Practice double page spread + proposal for my music magazine;

I put a together a practice double spread page on Indesign today; I found this very useful as it refreshed my memory on the program itself and enabled me to feel more comfortable when working through the tools available. I learnt how to put columns on to a double page spread, how to rearrange text, how to place a heading and sub-heading, and how to place an image. As I am going to be creating my double page spread first out of all 3 creations, these are all basics things I will need for the construction of it and I am glad I had a practice before hand.

Proposal for my music magazine 

I aim to target an audience which consists of both males and females, aged 18-30. I do not want my magazine to have a target audience which is just targeted at one gender as I believe it limits the number of readers and also would not relate to the genre of my music magazine as the genre I am going to draw a focus to is targeted at both genders. When researching magazines with the same genre, I found that Vibe magazine targets females and males 18-34 years and XXL magazine- 15-34 years. I also aim to connote sexual relations and use taboo language therefore making my target audience aged 18+, I will be able to do this.

 

The musical genre I aim to use is, Hiphop. TheHiphop genre is a huge genre consisting of lots of artists therefore this will make it easier for me to be inspired and influenced when creating the images and styles to feature in my magazine. I have chosen this genre as its a genre that I would tend to associate myself with; I have always loved listening to this type of music and am intrigued by the Hiphop culture and scene. It is also a genre that is appreciated by many people, and is continiously growing consisting of upcoming and new artists which bring their own sense of style to the industry, so audiences are never bored. Even though the Hiphop genre holds many conventions which the artists and culture seem to follow, the new and upcoming artists are bringing something new and different to the scene; I have understood this and aim to bring this to my magazine as well as following conventions.

I am going to create the front cover, contents page and a double page spread for my Hiphop music magazine; I aim to use the same artist for each of three creations I am designing to put forward a USP for my magazine- the artist. The artist I want to create will be a new and upcoming  British female Hiphop artist which has been hugely influenced by other new faces of the HipHop scene such as Nicki Minaj. I want to create images of my artist which are modern, quirky and interesting as I believe this will attract audiences which have not heard of her before easily. 

Title names that have come to mind so far are, Superior, Mixxx, XXO. Each name holds connotations which relate to aspects of the HipHop genre. In example, Superior, connotes the power aspect which is usually associated with the genre, Mixxx connotes musical elements as you usually mix songs or DJ equipment and the name, XXO, inspired me through the name of an existing HipHop magazine, XXL. 

I aim to incorporate technological devices within my magazine as through my previous research I found that most magazines today are understanding the current technological market and are using it to their advantage to provide more modern and easier ways of accessing their magazine. I aim to promote current social media sites on my double page spread as other ways for readers to find out more information on my artist. In addition to this I aim to promote apps available for consumers to make use of on their iPhones. I aim for the app to be a promotional aspect for technology and my artist as the app will be associated with them. 

I am going to ensure my music magazine is published by Intermedia Partners. This publishing company publish Vibe magazine each month, which is a Hiphop music magazine also. The company have reinforced the magazine online as well as still selling physical print issues too and I would like the company to allow my magazine to be accessible online as well as in the shops. Vibe magazine also belong to a conglomerate company called Vibe Lifestyle Network and I would like my magazine to belong to this network also to promote my magazine widely and to gain financial support.

XXL music magazine;

Having researched many magazines and their music genres, I have now decided that I want to create a music magazine with the focus of R&B and Hiphop genre. Having deconstructed three music magazines with this genre, I was most influenced by XXL in terms of style, image, layout + positioning. I had never heard of this magazine before I came across it during research and the following is more of a detailed insight into the magazine so then afterwards I will have more of an idea on the creation of my own music magazine.

XXL is a music magazine produced and published by Harrison publications devoted to the music genre of HipHop and was first founded in 1997. The music magazine is available in a physical print and also holds a website which provides Hiphop news, original content and content from the magazine which holds a focus in and around the artists which specialise in Hiphop.  

