Timeline for photoshoot

Main Images Timeline

Finalised ideas (written)

After receiving a lot of feedback from the questionnaires i distributed and analysing each initial idea closely to find it's positive features and drawbacks, i was able to come to a conclusion and finalised decision about the ideas for my products. This will enable me to create the best possible music magazine for my target audience.

Main Story For My Magazine:

 I found it hard to choose my main storyline due to feeling that all of them had potential to be approved of by my target audience, but after looking at photo inspiration from female indie music artists of the present day, i felt as though "Indie Electro - Out Of The Box" would be the most relevant and up to date with the modern times. I also knew the perfect model who would fit the brief for photographs relating to this storyline (my friend Anna) due to her indie dress sense and hair. This was the most popular answer from the poll i posted and therefore i feel the audience will enjoy reading about it.
Due to storyline being about someone breaking free from a stereotype, this can also encourage readers to be different and stand up for themselves. This could inspire and influence many teenagers and young adults and therefore i feel it would be both intelligent and motivational.


Magazine Title:

My magazine title i've chosen is "Soundcheck" which was the one i felt most passionate about from the beginning when drawing up a long list of potential names. It was again the most popular vote from my questionnaire and this gives me confidence in that it will be effective.
The name immediately shows the magazine is linked to music, and (a soundcheck) is a vital part of any live performance. By being linked to live music, this could denotate how the articles within the product will be stripped down and honest (just like live music), allowing readers a real insight into who they are reading about. It is also unlike any other magazine title in the music industry at the time which will make it stand out from competitors and be something completely new for the audience to be excited about.


Colour Schemes:

The generic music magazine colour scheme is that of black, white and red. I wanted to keep linked with this theme in order to create an instantly recognised musical product, but i also wanted to add my own twist and did this by adding in the colour blue alongside the conventional red, white and black.
This colour scheme is both sophisticated and vibrant, allowing the older range of my target audience to be interested as well as the younger one. The black and white allows simplicity whilst the blocks of colour make it more aesthetically pleasing and interesting for the readers.


Magazine Front Cover Design:

I decided to choose design 1 here, which was the most popular from the poll and also my favourite design. By allowing a medium shot to take the cover of my model, this provides both intimacy with the reader, due to being able to see clearly the facial expression of the artist and make eye contact as well as showing off fashion through the clothes she is wearing. This can portray that the artist is simply just a human being, like the audience, but is a role model to many and can influence them greatly through her looks, fashion and music. The clothes the model will wear should not outshine the fonts and features used, and therefore i will use subtle styling and make the artist stand out in a less obvious way (this could be using props such as glasses).


Magazine Contents Design:

I have chosen to develop my 3rd sketch for this design as i felt this was the most sophisticated approach and linked in the best with the front cover and double page spread layouts. The design is clear, easy to read and will include photos of both live performances and specific photo shoots of bands. The colour scheme will continue throughout alongside the use of banners so that continuity is visibly present.


Magazine Double Page Spread Design:

 This was the design i felt most strongly towards out of the three final products i will produce. I decided to use sketch 1 for this product as there is an appropriate mix of both images and text. The style of the page with banners creating a box shape provides a framing to the pages, and the arrow shaped pug points to the title, immediately drawing attention there. I haven't seen the use of translucent shapes in any modern day music magazine and i therefore feel this will challenge conventions and provide something new for the readers.

Second questionnaire results

After seeing the success of responses from my first questionnaire i decided to make another to find out my target audience's feelings towards some of my initial intended ideas. Due to not having as much time to receive results, the amount of votes i received was not as high as the first questionnaire and therefore i cannot take that the given figures represent all of my target audience's opinion. However this can help influence me in deciding what my final ideas should be.

1. The name "Soundcheck" proved most popular, and this was my favourite as well. Due to it's links to live music and professional sound, this will be an ideal headline for my front cover and should stand out from competitors due to being so different from anything else on the current market.

2. The storyline "Indie Electro - Out of the box" received the highest votes here, and could prove to be an interesting storyline. I would need to use bright coloured clothing within the photography of the model in order to easily portray the music genre. I already have in mind a model for this storyline, and i will need to think of effective locations to link in and look interesting for the reader.

3. The last colour scheme of "black, white, red and blue" won the vote here which made me feel as though the audience want something new that hasn't been done before (the generic colour scheme of music magazines being black, white and red). By using other colours this will make my product stand out from other competitors.

