Front cover of magazine-mock up

This is a digital mock up of what my front cover would look like. It contains a masthead, banner and sell line. It also contains a main feature with a headline and three other features all with captions/headlines. It also contains a section on the left hand side of the magazine of other features that will be contained within the issue. I have also contained 3 colours that are pink black and white, and basic features such as a barcode, the price, how often published and the issue number. This is only a mock-up so the final product may change and look different to this. When I create my final copy I could improve it by getting rid of empty spaces and make the main feature image the full size of the magazine. I could also include more content on the front of it to make the magazine more appealing.

Thought shower double page spread

On this thought shower I included features such as what I could write my article about and a catchy headline to go with it. This will make the story more appealing and draw the audience in more. I also placed information on the layout of the article, the images I could use and I also added how I could enlarge quotes out of the story. This will interest the readers as if they find a quote that's interesting, they are more likely to read the story then turn the page over. I also included things as what fonts I could use and the same colour format to keep a consistent flow throughout of my magazine.

Thought shower contents page

On this thought shower I have placed information what I can add on to my contents page. I have included things such as how to position text and images. I have placed things such as features I can add, consistent colours and text fonts. By doing this it gives me further ideas of how to develop my magazine.

Thought shower front cover

I have created a spider gram of any ideas I can come up with to place on my front cover of my magazine. I included fonts, sizing and colour schemes. I included what images and what type of shot they could be. I included information about features I could include on the front of my magazine. I also included names for mastheads, sell lines and names for my girl band who are going to be the main feature on my magazine front cover.

Ideas for my main feature image on my front cover

This image of an album front cover has inspired me to create something similar on the front of my magazine. I researched the Internet for CD covers and believed this was the best as it shows a girl band. I am going to create a similar mock-up to this and place it on the front cover of my magazine. My first idea is that they are going to pose with objects in their hand. I have also decided that all of the members are going to have a particular colour that each of them would be represented by.

General ideas

After researching I have decided that my magazine:

Genre is-pop music.

Target Audience is-aimed at females aged 15-24, as there isn't no magazines of this kind around at the moment unless its related to a TV show.

Published-fortnightly.

Priced-£2.25.

How often to publish my magazine and the price

I have decided to publish my magazine on a fortnightly basis. I believe this is the best choice of publishing issues because people in my target audience frequently talk about the latest news in what is happening to music stars. Also, I have come up with this decision because of my analysis of three other music magazines. Q magazine that wouldn't attract my target audience was published monthly, X Factor magazine was published weekly and Top of The Pops magazine was also published monthly. I decided not to publish weekly because be time a story is finished edited and printed in a magazine it may be old news. By publishing a magazine monthly I believe it is to long to wait for new stories to be published.
I have decided to price my magazine at £2.25, I believe this is a reasonable price to pay on a fortnightly basis because relating it to my target audience of 16-24. Based on demographics, this age range will be able to afford the price on a fortnightly basis. People in this age group may not be earning a wage, or may be earning a minimum wage so this is a suitable price to set. From also re-looking at my analysis of magazines the prices of these magazines where X factor £1.95, Q £4.50 and Top of the pops magazine was priced at £2.35. I have priced mine around the same price as X factor and Top of the Pops as they are the kind of magazines I am looking at.

What I have found out from my magazine analyis

From looking at three existing music magazines. I have found out that on a front cover the main conventions  that should be included are such as the following:

• The magazine should have no more than 3 colours because any more makes it look unprofessional
• Include the main feature in the center of the magazine with a clear image and a caption underneath to illustrate the image as this can interest the audience more
• Include other features with images next to them and a caption next to them
• Include a banner along the top of the magazine summarising the content of the magazine
• Include a feature that is not about music, but something such as fashion or reviews of the latest films etc
• The masthead should have a different bolder font that is eye catching and draws in the reader
• Also included should be a bar code, price and date published.

When creating a contents page, I have found that the following conventions should be used to make it look professional:

• Include images of features that are going to appear in the magazine next to these add the page numbers next to them
• Separate into columns different sections of the magazine e.g features, fashion advise, beauty tips. Next to each of these have a brief description on each page with the page numbers next to them.
• Use the same 3 colours that was used on the front cover of the magazine, showing a connection and a current flow throughout.
• Include a small section of a competition and the page number to find more information on that page

When creating a double page spread, I have found out that the following conventions are good to use:

• Include a large image and two smaller images of the artist of who the article is about. This should be the artist who was the main feature on the front cover of the magazine
• A large headline that's interesting and will draw in the audience to read the article
• The same colours used on the front cover and contents page to be used again to show consistency
• Images relating to the article but not necessarily of the artist. These images may include text next to them that is a quote from the article and is used as a caption
• The article should be introduced by a small introduction to what the interview is going to be about.