The magazine incoporates social media to promote and expand their magazine online such as Facebook and Twitter. I can see that XXL have understood the growing social media market and incorporated their magazine in to global social media to make their magazine more accessable by using current and easy ways to get it 'out there' to consumers. I want to make sure that my magazine incorporates other types of media to connect globally with potential consumers. I believe by incorporating other social media also allows people to recognise the target audience of your product. Social media is a current, new, growing market which relates to the genre and audience of XXL and the music magazine I want to go on and create. The genre is current and growing-Hiphop and the people who consume this genre are typically young 15-35 so it makes sense to incorporate a current, new and growing market for the magazine to be consumed.

The photos which feature on the front cover of XXL magazine issues;

 

All three magazine front covers hold an image which is fairly close up, they all hold direct mode of address as they are either making eye contact with the audience or just looking out to the audience, and each are shot alongside an object of some sort. The first image is the front cover with Ludacris on, the image is shot of him and a camera, the second image on the second front cover is of Doctor Dre and he is behind a board of chess, and the third image on the third magazine is of Jay Z who has a cigar in his mouth. These objects are interesting to me as they bring something different to a typical magazine front cover; not only is it the artist which is featured on the front cover, but an artist with an interesting object alongside them. This has influenced me to shoot an image for my front cover with my artist situated with or alongside a particular object; I believe it brings something new to the typical music magazine as none of the objects are even suggest connotations to the music industry.

All three images are the only image on the front cover, and the rest of the features which the page consists of are cover lines, and the title; this suggests that XXL magazine front covers are typically simple but hold enough to grab potential buyer’s attention. The biggest text apart from the title appears to be the artist who features on the front covers, name. This suggests they are the USP of the magazine are featured in it to appeal to the target audience the most.

The colour scheme through-out all three front covers are very coordinating and similar to each other. They all consist of white and red text with the exception of the second front cover using blue and yellow colours for some of the text. I like the colour schemes which are used on all three and throughout my research of Hiphop magazines I have discovered it the colours are rather conventional and I am thinking of using these colours in my own magazine front cover.

 

The layout of all three is similar; the title is positioned top left always, the main image covers the whole page and the text is situated around it. I like the layout as I think it is clear to read and notice all the features however in my magazine I would like to include more interesting styles of font and positioning to allow it to become more attractive and appealing.

Contents page analysis;

The contents page for XXL seems to follow the same style as most of their front covers, simple, minimalistic, and colour coordinating. ‘A-side’ is the largest text on the page and is the first thing that may grab the audience’s attention and makes them read on; it is located at the top of the page, in a banner style. The font is sans-serif which relates to the modern market which the XXL is aimed at. The current issue date is placed at the top of the page to fill the space and alongside this there is a smaller version of the title in alignment with the list of pages and their headings, this is used to remind the audience that they reading XXL; the name of the magazine is repeatedly displayed beyond the front cover and within the magazine to enable the current reader to possibly recommend the magazine to others, subscribe or even access their online website.

This contents page was taken from the magazine which holds the second front cover above- the one which features Doctor Dre as the main image and again he is used here. This reflects his significance within the magazine and also suggests the unique selling point of the magazine once again. He is wearing black on the image in the front cover of the magazine and here he is shot in black too; the colour black is a conventional colour worn by most artists following a Hiphop genre and connotes power and mystery. The shot of Dr Dre presents him as a dominate figure in power due to his posture and pose. In addition to this the low angle shot allows him to look bigger than he actually is which also represents him in power or superior to others. The spacing above his head is filled with a quote stated by the artist allowing the reader to want to read on and turn to his article. The image of Dr Dre stands in front of a shadow and this is an effective and attractive feature to the contents page which subtly appeals to the audience visually.

Above the list of page numbers alongside their headings, reads 'Cover Story' allocating the reader to the main article which the magazine features; this persuades and interests the reader to go to this article before they have even started to read the other page references. The rest of page numbers and their descriptions consist of bold and larger text for the heading and the description appears to be of a lighter colour and not as bold font; this suggests the importance of the header over the description.