4. Jimthorpe proved to be the most popular, and i feel it's quirky appearance will be perfect for my products. With payday coming in second place, i feel as though this could be effective with use in taglines and storylines text within different articles and sections for variety.


5. Sketch 1 was my immediate favourite and this has also been a similar opinion of those who took my questionnaire. I will use this with my final product due to image being central and a main focal point of the cover whilst the text highlights different articles and "shows off" what the magazine has in store for readers.


6. Sketch 3 proved to be most popular here, and although this wasn't my initial favourite, after receiving the vote and re-evaluating each design i see that this could be the most effective of the bunch. The "savings" advertisement within this sketch will also be an important aspect due to this showing the audience that they can save money and are getting more for what they are paying. This makes them feel as though the magazine is a necessity due to it's cheap pricing (linking to maslow's hierachy of needs)

7. Finally the sketch 1 for the double page spread proved to be most popular, which was also my top choice. The large image of the model will be attractive for the reader whilst the interview will be light hearted and fun, being easy to read by the audience. The use of polaroids down the side will also add variety for the images on the page.

Second questionnaire

After finding some information out about those within my target audience i can now ask them what they think of my initial ideas to see which ones prove popular within those who will be buying my product. This should essentially show to me which ideas would be the most effective in gaining sales and being the most appropriate for readers. Like the previous questionnaire, i will post these questions along the side of my blog so those within my target audience will know where they are and can be easily accessible.

The questions i will include are:

1. Which name do you like the best?
    - Soundcheck
    - Bassline
    - Lights
    - Amplified
    - Staged

2. Which main storyline idea do you like the most?
    - 1. New Kids On The Block
    - 2. Indie Electro - Out Of The Box
    - 3. Back On Track
    - 4. Leaving The Scene - Last Message

3. Which colour scheme do you think would be the most effective?
    - Black/White/Red
    - Black/White/Yellow
    - White/Blue/Yellow
    - Black/White/Red/Blue

4. Which font do you like the best?
   - Jimthorpe
   - Payday
   - Dirty Play
   - Network vampires

5. Which sketch do you feel would work best for the front page?
   - Sketch 1
   - Sketch 2
   - Sketch 3

6. Which sketch do you feel would work best for the contents page?
   - Sketch 1
   - Sketch 2
   - Sketch 3

7. Which sketch do you feel would work best for the double page spread?
   - Sketch 1
   - Sketch 2
   - Sketch 3

Drawn designs for double page spreads

1:
This is a clever design due to the half border on the left hand side and bottom of the spread (these will be coloured). A quote will be given in the bottom border. This can enhance the use of different colours throughout the page without being overpowering. The main image will take over the majority of the left hand side of the page and will be the main focal point due to conventionally people reading from left to right. The arrow pug in the left hand top corner will point towards the headline to draw attention to it, whilst almost looking post-it note like and adding layers to the  page. As well as an article, polaroid images will run down the right hand side to add variety of imagery and a note from the artist adds a personal touch.

2:
In this design the masthead is in the top left hand corner (similar to the generic front page design) and could allow continuity depending on which front cover design i choose. A series of images then runs across horizontally which could show different attitudes of the model and allow the reader to see all the different sides of the artist. Images are also given in the bottom right hand corner, almost "boxing" in the article in the bottom left which is shown in three columns linking to a newspaper design and adding a sophisticated element.

3:
Here in my final sketch, the entire left hand side is dominated by a main image. This is partly covered by a list of upcoming gigs of the band shown to self-promote and let the audience know when they can see their favourite band performing live. The article is given on the right next to another image and a quote takes up a large space in order to give the audience an inital idea of what the tone of the interview is without even reading it.

Drawn designs for contents pages

1:
Here the contents title lies on the top right hand corner to be the main focal point whilst the list of articles and images run parallel to one another down the left hand side of the page. An editors note is given below the masthead also to add a personal touch to the magazine. The majority of this design is text so it will be very informative which is needed of a contents page, however the lack of imagery could bore the reader.

2:
Here the contents masthead is very different from generic titles, it lays in a diagonal line across a background image which looks interesting. An editors note lays beneath to add a personal touch and below this again runs a series of images to look pleasing to the audience. Three columns of articles are given, similar to a newspaper adding a sophistication to this design that would attract the older or more mature reader. Finally a banner runs along the bottom which shows the magazine's website, self advertising and gaining as many viewers as possible.

