Brides, Sarah Chang, Kanye West, Lilly Allen)
this is important as it shows the genre of the magazine and shows that each of the magazine is
keeping to the genre of music, as it is a music magazine.
The main cover line is also anchorage text because it relates to the image. This is important because
it shows that the main image on the front cover is related to the main article in this weeks issue.
All the images are using a direct mode of address which is important because it draws in the
audience as it looks like they are looking at the reader.
They all have cover lines which are important because they help to sell the magazine as they gain the
readers interest about articles in the magazine.


Q3) Take one of the magazine covers and say what type of music magazine it
is (SUB-GENRE nb music magazines are the magazine genre; the type of
music covered is the sub-genre). Provide at least 4 specific examples from
the magazine that supports your claim that it belongs to this particular sub-
genre
Kerrang has sub-genre of rock music, so the magazine has articles about rock
music and rock bands in it. You can tell this because the band on the front are
wearing black and black is usually associated to rock music whereas pink
would usually be associated with pop music. The black leather jackets that the
band are wearing have connototions of rock bands because its what a lot of
older rock bands would wear. The bands names on the front cover eg. Black
veil brides, metallica, you me at six are well know bands in the rock genre. The
competition is to win a guitar which an instrument strongly assosiated with rock music.


4. For the same magazine, say who you think the target audience is. Give reasons for your answers
I think that the target audience is primarily boys aged between 14 and 18 with girls of the same age
range as the secondary target audience. This is because it is an all male bandin the main image that
the boys would look up to as role models and want to be like. The boys coulkd assosiate with the
band because they are male. The girls would be able to fan-girl over the band. I would say it is
aimed at both genres because both males and females can listen and enjoy rock music and both like
the bands talked about in the magazine. I think the target audience is between 14 and 18 because at
14 is when they would become fully interested in music but then by 18 they might start getting
interested in other things. Also because of the fonts used are quite young looking and not formal
which probably wouldnt appeal to an older audience.