Double spread page analysis;

  This double spread page taken from XLL is taken up by text and image and from this example we can learn that the image has more dominance and presence over the text. This is the article which Doctor Dre features in and it from the same issue of XXL which he appeared on the front cover and in the contents for. The whole double spread appears in black and white and this suggests a level of sophistication however it also reflects a dull and boring mood which the two pages seem to hold. Doctor Dre holds an emotionless expression yet holds direct mode of address with the audience. Again, he is wearing black which connotes power and mystery however he does not hold a dominant presence like he does in the other images within the magazine, in fact he doesn't communicate anything in this image which is disappointing as he is a huge star and the audience have been given the privilege to share the article with him.

The title of the article is the largest text on the two pages and is situated above the text of the article; it is black text which stands out in front of the white background. The rest of the text on the page is a whole lot smaller yet still black to contrast with white background; the questions are in bold whereas the answers are not which gives difference to what are the questions and what are the answers.

There is not a lot more to this double spread page than image and text however it does communicate the end of the continuous build-up of Doctor Dre; he was the main focus of the front cover as he featured in an exclusive interview with XXL. I like the sophistication of this double spread, and I find the simplicity of it appealing too however I do think it would of become more appealing if it include more colour; however this was the style/theme that XXL was keeping to with the focus of him so therefore it would of looked out of place if there was a sudden use of pink and orange around him. I like the idea of the text being on one page and the image on the other and this particular double spread page has influenced me to follow this layout in my double spread page.

Hiphop magazine deconstruction's;

As I want the genre of my music magazine to hold a focus of HipHop, I have now moved on to a complete focus of this genre. Below are three deconstructions of the front covers popular music magazines which specialise in this genre.                                                  

                                       

Vibe;

Colour scheme: The colour scheme through-out the front cover of Vibe is very coordinating however it is also basic, consisting of just three standard colours , red, white and blue. The background consists of a fading effect, appearing dark to a lighter blue horizontally across the page, this is effective and allows the text on the lighter side to visually stand out; the red and white text which lays on top of the blue background is visually clear for the reader. The colour scheme across the page also allows the main image of the page, Keri Hilson, to stand out as she is a huge contrast to the blue white and red as she is wearing black. We can argue that the colour scheme may hold stereotypical gender refrences as the colour blue is typically associated with males, however the music Keri Hilson produces makes up for this. She produces music which is mostly aimed at females therefore the artist herself will be able to appeal to a female audience whilst her sexual nature in this image and the colour scheme, blue, will appeal to a male audience.

Text/font/style: The font of the text is very simple through-out the front cover, it is presented in a very minimalistic style; the text is displayed in short and simple statements promoting features within the magazine: 'Keris Hilson has been a very bad girl.' The majority of the text appears in bold which highlights the emphasis put on to what is stated, in example the title is the biggest and boldest text on the page allowing the most important part of the cover to stand out the most. The style of the cover in general is sexual however the musicality of the magazine is noted through the names of the artists who follow the music magazines genre, R&B and HipHop are situated around the main image: 'T.I' and 'JayZ'

Main Image: The main image is of Keri Hilson, a successful female music artist which provides her fans with music which specialises in R&B and HipHop- this allows her to highly connect and relate to the genre of the music magazine. As she features as the USP of the magazine cover we are able to see that she plays a huge part in the appeal of the magazine as she is the only and biggest image on the cover. Her pose and posture is of a sexual nature and the lack of clothing also supports this; this allows her to stereotypically appeal to male audience and her presence in the music industry allows her to appeal to either genders. She poses in a black torso suit with a police-men shaped hat. She appears to be confident and holds direct mode of address with the audience allowing the magazine to be eye catching and gripping. The colours she's in, highly contrasts with the other colours on the page allowing her to stand out.