This is my favourite sketch due to being very "busy" and having lots to look at. I decided to paste an image of the front cover onto the contents in order to show continuity and link the two together. An editors note is given to be more personal to the readers, as well as an image of the editor to show who's behind the magazine. Sufficient amount of images are used to link the articles given within the lists and a banner is given showing the magazine website (similar to sketch 2). Finally a "huge savings" banner is given on this design in order to try and save the audience money (which is a vital thing due to the target audience being either students or part time employee's who do not have a lot of money to spare).

Drawn designs for Front Pages

As well as thinking of how the possible layouts could look, by actually drawing them this allowed me to see how they would fit onto a page and in which spaces different elements could be placed. I was able to gain a better understanding of how the designs would lay on the page, and also this enabled me to ask the audience of the images which was their favourite.

1. 
After looking at various existing music magazines i realised having a masthead at the top of the page was vital in order to stick with conventions and be easily recognisable as well as being easy to read when on a shelf in a shop. I decided to stick with this theme for all of my front cover designs. As well as this i've used a pug to highlight a free cd available for the readers (who are therefore getting more for their money), a large main image of a medium shot of an artist, various storylines and accompanying images, a barcode and a banner running along the bottom to highlight the popularity of the magazine (creating the readers to feel as though it's a necessity - linked to Maslow's hierachy of needs)

2:
Here i decided to keep things more simple, keeping all of the text on the left hand side of the main image which is a longshot (breaking typical conventions of a front cover). Below this is a banner of band dates, showing which bands will be included within the magazine, as well as lots of room for articles. This simplistic approach may not gain the readers attention as much as intended due to lacking eye contact with the model's image due to her being so far away in the photo.

3:
Here the masthead takes a similar style to those used within NME and Q magazine, having a border and being situated in the top left hand corner. Whilst next to this a barcode is placed. The main image is a close-up of the main artist interview in the magazine, whilst a list of articles run over this. This could be a problem due to covering some of the image photography.

Initial Questionnaire Analysis

I distributed a poll alongside my blog in order to gain an insight into what people were interested about in music magazines in general. This was mostly targeted at those in my target audience (aged 16-25) but open to anyone who wished to voice their opinion. After advertising my poll on various social networking sites i gained a sufficient amount of votes in order to come to conclusions which would help me with my own media product.

In total most answers gained 18 votes, yet some questions had been missed by some participants and therefore only have 17.

1. By finding that an equal number of male and females voted and were interested in music magazines, this clearly shows that i should target my product at both. This contrasts to my original idea of aiming my magazine mostly at females and i will now target my product at both sexes equally.

 2.  Here, the majority of those that answered were in my anticipated target audience group of 16-25. By understand that mostly the younger end of this age bracket are those most interested would suggest to me to add features which would appeal more to 16-20 age group. This could include more exciting images and colours for example rather than being entirely sophisticated.
By finding out the ages of my target audience this gives me more of an insight into who will be answering my other questions and has made me feel as though my polls will be useful due to them being taken by those who i would be aiming my final product at (my target audience).

3. Most people voted for the indie/alternative music scene here which has encouraged me even more to use this as the main genre for my magazine like my initial thoughts. Therefore i need to aim most of the features with the thought in mind to attract someone interested in indie music.
 Due to the next highest choices being rock and other, i will try to include elements which could attract to these people as well in order to be versatile and entice a larger audience. 

4. Here the highest percentage of votes went to a monthly issuing. From finding this out, i'd need to make sure my magazine is exciting and has appealing features in order to attract the audience and keep their interest for a long time due to a gap before the next issue would be released. I would need to include lots of articles and give a price which isn't too high due to them needing to pay for it each month. By giving a free gift with the magazine could prove to be effective as this would be something the reader could keep and experience for the entire month before the next issue and constantly be linked with my music magazine throughout the time period.

5. With a result of 83% expressing that they would prefer a magazine which also offers a free gift, this encourages me to create a free item alongside my magazine product. This could be in the shape of a CD, free ticket to a gig or accessory related in some way to the magazine or music genre. By giving a free gift this adds an extra to my magazine, and could prove to be effective when attempting to stand out against other competitors within the music magazine industry.