LIIAR analysis of existing music magazine-Top of The Pops

For my final analysis of a existing music magazine I have decided to look at my chosen music genre again to analyse a magazine from this category. I have decided to choose Top of The Pops magazine because it is based around pop music but is aimed at the younger audience such as under 15's. Eventhough my magazine is going to be aimed at the 15-24 year old age range this magazine is still ok to produce my analysis on because its still under the influence of pop music.

Front cover

Language-The front cover of this magazine is crammed with lots of media language. Along the top of the magazine is the masthead which is in a pink font all in small lettering. Around the title of the masthead there is a white border that outlines the lettering. These same pink and white colours are used for the logo which is situated at the top right of the magazine cover. The background colour that is used is again the same pink colour. This shows a consistent format and shows that there is a connection between the colours been used. In the top left of the corner a small BBC logo is there. This is called a ident and is placed there because the magazine is related to the BBC. A few years ago a show called Top of The Pops aired on the BBC, a magazine with the same name was also produced. After the programme finished on air, the magazine still carried on and is still published today.

The front cover of this magazine is also shown as a contents page. On the cover there is images and text of what is going to be in this edition of the magazine, with the page number next to each of them. I can identify that this could be classed as a contents page because when scanning through the magazine there is no contents page included. There is one main image in the middle of the page. Then placed on top of this image is a large pink and white circle with large bold white text in it. The text says "Justin's body hang-ups!", this headline is an interesting feature to advertise to the viewers, as this will be aimed to attract the target audience of the magazine. Underneath this is a quote from what is in the story inside the magazine, this will interest the audience as it will draw them in to read more. Next to this is the page number of this main feature, and all features contained on the front page have a page number placed next to them. On the left hand side of the magazine there is a sub-feature which is a picture of a current boy band that is appearing on the X factor. Underneath this image there is a caption which states there is pics inside of the magazine of the group, this is attractive to the audience as it will make them want to buy the magazine to look at the group. Also, on the left hand side of the cover there is a box that contains information, about a real life story, this is a good feature to use as it could relate to real life issues of people in the age range. At the bottom left hand side there is a image of a boy band member from JLS, there is a quote from a story contained in the magazine.

At the right hand side of the magazine is a image of Cheryl Cole who is a celebrity idol. There are images of clothing and accessories you can buy to look like this celebrity. This is a good feature to put on the magazine as it will attract the younger audience as they see her as an idol and they can compare to her buy dressing like her. Again next to the image white writing is used, which is consistent to other writing used on the cover. Underneath this there is a pale pink box with another feature and caption. Again placed central at the bottom of the magazine is another feature with a caption next to it. Other media language used is the bar code, price, issue number, and the date released and end date.

Ideology-The meaning behind this magazine is that the magazine is trying to put across stories that would be relevant to the target audience. The people who are contained on the front cover are artists that are seen in the public eye frequently. With doing further research into the ideology of the magazine I have found out that the magazine is read by girls a lot more then boys, on a percentage of 82%-18%. I have also found out that the average age range of reading this magazine is 11-15 years. This tells me that the main focus is to aim this magazine at a young female audience. By using male attractive artists it will attract the audience to buy the magazine.

Institution-After researching the Internet I have found out that BBC magazines publish this magazine. After further research I found out that they don't publish any other music magazines.

Audience-The audience that this magazine aims at is around the age mark of 11-15 years old and its is predominately bought by the female sex.

Representation-This magazine is represented by the types of artists used on the cover, these artists that can be identified by the music genre. There all smiling which shows there represented in a positive light and are fun and laid back.

Contents Page

As there is no contents page in this magazine, I can't produce a analysis for it. But in my front cover analysis I have talked about how this can be seen as a contents page.