Positioning + Layout; The magazine cover follows a conventional layout of a typical magazine; main image in centre, cover lines either side, and masthead situated at the top. As this magazine cover lacks in text and image, Keri Hilson and the title becomes the main focus of the cover due to the positioning and size and allows the audience to become aware of the genre immediately.

The Source;

Colour scheme: The colours through out this front cover follows a gold, red and black scheme contrasted with the white background which lays behind the text. The white behind the text and image allows everything important and bold to stand out allowing features to become noticeable and clear for the reader and in addition to this the black suit which Chris Brown is wearing coordinates with the black text situated around him. It is suggested that this magazine may appeal to more of a male audience than a female due to the colours as black and red are colours which stereotypically appeal to a male audience.

Text/font/style: This issue of The Source seems to hold more text than the front cover of VIBE however the main image seems to still be the main focus. All the text on the page appears in bold and reads cover lines promoting features within the magazine e.g 'How to be hotter than your summer'. The font of the text is simple and bold and is kept to through-out the front cover. The title of the magazine follows a shadow effect and is the most largest piece of text, covering the whole width of the page, allowing it to also become the most important feature of the front cover as well as the main image. The style and positioning of the text is more interesting than Vibe as it not just going horizontally across the page, in example 'CHRIS BROWN' is positioned down the page allowing the text to follow an interesting style to appeal to the audience.

Main image: The main image is of Chris Brown, a male artist which specialises his music in the genre that the magazine follows, R&B and Hiphop. He is a successful and well known artist and through the large image we can understand he is the USP of the magazine; potential consumers will recognise him and he will attract them to purchase the magazine due to his presence in it. He is holding direct mode of address with the audience and his outfit coordinates and contrasts with the background and text allowing him to stand out.

Positioning and layout: The magazine cover also follows a conventional layout of the positioning of the features, text and image on the cover however in contrast to Vibe, this magazine front cover positions its text in a more interesting way to attract its audience. The text isn't just positioned horizontally across the page, 'CHRIS BROWN' is expressed vertically to allow the style of the front cover to be visually more attractive and appealing. However the masthead, the main image, and the other text are all situated in the same way as Vibe as mostly all other magazines.

XXL;

Colour scheme: The colours which appear on this front cover are, red, white and black which are colours which have been used in the previous front covers; this allows me to understand that this genre may follow certain conventions which it comes to colours. The background is black allowing the red and white text to appear bold and clear on top. Again, it may be suggested that these colours stereotypically appeal to a male audience however the use of artists which appeal to both genders will balance out this assumption.

Text/font/style: Again, there is a lack of text on this front cover allowing the focus to be on the main image however the text which is available is small apart from the text which appears under the main image. The text which is situated on the right of the front cover is small in its length and size however the text which appears under the main image makes a clear connection between what is being stated and the image allowing it to become the USP and main focus of the font cover. The font which appears under the main image is again simple and bold but however, surprisingly holds the same dominance as the title does on this front cover. The style of the front cover is minimalistic in its font however does still communicate the musicality of it through the image of artists and language used such as: 'Rap' and 'HipHop'.

Main image; The main image consists of two music artists, Nicki Minaj and Drake which hold a focus of R&B and Hiphop in the music they produce. Unlike the previous two front covers, unconventionally this front cover holds two music artists which suggests a stronger influence and attraction this magazine may create due to the chance of an individual appealing to either one or two of the artists which feature on this front cover. Both artists hold direct mode of address, grabbing the reader in and we are able to see more of their body unlike The Source magazine; this suggests they may be able to attract potential consumers due to their clothing, posture and pose e.g Nicki Minaj's pout and facial expression which holds sexual relations which may stereotypically appeal to a male audience.

Positioning and layout; Unlike the other two front covers, the title of the magazine is located on the left of the page and is shorter therefore not taking up the whole width of the page; even so the title is still noticeable as it in white and bold text on top of a red background. The positioning of the text which states 'Nicki & Drake' is unusual in comparison to the other two front covers as it is almost as large as the title and is situated in the middle of the bottom of the page. These differences allow the layout of the page to become more interesting and different in comparison to the other two front covers and suggests more style to attract and appeal to potential consumers.