6. Most people here voted for between £2.00 and £3.99 which was expected due to the audience being in the "student" age group who would be on a budget and not have a lot of money to spend on "luxuries" (linked to maslow's hierachy of needs) in which a magazine would be placed. I will need to take this into consideration and make sure my product is reasonably priced in order for my audience to wish to spend their money on it.

7. Here the votes were more evenly spread, proving that the images, models and storylines used are the main things which attract an audience looking at the front cover of a magazine. These attributes are very visual, a need to be aesthetically pleasing in order gain the audience's attention. In response to this answer, i will make sure the images used are unique and stand out from other competitor magazines. The models will need to be interesting and distinctive looking as this will create the cover to be memorable and hopefully encourage the advertisement through "word of mouth" between friends and promote the magazine within my target audience. As well as the imagery, the storylines and therefore content will need to be of a high quality to give actual substance to the magazine.

8. With the high amount of people voting to read fashion magazines, this makes me feel as though this is an important aspect which needs to be addressed despite the magazine being mostly focused on music. I will do this subtly by styling the models in up-to-date fashion which is also relevant to the indie music scene. This will influence those reading the magazine and make them feel comfortable due being familiar with the "indie ambience" given by the bands through the clothing. I could also include small fashion articles to add extra aspects which will appeal to my audience. As well as "fashion", "other" was also a highly rated answer. Due to this answer being so broad and unspecific i need to add lots of different elements within the product. This could be within new items which have been unseen before or just a large variety of articles and style of conversation which can appeal to the widest variety of people.

Initial Image Ideas

Images used within a magazine are a vital factor in order to both attract the audience as well as advertise what will be included within the product. By using effective imagery, this can portray a certain message to the audience and can stand out from other competitor magazines which is what i intend to do to be successful. I've looked at existing music magazines for inspiration and placed my own twist on them when coming up with my own ideas, this should hopefully ensure they stand out from the crowd and are memorable amongst readers.

Initial Location Ideas:
- In front of a plain white/concrete background (allowing sophistication and the focus to be mainly on the artist within the image yet still being linked to the style of indie electro music)
- In the midst of a forest/garden/field (links to nature which is simplistic and innocent, similar to the route the artist is merging into. Also allows the artist to be stripped back to the bare essentials and gives the audience a true insight into what they're really like.)
- In a "recording studio" (showing the artist doing what she does best and also is a huge link to the music scene - what the magazine is essentially about)

Front Cover:
- A close up of the artists face, smiling with strong eyes into the camera in order to create eye contact and a strong connection with the audience.
- A medium shot of the artist with her hand brushing back her hair, showing confidence and allowing her personality to be displayed due to exposing more of the body.
- A long shot of the model leaning against a pillar in a fashionable and edgy stance, this allows the audience to clearly see the entire model and the props can be used within this type of shot to add an extra "wow" factor.


Contents Page:
- I could use an image of the front cover to show continuity 
- I may use an image of myself, showing the readers who the editor of the magazine is alongside a note
- I will use secondary images of other bands seeing as this is a typical convention i found when analysing existing music magazines

Double Page Spread:
- I will use a similar shot to that used on the front cover to show a link between the two
- I would like to use a variety of polaroid style images showing different expressions of the artist to show the many different layers to the model
 

Initial Font Ideas

The font styles used within a magazine are vital in order to gain immediate attention and provide a recognisable theme and ambience for the product. In order to find aesthetically pleasing designs i decided to use a website called www.dafont.com which allows free downloads of different styles of fonts. 

I found four fonts which i thought would look effective as the style for my masthead and therefore i've shown the name of the font as well as a provisional name choice for my magazine to see if this would suit the type of words i may use for my final product.  

Font 1:

 

Here, "jimthorpe" is bold and quite simple, allowing the focus to be more about the music rather than other aspects taking over. This font is clever due to being different colours when using capitals or lowercase, this looks especially effective with the name "soundcheck" as this is essentially two words and breaks them up whilst still being placed together. This font is almost "stamp-like" as though it's just been stamped on at the last moment due to being so hot off the press which could reflect how up-to date and edgy my magazine will be - attracting the target audience.

 Font 2:

Here, "payday" is a very edgy and messy which reflects the style of music which will be included within my magazine. It also looks as thought the text has been rolled onto the page, linking to how music is continuous and fluid. The smudges on the background of the font also relates to the edgy scene, showing it's not too preened which would attract the target audience due to them being alternative themselves and wanting a product which is similar to their "thrown together" style.

