1. I agree that music magazines remain popular because of the reliable sources of information provided, knowing that music magazines send the press and paparazzi to go probing for relevant information. Not failing to remember some of the information used is found on the internet. in addition readers enjoy reading about their favourite musicians since people like to feel part of something or a clique and knowing personal information in relation to their favourite artists makes them feel as though they belong, including the actuality that the person buying the magazine would be able to chat about their favourite musicians with their friends who are more likely to enjoy identical genres of music.
Music magazines similar to ‘Top Of The Pops’ write about gossip associating with artists which makes it easier for people who were interested in their most desired artist’s personal life. Magazines such as NME and Kerrang produce information about music rather than gossip. Having readers being capable to interact with letters to magazines also assists to maintain the magazine industry, as people feel their being heard and contributing to something important.
On the other hand the internet supplies more reliable sources of information due to its speedy approach of getting information around. With magazines like ‘Top Of The Pops’ when it was still being published you would have to wait a month until you got the latest issue and in that long space of time the information that had been printed out would be wrong because of the amount of time it would take to be printed out and placed on the shelves something new might have occurred, for instance if the magazine NME heard news of the wanted breaking up and decided to write an article on the news by the time the magazine was in fact printed out the wanted had got back together magazines such as Top Of The Pops would have no other choice but to put the magazine on the shelves due to the price spent on printing.
Whereas online based magazines for example what NME and Karrang have is a print based and online based magazine. Online based magazines mean information can be changed also with online networking sites like twitter; information is passed on in seconds. Not failing to consider that internet forums or networking forums or networking sites are easier ways of interacting rather than with letters which is why NME and Karrang have twitter accounts, Facebook accounts and forums so younger people or people who prefer to use the internet would be satisfied and carry on buying their magazine. Forums and networking sites are usually created for the younger target audience due to the reason they spend most of their teen lives starring on computers.
2. I agree that some music magazines generally have a masculine ideology, this is probably because of the stereotype that women prefer gossip magazines; which is why Top Of The Pops had an 88% female fan base also why gossip magazines have female based front covers.
If you have a look at Kerrang you would notice the house style of the magazine looks masculine, the masthead looks masculine because of the use of the cracked effect not forgetting the pictures used. If you glanced at the 12th December 2012 issue of NME the front cover has an image of Green Day, All Time Low and other artists; those bands have more masculine audiences due to the reason its presumed women listen to more pop music than rock.
The background is black which has connotations of darkness and the main sell line is yellow which is a bright colour however not much of a feminine colour. Therefore even the house style doesn’t reach a feminine target audience.
Even though the genre of Kerrang is rock and the magazines target audience is 17 men/boys who listen to rock/heavy rock and are in the ABC1 social grade also wear dark clothing and possibly have dark hair and have three friends two boys one girl who also listen to the same type of music and listens to rock metal on the radio almost every hour the magazine percentage for the male readers is 57.4% which isn’t expected but in conclusion of their being near to non rock magazines aimed at women their only choice is to buy the best male aimed magazine where the genre is rock which happens to be Karrang.
NME is the same in the aspect that the main target audience is masculine because if you glance at the 8th December 2012 issue there is an orange background and a yellow sell line; these are bright colours that aren’t to masculine meaning the magazine also tries to reach the female audience. The front cover has Noel Gallagher, Plan B and other artists who create music for mainly males reminding the reader it is more a masculine magazine than anything else. The male percentage is 69% suggesting because of the colours used on the front cover and the genre of the magazine which is alternative rock the magazine doesn’t fail to attract both sexes.
Music magazines are furthermore popular because of their publishers and distributors for example NME has IPC Media, Kerrang has Bauer Media Group not forgetting Top of the Pops which has BBC Magazine. BBC Magazine weren’t a good company which is one of the many reasons Top Of The Pops stopped being published, whereas if people knew a magazine was created by IPC Media or Bauer Media Group people would instantly presume it was a good magazine worth reading due to the reason both companies are well known and produce exceptionally good magazines.
3. We are MM which stands for ‘Music Matters’. Our aim is to be one of the highest and best selling magazines due to our different outlook to music. The genre for MM is alternative music which is both loved by men but women globally. Our publishers are IPC Media due to the reason they are the publishers of NME who are still thriving but not forgetting they are rivals to our magazine.
Our house style due to the issue:
· Grey
· Yellow
· Green
· Red
· Black
· Orange
· Blue
· Faded purple
Our regular features would include:
· Free posters
· Exclusives
· Articles on bands/new artists
· Who to listen to
· New upcoming stars ‘fresh meat’
· On special occasions free CDs
· Pictures
Our target audience is males and females aged 18-21 with the social grade of ABC1. Our magazine will be distributed monthly due to it's high demand but this wont be a problem for our ideal target audience because our ideal target audience would be able to afford the price of £3.60 due to their well payed jobs or well paid parents.
Ideal reader:
Nick is a 19 year old male who enjoys listening to alternative music in his past time. He's favourite bands are The Vaccines and The Strokes; he can not go a day without listening to music because he feels music is he's only way to let loose and relax after having a stressful day. Nick goes to university and studies music tech because one day he would like to be a musician like Ben Howard. Nick works in Top Man and gets a good discount meaning he is able to get clothes from there which is good because he buys most of his clothes of from Top Man and Urban Outfitters. Nick goes for the more urban/ulternative middle class older teen look. He gets a good salary and can afford to buy MM monthly when its out on shelves; he likes putting posters up in his room of his favourite artists. He has a variety of friends who also listen to the same type of music he does.
No comments:
Post a Comment