Genres of music magazines + their history and current states;

HipHop + R&B;

R&B is the abbreviation for Rhythm and Blues and is always very closely associated with HipHop. Both music genres hold elements of soul and funk music and originate from reggae and African American styles of sound. There are many music magazines which specialise in R&B and HipHop genres and I have picked VIBE as a prime example of a magazine which maintains a focus of artists associated in these genres.

We can learn of the genre of the magazine through the artists which specialise in R&B and HipHop displayed on the front cover e.g Ciara who stands as the main image and focus of the magazine, We can understand the sexual nature of the magazine due to Ciara's lack of clothing which relates to the genre in the way in which the types of music belonging to R&B + Hiphop usually relate to sex and love.

Quincy Jones launched VIBE in 1993, in partnership with Time Inc. however in 2009 VIBE stopped selling their issues until InterMedia Partners bought the company. InterMedia Partners reinforced the magazine as a music magazine which would be accessible through the web as well as in the form of physical print. 

VIBE music magazine belongs to a conglomerate company called Vibe Lifestyle Network which represents over 25 sites specialising in fashion, sport, music etc. and reaches over 19 million unique users per month. Vibe Lifestyle Network is VIBE music magazine's parent company, and having financial support and publicity from this existing firm VIBE magazine will be able to gain potential readers.

VIBE music magazine has incorporated technology in to their company by enabling their magazine to be accessible online www.vibe.com. On their website they have advertised a personal app which they have created called 'Vibe Music Mixer'. When you click on the link of the promotion you get transferred to the itunes Apple website  and it tells you more about the app- the app is available on the iPhone and iPad. By incorporating current forms of technology such as the iPhone, we can learn that VIBE have understood the growing technological market and used it to their advantage to promote and present their music magazine as well as offering alternative music devices to entertain and interest their customers.

I have taken the following quote from www.vibe.com: 'Vibe is the premier destination for urban music, entertainment, culture and lifestyle for the aspirational 18-34 year old'  This gives me the target audience for VIBE magazine who the company itself aim to target. 

One of my personal favourite music genres is R&B and HipHop therefore researching VIBE magazine has given me a good insight in to the types of technology they use and who their target audience is. I have also recognised that magazines, like most products and services today, are getting influenced by the technological market more and more therefore the demand on physical print magazines is decreasing leaving magazines such as VIBE having to reinforce their magazine online to gain  more customers.

Rock;

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical sources.Musically, rock has  centred around the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with bass guitar and drums. Music magazine, Kerrang! is devoted to rock music and holds a focus of this genre through-out its magazines.

We can learn of the genre which Kerrang! specialises in through the colours used; red and black are colours which usually connotes a 'rocky image'. Wacky hair styles and colours usually relate to rock too. Through the main image- situated on the front cover, of an artist which specialises in rock also communicates the genre and almost becomes the USP of the magazine.

Kerrang! is currently published and owned by Bauer Media group however it's previous owners consisted of, United Newspapers and EMAP. The magazine was first launched on June 6th 1981. In the early 2000s it became the best-selling British music newspaper. Before Bauer Media group took over the magazine, Kerrang! developed and made use of the new emergence of emo and metalcore; it began to heavily feature this musical trend. However, the revamp was not welcomed by all readers and many complaints were received about Kerrang!'s sudden emphasis on emo and metalcore music. This is an example of music magazines taking to the current, applying it to its genres within the magazine but not exactly doing it well. Despite these complaints, the editor at the time, Paul Brannigan took the magazine into its most commercially successful period with a record 80,186 copies sold.

On Kerrang!'s website page there was a lack of technological features used to promote their company. The company seemed to have a focus of merchandise instead such as, a clothing line. There was also a focus of promotional features such as chances to win tickets to see artists in relation to the magazines genre, through competition advertisements.