Double Page Spread

Language-The language on the double page spread is a headline of "Bieber's body", this is in the same pink writing used on the front cover of the magazine. Above this is black text that has the style of handwriting that says crazy about, so the headline therefore reads "crazy about Biebers body". This headline will attract the audience as he is seen as a great singer from the younger audience. Underneath this is black lettering this is a strapline of the article what is to follow. This article is different to any I have previously looked like as it is layed out and presented in a different way. The article is about the features of the male singer. There is a main image in the middle of the page of Justin Bieber (the artist) coming off this is pink arrows leading to pink boxes. In each of these pink boxes viewers of the magazine have wrote in commenting about these features. The features are his eyes, noes, muscles,hands, feet, legs, mouth, ears and hair. Then underneath of these pink boxes is lyrics from his songs, which go with that particular feature. The way this article is set out and what the content is about is related to the age range the magazine is aimed at. There is also smaller image of his feet, muscles and ears to illustrate the wording in each of the pink boxes. Other media language used is the page numbers are highlighted in a white triangle with bold black text. Also, at the bottom right of the page there is a puff. A puff is when the magazine places a promotion inside of it about a product or service. In this case it is talking about the artists website and when his album is going to be released. This again is highlighted in the same pink font.

Ideology-The meaning behind this article is getting across the points of the viewers and what they think of the artist who the article is about.
Institution-After researching the Internet I have found out that BBC magazines publish this magazine. After further research I found out that they don't publish any other music magazines.
Audience-The audience that this magazine aims at is around the age mark of 12 years old and its is predominately bought by the female sex. The audience of this article is made clear by the ages of the viewers who wrote in to the magazine they vary from age of 9-15 year old.

Representation-This magazine article is represented in a positive way as the artist is smiling, presenting himself in a happy casual way. This image and how it is represented, is similar to the main image on the front cover.

LIIAR analysis of existing music magazines-Q Magazine

I am now going to write up a analysis of a existing music magazine. The magazine I am looking at is Q magazine. This magazine isn't the genre of magazine I am going to produce, but by doing this research it shows that I have researched into different genres to get a feel of what other music magazines contain in their copies.

Front Cover

Language-The language contained on the front cover of this issue is a very bold masthead. The masthead has the name of the magazine in a bold white font with a vivid red background. This will show that it is very recognisable to the reader. Also, on the top left of the page there is a large white title of the name of the group that is posing as the main image on the front cover. This is good to use on a magazine front cover because it captures the main artist that is going to be presented in that issue. Underneath this there is a caption that is one of the questions on the double page spread in the magazine. This is in a black font and stands off the grey background. Situated underneath this in blue and white fonts is the other main features that are going to be included within this issue. On the left hand side of the front cover, is a quote from Nick Jagger who did an interview for the magazine. The quote again is in a black font similarly like the other quote. The name of the person is highlighted in blue. In this magazine there is two front covers. On the front cover there is only one image and this is a long shot image of Muse the main feature in the magazine. Also contained is a barcode, the date in this case the month it was published, the price and a website for the magazine also.

On the other side of the magazine there is another front cover. This front cover has the same layout as the other front cover. The only difference with this is that the writing is not in blue but is red.

 Ideology-The meaning behind the front cover is that when both covers are side by side one another it shows that the bands are versing each other. This can be proven by at the top right corner on each version there is "In the red corner" "In the blue corner". The main three colours used are red, blue and white which resemble the colours on the union jack flag. As Q magazine are advertising British bands this is iconography they have chosen the colours they have. After researching Q magazine on the institutions website, I have found that they portray themselves as not just music listeners and have other interests, it shows that the audience don't dedicate themselves to music all of the time. After further research I have found out that the credentials of the magazine is that the proportion of males to females reading the magazine is 68% male and 32% female, this shows that the magazine is aimed mainly at males. It also tells me that the median age of the reader of the magazine is 29, showing that the audience is young and the content should be to suit this age group. This is also known as demographics. I have also found out from research that Q's magazine relates to topics such as Glastonbury, meaning on the basis of psychogrpahics people who read the magazine are interested in similar events.
Institution-The institution of the magazine is Bauer. After researching this company I have found out that this publishing company also publish music magazines such as Kerrang and Mojo. 

Audience-The audience of this magazine is people who are interested in artists such as Plan B, Scissor Sisters and The Sex Pistols. When researching the magazine on the publishers website it is classified in the section of men's entertainment, so therefore this magazine is then mainly aimed at men. I believe the typical age range of people who buy Q magazine is 15-24. This is because the artists that are included within this magazine is aimed at this age range. Also the cost of the magazine per month is aimed at this target audience.

Representation-This magazine is represented by the main image on the front cover. It shows that these types of groups would be stereotypically placed in this genre of music. The genre supports big bands such as Muse and U2 and this is why they have been placed on the front cover. 

