Evaluation of the 7 Questions - Music Magazine

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My magazine uses a variety of techniques to conform to the stereotypes of a classical magazine. I have used three main cover stories on my front cover to try and attract the audience. The main cover story featuring the main model is on the sweet spot of the magazine and this will be the first thing the audience will read. The colour scheme of the magazine is black, white and orange. This is to fit into the vintage, monochrome stereotype of classical magazines whilst also using a vibrant colour such as orange to make certain things stand out in the magazines. The mast head of my magazine reads Classical Strings. I chose this masthead because I wanted the audience to immediately know the genre of my magazine and also the word ‘Strings’ is often associated with classical instruments such as violins. The main image on my magazine front cover shows a student from Stockley Academy playing a violin. I used this image because the younger generation do not often play classical music as it is often associated with the older generation so using a younger model will attract a younger audience. My contents page uses the same colour scheme as my front cover. I chose this because it allows the magazine to flow better and look more appealing to the target audience. I have used three main images on the contents page to show what some of the content is inside of the magazine. I also decided to put page numbers on these images to make it easier to get around the magazine and so readers can find what they are looking for. I put a ‘contact us’ section on the contents page to allow the audience to be able to interact with the magazine. With this, I encouraged the audience to contact the magazine by giving them one free entry into the competition advertised by the magazine. My feature article also follows the same colour scheme of the previous pages and uses the same fonts as well. Here, I used another image of the main model and put a quote in large letters reading ‘it all feels like a dream’. This is to tell the audience what the feature article is a about and gives the impression that the content of the feature article is of the main models life as a classical musician. I put her name in large letters across the first two pages of the feature article. This is not stereotypical of classical magazines to do and I did this to try and cater towards the younger generation who read classical magazines who prefer a more informal layout, often not seen in classical magazines. Overall I think my magazine both conforms and goes against the conventions of a classical magazine. It conforms through the use of its colour scheme however the layout is very informal, attracting a younger generation to it.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My music magazine represents the younger generation who enjoy classical music. This is due to the main image on the front cover being of a young female playing a classical instrument and the feature article telling her life as a young classical artist. I think it represents this social group in a positive way. This is because I had the main model smile as she plays her instrument, showing that she enjoys what she does and doesn’t care what anyone else says. On the contents page, there is an image of the main model holding her instrument and smiling at the camera, showing how she is very chilled out and has a lot of fun playing classical music. All of the images in my magazine are females so another social group represented is women. I think they are all represented in a positive way as they are all smiling showing they enjoy what they do and are proud to be associated with the classical genre.

What kind of institution might distribute your media product and why?

One institution that might distribute my media product is Time Inc. UK. I chose this institution because they haven’t distributed a classical music magazine before so it will be new way for them to make money by catering for a new target audience. I think this institution would like my magazine because it would be a way for them to make more money by attracting a new audience as it may also make readers try their other products as well. One method in which they would distribute the magazine would be through social media. This is because the younger generation use a lot of social media and spend much of their time on there. I think this would be better than physical promotion because it would attract more of the younger generation for the magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product would be teenagers and young adults. They would age from 13 – 25 and I would aim for a more female audience. I have chosen this because it is usually the older male generation that purchase classical magazines so I have tried to create a magazine that would cater to this demographic instead. The social class of my target audience would be working class. Although classical music is often associated with the upper class, I have tried to show that those from working classes also enjoy classical music.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience by using models and images that are associated within the target audience. For example, I used all young female images within my magazine and this allows the audience to connect with these images and this attracts them more to the magazine. I have also tried to attract my audience through the use of a competition. In my magazine I have advertised that if you subscribe to the magazine every month, one free entry into the monthly competition will be entered. I think this will attract the audience because everyone looks a chance to win something free. Another method using to attracting my audience is through the use of the internet and social media. As the younger generation use these methods of communication more often than the old, they are more likely to get attracted by something on social media.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