Bauer Media describes Kerrang!'s target audience as: 'Young, individually minded and passionate consumers, an audience defined by attitude, passion and loyalty.' Their target audience is also described as male- 15-35 on more bias terms. Bauer Media also define Kerrang!'s brand as 'the world's biggest selling weekly music magazine and the original multi-platform youth brand for all rock genres. Kerrang delivers the hottest news, reviews, gig guides, exclusive features, posters, videos and more every week. In print, on TV, radio and online, Kerrang lives life loud for its army of dedicated, music loving fans' This shows they contain huge platforms and rather than just being just a music magazine they are today, a brand.

On their website their is a link to one of their platforms- their radio station online www.kerrangradio.co.uk. When I clicked on this website, they seem to display more technological and social media than the magazines website did. As you can see in the image taken from Kerrang!'s radio website, they have incorporated mobile phone apps to expand and promote their brand. 

Jazz;

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th century American popular music. Its West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, call-response, and the swung note.

The artist who appears on the front cover tells us of the music magazines genre, Jazz; he is a successful Jazz musician and highlights the genre of the magazine. The magazine cover is simple and minimalistic however highlights the Jazz genre through the language: 'Jazz school' and artist.

Downbeat music magazine is published and owned by Maher Publications and is the leading music magazine devoted to Jazz. It was first launched in 1935. Through out its issues, it upholds a focus for Jazz in its early years allowing it to appeal to a niche audience; Jazz isn't a mainstream genre and some would say its influence is not so popular today however Downbeat sustains Jazz and its importance.

The magazine uses merchandise such as t-shirts and books to keep jazz alive instead of technological devices to promote its magazine. This shows that the magazine isn't following up-to-date and current technology to promote its magazine and this shows that the genre of the magazine may not appeal to the young as it doesn't need to use technology aimed at them. Downbeat online contains a link to http://www.jodyjazz.com/ which is a website with a focus of everything to do with jazz.  The magazine also provides visitors with a link to a Jazz school website. Downbeats connections allows the Jazz influence to become strong and provide a wide range of aspects to do with Jazz for its consumers to make use of.

It seems to be less to say about this magazine as it does not appear to be as mainstream, popular and widespread as other music magazines are today however, editor, Stearns says: 'I have refined my early Downbeat history and published what remains today one of the more enduring jazz histories still in print, The Story of Jazz.'

On www.downbeat.com I found a quote from the publisher of the magazine which aims to describe the target audience for the magazine: 'There are many roads to jazz, as any collection of fans will demonstrate. But for many of those fans, whose age today can fall anywhere between 10 and 80, that road has been paved with issues of Downbeat magazine' Even though they say the age range for their magazine is widespread I believe today, Jazz isn't as mainstream as other types of music genres therefore it will appear to not be as successful as other music magazines. Despite this, Jazz is still an influential music genre, loved by many and Downbeat sustain its influence and provide the musical genre's lovers with a strong uphold of Jazz.

Having researched three music genres, one which is far from my music taste- Rock, one which is my favourite music genres- R&B and HipHop and one which I have never thought about in detail and never realised it is still as strong as it seems- Jazz I have learnt that the music magazine industry is still alive regardless of critics and statistics. By researching these genres has enabled me to have an idea of what genre I want to use for my magazine; Hiphop  would be my preferred choice. VIBE magazine has allowed me to see the support and popularity behind this genre however I still believe I need to research and discover more about magazines which specialise in Hiphop.

The music magazine industry;

The music magazine industry produces and funds for magazines which focus on music and music culture. These type of magazines include news, interviews, photo shoots, record reviews and recent concerts on particular artists and their genres. Music magazines almost always include a USP to promote their magazine e.g of a music album to promote a particular artist and their music.

Customers are almost guaranteed to find a magazine which specifies or applies to their preferred type of music; from this we can learn that the music magazine business is exposed world-wide and is available for every music lover to make use of. In example popular music magazine 'Rolling Stones' is an American music magazine however it is released in Britain every month and from this we can understand that the music magazine industry is a successful business allowing it to promote and sell products from country to country.