 

Contents Page

Language-The contents page is layed out on to two pages. These two pages include a lot of media language. The writing of what is going to be contained in the contents pages is divided into two columns, these are features and regulars. In both of the columns the title of what each page is going to include is in a black, bold font, with the page number alongside it. Then a thick red line underlines this and underneath a brief summary is included about what is going to be included on that page. Along the top of the page is a banner including the "Q" logo symbol and the issue number. In the middle of the two pages there are 7 separate images. These images illustrate what stories are going to be included in the magazine. Next to each of these images is the page number of what each feature is on. At the top right hand corner of the contents page it shows the two front covers side by side. The main image used on the contents page is a member of U2 and a member of the Muse, which where the two bands that where shown on the front cover. This repetition shows that the main focus in this edition of the magazine.  The image used here is a medium close up image and shows the both of them looking at one another in a sort of versus way, similar again to the front cover. There is also a red spot in the middle of the page containing details of a competition of a prize giveaway. This is another reason why people would want to read this magazine. The final piece of media language used is that each page number has the magazines name next to it with the release date. This is the same look as what the X Factor magazine has gone for. There is a constant theme to the front cover of the magazine by using the same colours, this shows that the magazine is aiming for a professional look and that it keeps a constant flow throughout.

Ideology-The meaning behind the contents page is that it is advertising what stories are going to be included in this issue. The stories included will be interesting to the audience who buy this magazine as it will be about the certain music genre the magazine aims to.

Institution-The institution of the magazine is Bauer. After researching this company I have found out that this publishing company also publish music magazines such as Kerrang and Mojo.

Audience-The audience of this magazine is people who are interested in artists such as Plan B, Scissor Sisters and The Sex Pistols. When researching the magazine on the publishers website it is classified in the section of men's entertainment, so therefore this magazine is then mainly aimed at men. I believe the typical age range of people who buy Q magazine is 15-24. This is because the artists that are included within this magazine is aimed at this age range. Also the cost of the magazine per month is aimed at this target audience.

 Representation-The representation of the contents page is the images used. The bands and artists used on these pages show what type of music genre Q magazine is aiming at. By using these bands we can identify the music genre of the magazine more easily.

Double Page Spread

Language-The language contained on the double page spread is that on the left hand page the top half of the magazine is a picture of Muse, the band that appeared on the front cover. It appears that the band are joking and having a laugh with each other. Inset to this there is a smaller image of one of the band members with another music star. The writing on the double page spread is sectioned into columns. The first column and a half introduces in the story and sort of "sets the scene" into the question and answer section layout. The questions are in a bold black font, following this underneath a red bold font is used to address the name and location of where the question has come from. A response then is produced by a band member and there name is highlighted in the same black bold text. This is constant throughout the double page. A picture of a photograph and an image of a scone is then used, these relate to answers written within the interview. A caption is next to them to identify why they are there. A quote is highlighted in a bold italics font. This quote is chosen as it is interesting news to the audience reading the magazine. By highlighting important parts of the text, it will interest the reader and not make them flick past the page and to read the story. At the top of the page a golden banner is used to represent the title cash for questions. Also again at the bottom of the page, similar to the contents page is the page number including the "Q" logo. The website is also included this time alongside it.

Ideology-The ideology behind this is that the band are answering questions. This is the chance for their fans to ask questions and find out about the band. The images used on the pages illustrate this information to.By Q magazine placing a question and answer format they are getting the audience involved.

Institution-The institution of the magazine is Bauer. After researching this company I have found out that this publishing company also publish music magazines such as Kerrang and Mojo.

Audience-The audience of this magazine is people who are interested in artists such as Plan B, Scissor Sisters and The Sex Pistols. When researching the magazine on the publishers website it is classified in the section of men's entertainment, so therefore this magazine is then mainly aimed at men. I believe the typical age range of people who buy Q magazine is 15-24. This is because the artists that are included within this magazine is aimed at this age range. Also the cost of the magazine per month is aimed at this target audience.

Representation-The double page spread is represented by the band in the interview. This band are put across as happy and joking because of the main image on the left hand page of the spread. This represents to the audience that they have a good connection established between them.