In the construction of my magazine, I used a range of software’s and methods to create and edit my magazine. For my images, I used a camera to take my own images and then put them into Photoshop to edit them. I experimented with different filters to try and make the quality of images better however I thought that the original images looked more authentic in the final product. When I finished editing my images, I had to plan the layout for my magazine and this was done in a software called InDesign. This software was where I created my magazine and the software gave me a variety of tools to help me with this. I had to create shapes for where my images and text would go and this later be filled in with the real thing. Doing this allowed me to experiment with the layout and what would look best the target audience. At first I went for a stereotypical classical magazine layout with everything in line and neat however I thought the younger audience would find this bland so I changed it to a more informal layout. After completing my magazine, I feel like I can confidently use InDesign to create a media product such as a magazine again and that it has helped me in identifying the codes and conventions of other magazines as I created my own.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back at my preliminary task, I feel like I have developed my skills a lot more in creating my magazine as well as evaluating my magazine. I now know how to use media software’s such as InDesign and Photoshop effectively to create a media product to a good standard. I am able to edit images with ease now and know how effective planning is when creating a media product. I also feel like my understanding and reasoning behind my media product is more detailed and I know why I have done certain things on my magazine to cater towards my target audience. In the Stockley Academy film magazine I created, I know that my understanding was limited of why I done certain things however I feel like this has improved in the creation of my music magazine and that I am able to explain everything about my magazine. Overall, I think my understanding has greatly improved in the progression from both tasks and that this shows in comparing the two products together. I feel like my knowledge has improved in the technologies I have used and that this will help me in the future should I need to use them again.

Final Music Magazine Front Cover, Contents Page and Feature Article

 

Target Audience Feedback

Target Audience Feedback – Bethany Whale

WWW – It uses a consistent colour scheme throughout the magazine, making it very appealing to look at.

EBI – Try to get a different variety of photos, maybe of more males as it looks like the magazine is aimed at females and not the younger generation as a whole.

WWW – Great photography skills with many images using direct eye contact to connect with the reader.

EBI – Put a pug or a puff on the front cover to advertise the monthly competition.

Target Audience Feedback – Saja Kamareddine

WWW – The layout is not stereotypical of normal classical magazines which it makes it more interesting.

EBI – Use a variety of different fonts as similar fonts are used throughout the magazine which could get boring.

WWW – The colour palette used is very attractive and gives it a vintage and premium look.

EBI – Some of the images don’t use direct eye contact such as the main image on the front cover and this does not draw in the audience.

Planning the Music Magazine Front Cover, Contents Page and Feature Article

Planning the Front Cover

For my front cover I will use dark colours such as black and white for the text however I will use an orange/brown colour for important text on the page so that it stands out amongst the background and other text. The main image will be of a model playing a classical musical instrument such as the violin. This is to ensure that the audience knows the genre the magazine is. I plan to use three main cover stories on the front cover as most classical magazines such as Classical Music magazine use three main cover stories. My masthead will be large and in an orange/brown font so it can be read from faraway. The font will be easy to read and classy, conforming to the stereotype of other classical music magazines. My sweet spot will contain the cover story of the main feature article to try and draw the reader in as this will be the main selling point of the magazine. Overall I think my front cover will cater and attract the target audience because it uses a dull and premium colour scheme other classical magazines use.

Planning the Contents Page

My contents page will have a similar layout to my front cover. I will attempt to use the same colour scheme on my contents page as well as throughout my magazine to ensure the magazine flows well. I will add more images of the main model as well as other images of other stories to try and make the contents page more attractive and better to look at. I will include page numbers on these images to make it easier to find the story they want. I will also add a ‘Contact Us’ section to try and involve the reader more and gain more subscriptions for the magazine. I will also add social media links to cater to those who prefer an online magazine enjoy reading online rather than a physical copy. Overall I think my contents page will attract my target audience because it has an easy to read layout and uses colours that stand out against the background to make it easier to find pages.

Planning the Feature Article

My feature article will follow the same colour scheme as the rest of my magazine: black, white and orange/brown. This makes sure the magazine flows and I can make things stand out if needed. I will use more images of the main model on the feature article and I will also try and make the feature article layout more different than other classical music magazines. The feature article will contain an interview and also a biography of the main model. Overall I think the feature article will cater to my target audience because it is attractive, using a different layout than other classical music magazines and it is very easy to read.