As mentioned, the music magazine industry funds and produces magazines which will appeal to every music taste. However, many magazines include an aquired taste for everybody in just one physical print. Let's take NME for example, the music magazine does not hold a specific genre within their magazine as they provide many aspects of music culture with a focus of different genres. In example, within NME's online website, I found an interview with 'Florence and the Machine'  and an interview with 'Coldplay'. These two artists are very contrasting in their musical genres however as NME does not hold a particular focus of music genres they are able to include contrasting artists, in the long-term this allows them to appeal to a mass audience as potential customers with all different types of music tastes will find something suited to them within the magazine.

On NME's magazine online I found a promotional aspect of their company which appeals to potential buyers by incorporating other types of technology. The promotional offer is persuading individuals to subscribe to their magazine through their own technology such as an iPad or home computer for a year and save up to 38%. This promotional feature is allowing the magazine to be affordable as it is much cheaper than if they were to purchase their magazine every month for a whole year from a shop. By subscribing they are saving money which is beneficial for them as well as the company as the company are securing an amount of releases each month to their customers. Underneath this promotional feature they are using the same technology as alternatives for buyers to access an issue of their magazine for £1.75. This is 45p cheaper than if an individual was to purchase the magazine in a shop. The company are combining technology with their magazine by encouraging their potential buyers to make use of their own technology at home to access their magazine. NME have understood that the technological market is continuously growing and is very popular today with many individuals and will be accessible for potential buyers to purchase NME's magazine.

This is an example of NME promoting their creation of apps to be accessed through iPhones and iPod's. This is another form of technology which NME has Incorporated within their company to expand and promote their business. They are allowing more accessible ways to access their magazine through up-to-date and current ways for potential consumers.

UNCUT and their incorporation of other media:

Here is an example of UNCUT employing other types of media in their magazine- a CD album. Paul Weller is the unique selling point of the magazine as he appears as a large image taking up the whole front cover and UNCUT have used his album to make a clear connection between him staring in the magazine as well as his music being promoted in the magazine. UNCUT issues a magazine every month containing a CD album mostly with some link to their USP of their magazine. In comparison to NME, UNCUT specialises in Americana and Country alternative music genres and this allows them to hold a complete focus through-out their magazine effectively making it easier for them to issue their magazine alongside a CD album as they know their target audience will appeal to it.

However even though the music magazine industry seems to be successful as there seems to be so much to choose from with easy access worldwide, figures within the music magazine industry seem to be dropping. Circulation figures of the music magazine industry was said to of increased by 22.6% in 2010 however in the first half of 2011, statistics displayed that circulation figures for magazines within the industry are decreasing. In example NME's figures have dropped by 14.3% and Kerrang! music magazine figures have fallen by 2.2%. However in the defence of NME, IPC media said: “NME continues to be an exemplar of a modern multiplatform media brand”, serving its audience “via social media, on TV, radio, mobile, through live events and in print and reaches over one million consumers each week”. Despite these figures, the music magazine industry does serve its purpose globally reaching millions of consumers, providing them with their favourite genres and artists monthly and weekly. These statistics have enabled music magazines to provide 'add-on's' and 'extras' to their magazines e.g technology and other media to put a stop to falling figures and I believe these aspects are two of the main reasons why the music magazine industry is still in existence.

College Magazine; Front Cover Final Version

Cover-line ideas

Main cover-line

-Exam results! Happy students tell us all..

This will be in the largest font and will appear near the main part of the image on my front cover- This will make a clear connection between the cover-line and the image so readers know that this story is the main focus of the magazine.

Other cover-line titles

-Christmas fair- coming soon! 

-Book yourself a holiday at our new holiday shop! 

-Guess which canteen member of staff has won the dinner-lady of the year award! 

These three other cover-lines will appear in a smaller font and appear spread out from each other to also appeal to the potential reader. They are there to draw in the reader by displaying different articles which would appear in my magazine.