LIIAR analysis of existing music magazines-X Factor Magazine

I am now going to analyse an existing music magazine through LIIAR. By using LIIAR I can analyse what features have been used on each page. I am going to produce an analysis for the front cover of the magazine, the contents page and a double page spread. By doing this it will help me to see what conventions I can use throughout my music magazine. In my previous post I decided that my music genre was going to be pop music and target the magazine at the age range of around 15-24. After researching the Internet for pop music magazines I have only come up with a selected few. I then bought a copy of the X Factor Magazine also known as X Mag/Magazine to conduct further analysis. I am going to firstly start by analysing the front cover:

Front Cover

Language- This magazine like all music magazines contains a lot of media language. The media language contained is a masthead. A masthead is the name of the magazine and is very visual and is usually produced in a different style and font. The masthead on this magazine is X magazine. For the "X"it is the logo which is related to the TV show. This shows a relation between the TV show and the magazine, and this then shows to the audience that there is a connection between the two. This can be also known as a ident. It also includes a flash banner across the top of the magazine. A flash is a kind of summary to what the magazine is going to contain. In this case its "music, stars and style". This is in black and white and 2 pink stars separate each of these words which makes it stands out even more. There is also another flash at the bottom of the magazine placed on a yellow background. It shows what bands are going to be included within the magazine.

The main cover line/headline "KATIE" is the biggest piece of anchorage standing out in a bold white font. Under the headline is a caption in the same colour but a smaller size and different font,"I'm not ready to give in yet". This is included as it summarises what the article is about, without including a quote from the actual cover story. This can be known as a strapline. This story is an exclusive which will draw in the audience to read it more as its a story that is produced for one particular magazine/newspaper. There is also other cover lines included which again are in the same white font, but the key elements are used in a bright pink shade.

The main image on the magazine, takes up around half the page. This shows that she must be an important role within the magazine, this is because the exclusive story is about her. There is lighting on her face highlighting she is the main key. At the bottom of the magazine there is images of three boy bands that where all going to feature on that weeks X Factor. One Direction are currently contestants on the show, JLS have previously been on the show and Take That where making an exclusive performance, showing they all have relevance to the show. Again there is captions under the image to illustrate the image and give a preview to what is going to happen within the magazine. Also, situated on the top right hand corner of the magazine is fashion tips. There is also a pink circle situated right to the main image advertising a competition, giving more reason to buy the magazine. The front cover also includes a barcode, price, the date and cost of the magazine.

Ideology-The ideology of a front cover of a music magazine is the meaning behind it/a message behind the story. The meaning of this magazine is that it portrays the fact of being in the lime light of the show and been a contestant on the show. The message is appealing to the target audience as all of the stories are aimed at them as the magazine is about what is currently happening in the show. After researching the X factor show I have found out that the majority of the shows audience are females, therefore this means this gender is more likely to buy the magazine. When analysing the magazine there are three boy bands on the front cover, this will have been placed here to attract the mainstream audience. By using the term here come the boys, it will also attract females more to the sex appeal of the boy bands.

Institution-The publishing company of this magazine is Haymarket Network who is in conjunction with FremantleMedia Enterprises and Syco Entertainment. After further researching I found out that these publishing companies don't produce any other music magazines.

Audience-The audience that this magazine is aimed at is people who are interested in the X factor TV show as both are connected with one another. After doing some more research on the Internet. I have found a article about the audience: http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/197507-x-factor-magazine-is-aimed-at-adults/ Summarising the article,it says that the magazine is aimed at adults. I believe this is partly true but the younger generation will still buy this magazine, as they want to be in know of what is happening to the x factor contestants and artists that appear on the show.
Representation-The X factor magazine is represented by what is going on, on the X factor show each week. For instance on the front cover of this issue of the magazine it showing Katie a contestant on the X factor and a story involving her. She is been represented in a positive light as she is showing she isn't going to give up no matter what anyone thinks of her. She is looking directly at the camera showing she is in control and that nothing is going to stop her. She is also looking smart and with her smile shows that nothing has feared her, which is relating to the main headline. This is represented well to its target audience.