Font 3:

Here, "dirty play" is an outline font which is simple and smudgy, again with a "stamp-like" finish. By having an outline with no inner colour, this gives a new dimension to the page as though it has been hole-punched rather than printed on. The capital letters are bold and stand out, similar to how rock stars stand out once on stage and performing at a show. This outline effect hasn't been used on any competitor magazines that i have researched and could therefore be a new innovative idea to stand out and interest the target audience. 

Font 4:

Here, "network vampires" is again similar to the other fonts in the idea of a stamp pressed font. The faded background provides the edgy and messy idea that it's unneeded to be cleaned up, reflecting the rock/indie genre. The typewriter style adds a slightly vintage appeal, possibly breaking typical conventions of an up-to-date music magazine, however this would make it stand out from other competitors. This would also attract the target audience due to them frequently shopping in vintage thrift stores and would therefore be familiar with the typewriter style font.  

Initial Colour Schemes

Different colour schemes are present within all music magazines, and from my previous analysis of already existing magazines i've come to the conclusion that they generally follow the trend of black, white and red with hints of other colours to cause contrast. By taking this information into mind, i came up with the following initial colour scheme ideas for my magazine:

 BLACK/WHITE/RED 
- This colour scheme follows the generic style of a music magazine and would therefore be instantly recognised to be of the music genre by an audience member looking at it on a shelf. The colours reflect the indie/alternative style of music, being both edgy and modern as well as sophisticated for the more mature reader. This looks similar to the colour schemes used within NME and Q and would provide to be another competitor in the music genre, however this could mean that it doesn't stand out from the others and may not seem "special enough" to be an essential which people need (linking to maslow's hierachy of needs).

BLACK/WHITE/YELLOW
- This colour scheme follows some conventions as well as adding a bright colour to brighten the page. Yellow isn't usually linked to the indie music scene however this could cause contrast and interest to the audience due to standing out from other competitors and being aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. By adding yellow this adds a "happy" ambience to the dark and edgy scene of alternative music and shows that pleasure can be found within this style of music.

WHITE/BLUE/YELLOW
- This completely goes against the generic style of a alternative colour scheme by not including the use of red or black however could cause controversy and therefore gain attention by doing so. This could also reflect that alternative music doesn't have to be "dark and edgy" 100% of the time and can break these codes in order to keep the readers interested. By giving this unusual style, it can allow readers to interpret the confusion in their own ways (linking to the audience demographics theory) and make their own mind up about how they feel that a indie magazine has decided to take this direction,

BLACK/WHITE/RED/BLUE
- With this idea, the first 3 colours would be the most dominant with hints of the last to add bursts of colour and highlight different items. This follows the generic style, including red, black and white which are used among successful music magazines in the media today, but adds an extra colour in order to give that edge against other competitors within the industry. This gives both a sophisticated feel alongside bursts of colour in which could appeal to both the younger and older bands of the target audience, providing an appeal to a wider audience, gaining the largest amount of buyers possible.

Initial Storyline

Similar to the story-lines within the magazines i previously analysed, i want my own to be a strong feature which people are instantly interested in and want to read for themselves. I decided to choose a wide variety of styles of story-line in order to fit to both the typical conventions of an alternative magazine (having an edgy and rebellious story) as well as breaking the mould (using a more subtle and original idea in order to cause contrast and interest).

Main story-line idea 1:


New kids on the block - A new band, risen from a rough area straight into the limelight

This would be a first-glance look into the lives of band members who's lives are about to be turned upside down due to gaining fame within the music industry after coming from a simple background with no financial stability whatsoever.
By giving this style of story, it immediately links to what the music scene is all about - working hard to achieve success. This gives both a first glance, almost like a preview of what is yet to come with the band, being new and up-to-date with the current media, and would made the audience feel special due to gaining an insiders view. As well as this, readers would be able to sympathise and feel connected with the band due to them being very similar to the target audience themselves, in many aspects such as age, interests and music tastes. Showing how they had transformed from a normal background and achieved fame would motivate readers and allow them to be inspired.

Main story-line idea 2:


Indie Electro - Stepping out of the box (tagline)- A young female alternative singer, transforming into a more electro inspired style


This would be an exclusive look into the life of a young woman who's recently developing into a new music genre, trying to merge her style yet prove to her fans that she's not selling out in order to stay in the media.
This would be the first interview portraying the singer in the new light and style and would show to readers how artists can blend into other genres whilst still sticking to their alternative roots. By giving a first interview this would attract the audience due having never seen before information and a chance to read something most other's haven't - being ahead of the crowd. By "stepping out of the box" it shows rebellion from the singer, and though she reflects the target audience who are generally in the rebellious stage during teenage years. They would therefore be interested in seeing how their idols are doing the same.