BBC Music Magazine Media Pack

Brand Reach - Print

Circulation – 36,300 per edition
Readership – 234,000 per edition
Subscribers – 75%

Social Media

Twitter – 50,000 followers
Facebook – 14,500 likes

Brand Reach – Online

Users - 82,000
Impressions – 175,000
Podcast – 19,000 monthly
Newsletter – 22,000 weekly
Total brand reach – 581,000 monthly

Demographics

Men – 59%
Women – 41%
Age 15 – 34 – 50%
Age 35 – 54 – 23%
Age 55 and above – 27%

Music Magazine Industry Tasks Research

Classical Music Magazine

Classical Music is a trade magazine for the classical music profession. It co-sponsors the annual ABO/Rhinegold Awards for backstage work in music, held for the first time in January 2012 - and has correspondents in Great Britain and in New York. Its website includes news on the classical music industry. It is published by Rhinegold Publishing, and the editor is Kimon Daltas.

BBC Music Magazine

BBC Music Magazine is a monthly magazine. The first issue appeared in June 1992. BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC was the original owner and publisher together with the Warner Music Enterprises during its initial phase. Immediate Media Company has been the publisher since 2012. BBC Music Magazine has also an edition in North America which was first published in March 1993. The magazine reflects the broadcast output of BBC Radio 3 being devoted primarily to classical music, though with sections on jazz and world music. Each edition comes together with an audio CD, often including BBC recordings of full-length works. The magazine's circulation is 37,530 and profits "are returned to the BBC". The magazine features articles on subjects such as the favourite conductor of professional conductors.

Codes and Conventions

The conventions of a classical music magazine are mostly the same in every magazine made by different publishers. Usually, the masthead is the biggest text on the cover. The colours are normally clean and classy, with no bright colours such as pink being used. Colours quite commonly used are gold and black, because these colours together show quite a premium style which fits the high class stereotype.

The main image usually relates to the main feature article of the magazine, with the image being in a medium or medium long shot. There is only one image on the front cover and a cover story about the specific artist and the artist is normally dressed up to look high class in gowns and suits. Some magazines use black and white images to give a vintage look but some use colour depending on the background. Sometimes the background is one colour so all the other features stand out.

Overall, the front cover is generally very organised and clean. It doesn’t use bright colours and only important text is placed on the front cover so it doesn’t feel too full up. This is all to appeal to the older target audience.

Readership Profile

Most classical magazines have a readership profile of both men and women aged 40 and above. This is because people of this age have grew up with this type of music and still enjoy it to this day whilst people of younger generations listen to genres such as rap. Classical magazines try to appeal to the audience by using colours often associated with the older generation, for example black and white. Using a monochrome colour scheme is often associated with the older generation because they read the newspaper and grew up with black and white forms of media.  

  

Music Magazine Feature Article Analysis

 

The feature article is very stereotypical of a classical music magazine. It doesn’t use a very bright colour scheme, reinforcing the idea that classical magazines don’t use vibrant colours. Black, gold and white colours are used on the feature article, which is significant to the target audience. The title of the feature article is in a classy font, with a gold colour. This shows a premium style which fits the high class stereotype. The pictures are also in black and white. This gives the feature article a vintage look and also relates to the older generation who like this kind of music.

The information under the title of the feature article uses many words related to classical music such as ‘violinist’ and ‘conductor’. The shows that the feature article is related to a classical musician.  The name ‘Humphrey Burton’ is in gold which highlights its importance to the article. It is clear to the audience that the man in the photo on the left side is ‘Humphrey Burton’ and this intrigues the reader to find out more about his life as it is described as ‘extraordinary’.

On the bottom left of the feature article there is another image of ‘Humphrey Burton’ when he was younger. This shows the audience that the article is looking back on his life and how he became a very ‘influential classical musician’. At the start of the article there is a very large letter ‘I’ to begin with. This symbolises the beginning of the article but also symbolises Burton himself as he is talking about himself throughout the whole article.

Overall the feature article conforms to the stereotypes of a classical music magazine. It does not use many vibrant colours and instead uses dull colours that give it a vintage look to try and attract its target audience. I think the magazine succeeds in attracting its target audience by using classy fonts that are easy to read and creating a feature article classical music lovers will find interesting.