Contents Page

Language- On the contents page the media language used is that there is a repetitive theme. The logo of the front page along with one of the flash banners is used in the top left corner. Underneath this there is the issue number printed with the date the magazine was available in the shops to buy until the date it would be took off the shelves. On this left hand side there is a column which is divided by a pale coloured dashed line showing this is separate information to what is featured on each page. In this column it tells me that in every issue, a member who produces the magazine summarises what is going to be in the magazine that week. This column could be quickly skimmed to see the contents of it. Then in the main section of the contents page at the top, there is some bold black text "It's time to face...". This anchorage is a introduction into what is going to happen. The contents page is then divided up into sections, which are coloured and I believe this is a good device to use as it is easy to locate where things are in the magazine. I am going to take note of as this as it would be a good feature to use in my magazine. Under each of these coloured headings it includes what is going to be in each section, with the page number beside it in the same colour as the headings. The main image on the contents is the one in the top right corner of the boy band Westlife. This image is illustrating the feature of "the big interview" with Westlife which is highlighted in the features section. There is also 3 smaller images at the bottom of the page which are relating to articles within the magazine. The page numbers to these are situated next to the images in a blue box, so again shows easy navigation for the reader. At the bottom of the page the page numbers have the symbol of the "X" alongside them aswell as the release and end date, this appears on every page of the magazine. The final element of media language on this page is the tiny images at the bottom. These are the images of the contestants that appear on the show. The X across their picture represents they have been knocked out of the competition which is aired on ITV.

Ideology-The meaning behind this page is showing what stories are been published in this weeks edition. The message is appealing to the target audience as all of the stories are aimed at the audience as the magazine is about what is currently happening in the TV show.

Institution-The publishing company of this magazine is Haymarket Network who is in conjunction with FremantleMedia Enterprises and Syco Entertainment. After further researching I found out that these publishing companies don't produce any other music magazines.

Audience-The audience that this magazine is aimed at is people who are interested in the X factor TV show as both are connected with one another. After doing some more research on the Internet. I have found a article about the audience: http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/197507-x-factor-magazine-is-aimed-at-adults/ Summarising the article,it says that the magazine is aimed at adults. I believe this is partly true but the younger generation will still buy this magazine, as they want to be in know of what is happening to the x factor contestants and artists that appear on the show.
Representation-The X factor magazine is represented by what is going on, on the X factor show each week. On the contents page lots of stories are briefly been represented. Also included is fashion tips, quizzes and other existing bands/solo artists who this magazine aims for with their target audience and genre of music. The usage of the main image on the contents page of a boy band shows that they are looking at the camera. It shows to the audience that they are professional and know what they are doing in comparison to the boy bands on the front cover who are posing in more of a fun like character.

Double Page Spread

Language-The media language contained on the double page spread is that at the top left hand corner of the page, it shows the colour from the contents page which resembles each section. This double page spread story is the main story from the front cover. Again on the page it highlights that this story is exclusive to the magazine. The title font is the same as the one on the contents page. It also similarly has a white background with black writing like the contents page, this shows that there is a constant layout, colours used and the house style. Under the main title there is an introduction into the interview. The interview is broke up into questions and answers, the questions in bolder black text and the answers in a standard plain text. At the end of the article it is finished off with a bold letter X. The main image of the magazine shows an image of Katie and a smaller image placed on top of it which is her performing on the show. At the side of each picture there is some white writing, this is a little pun about each picture, which causes humour to the audience.

Ideology-The meaning behind this page is about Katie putting her point across in a interview about her and her performances on the X Factor. This is her chance to say what she thinks about her musical performance.

Institution-The publishing company of this magazine is Haymarket Network who is in conjunction with FremantleMedia Enterprises and Syco Entertainment. After further researching I found out that these publishing companies don't produce any other music magazines.

Audience-The audience that this magazine is aimed at is people who are interested in the X factor TV show as both are connected with one another. After doing some more research on the Internet. I have found a article about the audience: http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/197507-x-factor-magazine-is-aimed-at-adults/ Summarising the article,it says that the magazine is aimed at adults. I believe this is partly true but the younger generation will still buy this magazine, as they want to be in know of what is happening to the x factor contestants and artists that appear on the show.

Representation-The X factor magazine is represented by what is going on, on the X factor show each week. The double page spread it is represented by Katie been a fighter and not ready to give up, in what she does and as it says in the caption "Katie opens up about everything-and she's ready for a fight". Again similar to the front cover Katie is smiling and looking directly at the camera connecting with the audience showing that nothing is going to put her down.

My chosen music genre and target audience

After researching into the main existing publishing companies (Bauer, IPC and Conde Nast), I have decided to choose my genre of music as pop. This is the genre I am going to focus on and is the best to base my magazine on. I have made this decision as I believe there is a suitable gap in the market to aim my magazine at. My chosen target audience is based roughly in the range of 15-24 year old. I have chosen this target audience as there isn't hardly any magazines in this age ranged purely based on pop music. There is a few examples such as the X Factor magazine known as the "X magazine". This however is based on a TV show and doesn't focus on bands or solo singers who are already successful in the music industry or bands/solo artists that are featuring on the show. There is also magazines which still exist such as Top of The Pops, and some that don't exist such as Smash hits, which show the genre I am focusing on but are aimed at a younger target audience. I believe there should be a magazine aimed at people such as students about current pop bands. These may include artists such as The Saturdays, JLS, The Wanted, and solo singers such as Katy Perry and Pixie Lott. So therefore, this is why I have decided to choose my magazine genre as pop music and my target audience to be around 15-24. This then means I will be aiming at the people in categories E and D in the social grades classing.