Main story-line idea 3:


Back on track - A band who'd previously taken time away from the music scene after a drugs scandal, now back and stronger than ever.


This would give an exclusive interview about the real story behind the rumours of a band who were involved in a drugs scandal, as well as what they spent their time away from the media doing and what message they have to bring now that they are returning.
By showing a band returning after a unprofessional situation, it shows the audience that everyone makes mistakes, even so called "celebrities", influencing the audience that mistakes can be improved on and aren't the end of the world within their lives. This also gives the impression that the magazine is real, allowing all flaws within artists to be shown and the magazine isn't "papering over the cracks" of any situation. By giving this style the audience feel as they are getting the real deal and that the magazine is worth their time buying. 


Main story-line idea 4:


Leaving the scene - Last message - A well established female rock star deciding it's time to put her music career on hold in order to work on her family life.


This would provide the last ever message given by the rock singer before leaving the music scene for a length of time in order to have children and keep them out of the media limelight. Promising that she'll return with a more mature sound in a couple years time, yet still be the rock goddess she always was.
Showing a "last-ever interview" gives an important message, showing the magazine had managed to get the best articles for their reader. Due to it being the singer's last interview for some time, readers would wish to buy the product and read this due to not hearing about her for a while after, gaining a last insight. As well as this, by showing the rock star has grown up in order to have a family yet still sticks to her rock roots, it influences the audience to feel as though they can always have a connection with music and  can read their music magazine for years to come.

Initial Name Ideas

To begin with, i brainstormed as many names as possible which could be used for a music title in order to gain the largest amount of ideas to work with. From this i felt as though 5 stuck out the most, and therefore i will ask which names my target audience prefer in order to gain an idea of which would be the most effective and appealing.

Soundcheck:
This is a term immediately linked with indie music, due to bands frequently playing live gigs and needing to take a soundcheck before performing. Many of those reading the magazine will be already familiar with going to gigs, and will therefore feel as this title is targeted specifically towards them and their experiences. This name is also bold and easily remembered, sounding professional and giving a mature sound to the product. When a soundcheck is given, this is usually quite an intimate moment allowing the band to be seen warming up, and gives a real insight on what the members are like. This would suggest that the magazine will be an insiders view on new and upcoming music acts which many others wouldn't usually get to experience.

Bassline:
This is an element present in most types of music, and is the backbone to all music tracks suggesting that this magazine is an essential and cannot be lived without. The bassline of a track is also hugely significant, creating vibrations when played at a gig and creates a real atmosphere. This could reflect how this magazine would create a huge effect on the audience and reach out to every single person no matter what they're interested in if they buy the magazine. Bassline is also a strong sounding title, reflecting the strong genre of indie/rock music and how it's message is powerful to the audience, similar to the style of music.

Lights:
This is an unusual title, and links to the music scene in a less obvious way. Of course all photo shoots with bands, and stages when performing need lighting and this is an essential piece of equipment reflecting how this magazine would be an essential item to own (linking to maslows hierachy of needs theory). The use of the word "lights" also reflect a bright item which makes things look better, essentially suggesting that by someone reading this magazine, it would make them more attractive to others in the same target audience.

Amplified:
This is a clever name as amps are needed to be able to play instruments to crowds, and run parallel to the idea that a music magazine is needed in everyday life. The word amplified immediately makes me think of loud music at a rock show with the atmosphere being electric making me feel as though the magazine would have a brilliant style and atmosphere to it due to having such a powerful name, being bigger and better than other competing magazines. By amplified showing a large size, this could also link to the fact it will include bands that are of small status, trying to make it big, allowing readers to be the first ones to find out about them and get an insiders view.

 Staged:
This was the final idea to stand out to me due again the instant link with the music scene, portraying how just like bands are placed above the crowd, this magazine would be placed higher than all other competitor magazines. A stage suggests a place where "the magic of the music world" happens, and is a place for expression and entertainment which would reflect exactly what the product would show. This name is also very unlike any of other music magazines in the media right now and would stand out for being interesting and original.

