Brief analysis of music magazines prezie

This prezi was a way of me presenting my research on the history, target audience and front cover of different music magazines. It taught my why each magazine was started, and when. I was then able to compare which magazines have been in circulation for longest and which are relatively new to the market. For example, BBC music magazine was first published in 1992, whereas Rock sound magazine began in 1999 (7 years later). However, BBC magazine is very broad, whereas Rock sound is more specific to Rock music. This shows that there has maybe only been a recent need for magazines of a more divergent, unconventional genre e.g. heavy metal, emo, R&B.
I have also learnt that different target audiences require different content. For example, rock sound includes more concert/gig/tour information as well as interviews, whereas Top Of The Pops focuses on celebrity gossip and advice. The different genres use different conventions for the front covers to catch the eyes of different target audiences/demographics. For example the BBC magazine refers to specific classical music artists, which are known t the target audience, but not by others. Top Of The Pops uses bright girly colours, and an informal mode of address.

Quizlet on music magazine's institutions

I have created this Quizlet to teach myself about the publishers of music magazines- when they were founded, what they do and their history. It also taught me that some magazines have the same publishers, for example Q magazine and Kerrang! magazine have the same publisher- Bauer. This is interesting, as they are different genres, which shows that one publisher can publish multiple music magazines, for different purposes/genres. I also learnt that some institutions are family run/founded, and some were founded by one individual e.g. Wenner Media LLC was founded by Jan Wenner and Bauer was founded by Rudolph Bauer and is still run by the Bauer family. I also learnt that the institution can have an influence over the content. For example, the Rolling stones magazine focused on music, while it also had a political approach, which is why the founder created a Bureau. I also learnt that some publishers publish many other magazines/forms of media, while others publish just a few. For example, Bauer only publishes multiple magazines, while Prometheus Global Media only publishes on other magazine- the hollywood reporter.

Here I have uploaded a wordle of different music magazine names. This will be useful to me because I have learnt the naming conventions of magazines, and how they differ depending on the genre, and the target audience. For example, one of the pop magazines is called billboard. This is because it connotes the idea of a pop celebrity on a billboard poster promoting their new album. However, the children's magazine 'top of the pops', has a more literal name to appeal to the more basic understanding that children have. It literally features top of the pop charts artists. 

On the other hand, vibe magazine is read predominately by young people, who use the word 'vibe' to describe the atmosphere between groups of people/given situations. In music, a vibe is any musical aspect or quality indicative of a genre. Harsher names, such as Kerrang! and blaze have been used for magazines of a slightly more aggressive genre such as punk or rock.This research has also shown me the breadth of magazines available in the music industry, for example the many different genres available, such as pop, classical, hip-hop, punk, history of music, indie etc. 

I have also been able to see why specific names have been chosen to fit specific genres and how this is effective. For example, blended magazine sounds as if it features a 'blended' variety of different genres, which it does. It's clever, because the topic of the content can be implied from the name alone. From my research, I now know that when I choose a name for my magazine, it must be relevant to the genre, target audience and content. I also know what names are already out there, and how I could use them as a guide. For example, if I wanted to do a pop magazine, I would look at the names of different pop magazines, and how the names were relevant to the top and genre.

Course Intro

My coursework
For my coursework, which is 50% of my AS level, I understand that i have to: research and plan into similar products and target audiences. I will be marked on layouts, drafting, scripting and storyboarding. This will count as a third of my coursework. I will then demonstrate this knowledge in the production process. Here I will have t make a magazine front cover and a double paged spread. I will be marked on using a variety of shot distances and how I include and exclude elements as appropriate. I will also have to think about lighting, objects and setting, as well as manipulation of photographs and integrating illustration and text. Lastly, I will have to evaluate my work. This will be based on my choices made throughout production, and what went well and what could have gone better. Here I will need to display my ability to communicate.

What is a magazine?
The world magazine originated from the french word 'magasin'- meaning storehouse. We use the word magazine because magazines are like storehouses of information.  The first magazine was the 'gentleman's magazine of London'. It was first published in 1731. Magazine's differentiate from newspapers because they are thicker, glossier, less frequent and don't break news stories. Different genres mean that there is audience fragmentation and publishing costs are low. Front covers are used to create an identity and differentiates from competitors. It helps to make the genre clear to the audience, which is done by using colour, imagery and text.