Niche Audiences

I am going to now talk about niche audiences. This will benefit as it can show me who I should aim my magazine at and why I should aim it at that particular group.
Niche audiences in media terms are in which way the medias audiences is sectioned into different segments. The influences that could categorise someone into a group could depend on different tastes, concerns and interests. This could be a either a TV programme, a particular dress sense of a group of people. In my case i am focusing on niche audiences of people who have these different tastes, concerns or interests in music. An example of a niche audience is someone who subscribes for the magazine Gardeners World. This is how the media have segmented a particular niche market as this won't be aimed at everyone.
Demographics is another media term which can be used in finding out information in targeting a specific audience. This term means the collection of information about that particular market based on numbers. This can be then interpreted into a graph, this data could be either age, gender, profession, class or your income.
When categorising a group into ages, the commonly used figures are <15, 15-24, 24-35, 35-55 and 55 and over. This shows me people who create magazines have to think carefully about who they aim their magazine at. When categorising you can also see if male/female would be more likely to buy the magazine or whether the magazine would be aimed at both.
people can be also classed into groups such as social grades. This shows what percentage of people the population is made up of relating to profession.
A-Higher Managerial-3%
B-Intermediate Managerial-15%
C1-Supervisor/administrative-23%
C2-Semi-skilled workers-28%
D-Semi-skilled/un-skilled manual workers-18%
E-Unemployed/state pensioners/students-13%

Psychographics can also be known as qualitative research. This is the collection of information about the market based on subjective factors such as, opinions, beliefs, interests and reasons. This system gathers psychological information which is beneficial on creating a new or improving an existing magazine.
From understanding all of this information it shows me that it would be best to aim and target my magazine at semi-skilled workers and supervisor sections. It also tells me that it wouldn't be best if I aimed it at the higher managerial workers as that is a very hard niche audience to target as its is only containing 3% of people.

LIIAR interpretation of the brief double page spread

Now I am going to interpret LIIAR on what should be contained on a double page spread. These features I discuss should be contained in my music magazine Language-Language makes up the main part of the double page spread. The content of a double page spread will include again the consistent house style and the same colour scheme as the the two previous pages. This means the background, text colours and any other features that are used in previous pages should remain the same too. Images relating to the article should be used to make the text more appealing and attract the audience into reading it. If an article had just writing on the page/pages, it would be boring and not attract the audience into reading the magazine. The anchorage on a double page spread of a music magazine is really important as it what the whole page is based upon. There will be a main headline and this should be a bold piece of text that stands out and this can make the audience read further into the article. So therefore this means, it will relate to the main story on the front cover. There may be also snippets of the story in bold to again make the reader more engaged with the story. The story must be interesting and have gossip which makes the audience want to know more.
Institution-The institution of this again will be Bauer, which will publish all of my magazine including my front cover and my contents page.
Ideology-The meaning behind this double page spread will be what the article is about.
Audience-The audience I am aiming at for my double page spread is the same as my contents page and the same as what I discussed about in my interpretation of my front cover. This isn't going to change as I am going to aim it at the same audience.
Representation-The representation of my double page spread is the same as my contents page and the same as my representation on the front cover of my magazine.

LIIAR interpretation of the brief contents page

Now i am going to discuss the contents page of what a music magazine should contain. The format of LIIAR will again be used to interpret what features I could include on my contents page.
Language-The language contained on the contents page of a music magazine has many features. On a contents page there is a lot of written codes. Included in this are things such as the page numbers and what is contained on each page. There is often images on contents pages which illustrate who and what an article is about, further of in the magazine. They could be also advertisements on the page, which are usually found at the bottom of the page. The style of the contents page and colour scheme should be constant such as the background. And things such as the size and font should be the same as the front cover. This would show that I am keeping the format the same and this then makes the magazine look more professional and shows a consistent look throughout.
Institution-Now I have researched different types of publishing companies such as Bauer IPC and Conde Nast. I have decided to choose my publishing company as Bauer. I believe this publishing company is the best one as it shows it has a gap in the market. This company produces fashion magazines such as heat and more!, which are aimed at the younger audience. This then relates with my audience as the music magazine I am going to produce, is aimed at teenagers. After researching the Internet I have understood that there isn't really that many magazines that are aimed at this target group, which is another reason why I have decided to choose this genre and aim my magazine at this particular audience.
I have decided not to choose the other two companies I researched because they didn't really have an appeal to the genre of magazine I am producing. The publishing company IPC produces typical rock genres of magazines such as NME. The other company I researched, Conde Nast was aimed at much older high class target audience. This meant it had no relevance to me in producing a pop music magazine. When I researched the company Conde Nast I also found out that they didn't produce any music magazines so this company doesn't relate to what I am focusing on.
Ideology- The ideology of a music magazine gives a meaning, whether this be a stereotypical point of view or moral values. This message can be given through the meaning of a picture. Again
Audience- The audience of my contents page is the same as the audience I discussed about in my interpretation of my front cover. This isn't going to change as I am going to aim it at the same audience.
Representation- The representation of my contents page is again the same as my representation on the front cover of my magazine.

Research of magazines and publishing companies for my institution

These images are taken from the Internet of front covers of two different magazines. These magazines target different people who are interested in different genres of music. The publisher of each of these magazines are different. NME is produced by IPC where as Kerrang is produced by the publisher Bauer. The publishing company I am going to use for my magazine is going to be Bauer. Eventhough, Bauer don't publish magazines for the pop music genre, I believe the magazine I produce could fit in this gap in the market and could be something what Bauer should produce to increase and give a different variety of magazines they produce.
As there isn't really any type of pop music magazines around at the moment I believe that my magazine could target teenagers in the age range of 15-20 year old.

LIIAR interpretation of the brief front cover

In this post I am going to talk about the brief through LIIAR. LIIAR stands for Language, Institution, Ideology, Audience and Representation and these features should be included in my music magazine. I will first discuss about the LIIAR interpretation on the front cover and then talk about the contents and the double page spread.
Language-One example of language that should be contained on the front cover of the magazine is the masthead. The masthead is one of the most important features of a magazine because its should stand out clearly. It should have relevance to the magazine and not any random name as this wouldn't be professional. Another example of media language is a main feature, this should be catchy and would relate to the article I am going to produce within my magazine. This headline should be a phrase that may summarises the main point of the main feature. These should be bold also. I should also include a main image and several other images. This is good to include because when customers take a glimpse of magazines in a shop they will look at the main image. This could result in the customer buying the magazine or not. These images could be took from various angle points. The shots could also be a long shot, medium close up shot and close up shot. I believe a medium close up shot would be better but after research this might be different. I should include a consistent colour scheme and a consistent house style. It should also include a price, date, issue number, bar code, smaller features and maybe subtitles.
Institution-After researching different types of publishing companies such as Bauer IPC and Conde Nast. I have decided to choose my publishing company as Bauer. I believe by using this publishing company, it shows that it's the best one as it has a gap in the market. As the publishing company produces fashion magazines such as heat and more! for the younger audience. The music magazine I will produce will be aimed at this target audience as there is nothing produced in this section of the market. I have decided not to choose the other two companies I researched because they didn't really have an appeal to the genre of magazine I am producing. The publishing company IPC produced typical rock genres of magazines such as NME. The other company I researched Conde Nast was aimed at much older high class target audience and not the young middle class audience. They also didn't produce any music magazines so this company didn't really appeal to me.
Ideology-  The ideology of a music magazine gives a meaning, whether this be a stereotypical point of view or moral values. This message can be given through the meaning of a picture. At the moment I am unsure of the ideology of my magazine as I haven't produced it yet, but once done I will produce a post on the ideology of it.
Audience-My target audience for my magazine is the younger generation and my genre of music I am going to be focusing on is pop music. This therefore means my magazine will be of pop music genre. My aim of my magazine is to portray an image that I have included all of the latest bands. This will be typically aimed at teenagers, who listen, buy and download the current music around at the moment.
Representation-The representation of my magazine will be shed in a positive way this will be reflected through the image on the front cover of my magazine. Again I am not 100% sure of my representation of my magazine so I will post it later.

Brief of main task

For my main task I have to create a music magazine aimed for a particular group of people. The magazine will be a particular genre including features of what that genre should include. I must produce the front page, contents and a double page spread of a feature what will be included within the magazine. All of the images and text used must be original and produced by myself. I must use a minimum of four images.