Initial Questionnaire

In order to create my magazine, i need to gain first-hand feedback in the form of a questionnaire, finding out more about the audience that will be buying my product. By distributing this series of questions to my target audience, i can find out more generalised ideas about them and their magazine tastes. Due to my target audience being of both sexes aged 16-24 but predominantly female, a good group of people to survey would be the sixth form students and their older brothers/sisters/cousins etc. I will place these questions alongside my blog, therefore they are easy to access and can gain maximum responses.

The questions i will include are:

1. Of which gender are you?
- Male
- Female

2. Of which age group are you?
- 15 or younger
- 16-20
- 21-25
- 26 or older

3. What is your favourite type of music?
- Indie/Alternative
- Rock
- RnB
- Electro
- Pop
- Other

4. How often would you buy a music magazine?
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- Annually
- Other

5. Do you prefer if a magazine offers a free gift?
- Yes
- No

6. How much would you intend to spend on a music magazine?
- £1.99 or less
- £2.00 - £3.99
- £4.00 - £5.99
- £6.00 or more

7. What attracts you most to a magazine?
- Colour scheme
- Fonts
- Images
- Models used
- Free gift
- Storylines

8. What other genres of magazine do you buy?
- Fashion
- Health
- Gossip
- Motoring
- Other

I also decided to advertise these questions on social networking sites in order to gain the largest response possible. Due to the majority of my friends being within my target audience bracket, these results should form an effective outcome. These included twitter, facebook and tumblr. Due to there being a word restriction limit on twitter this advert had to be shortened, however the other two are more informative and inform exactly where on the blog the poll is located. 

Target Audience Moodboard

Adding to my target audience analysis, here i've produced a mood board to express the overall ambience reflecting my target audience of mainly females aged 16-24 with males also included in small amounts.

I created this by looking through magazines also directed at a similar target audience, and took images which had been used to attract them. From these, i created a collage which portrays my ideal buyer and therefore i can gain more of an idea into how to attract my potential audience.

Uses and Gratifications theory

The uses and gratifications theory is a popular idea which portrays the idea that the audience of any media product are highly interactive and have choices whilst viewing the product, rather than the media influencing them entirely, allowing no chance for interpretation.
This theory focuses mostly on the audience of a product (who are essentially the most important factor in ensuring that a product is successful - by a large audience buying the creation) and how they interpret media into their own lives each and every day. From this idea, audiences would be shown to choose particular media products depending on their own personal interests and favourites. For example, an 18 year old alternative female interested in electro music would choose a music magazine based on it's bright colours, "pop-art" style fonts, fun looking images and models dressed in elaborate make-up/bright clothing due to these all being aspects that would interest her, and which portray the music genre she is most fascinated with.
Overall, this approach expresses how individuals use media products to gain their own personal enjoyment as well as fulfilling specific gratifications. This theory would also imply that the media business compete against other information sources in order to create the best products possible for their intended audience.

Audience demographics

Audience demographics of the media outlet are hugely important and essential in ensuring the success of a product, and therefore i need to look into this to create the best product possible.
In order to determine the audience demographics many features need to be looked into, and in particular socio-economic factors. These could include the age, gender, area of living, income and occupation (among other factors) of a person, and are all very important in determining how to construct a product in order to attract a target audience. By knowing these factors, production teams can gain a better insight into the types of people that will be buying their product and therefore construct features around their audience in ways which would attract them the most. By gaining a larger target audience through using features that would attract the most people, this will essentially end up achieving more sales, creating more money and therefore being highly successful.

Maslow's hierachy of needs

Maslow's hierachy of needs is a theory founded in psychology, firstly proposed by Abraham Maslow. His theories link to the idea of human development and stages of growth whilst this particular theory is said to describe what people wish from their job.
At the base of the diagram, the basic aspects a human needs to survive are shown, before working upward towards the luxuries in life which are not necessities yet people enjoy having them.
This theory can be applied to the institution of media, especially in marketing. Throughout marketing, this theory shows that industries have spent time looking into the historical definitions of how people rank in "needing" things. Magazine's would be placed near the top of the pyramid, being a luxury which isn't necessarily vital to living, yet causes a lot of enjoyment for a person who acquires one.  My product would run parallel to this idea, being a luxury and not an essential, therefore i need to make sure it is of the highest quality to keep my target audience willing to purchase it.

My Target Audience

This is a group of girls who stereotypically portray the target audience i am aiming my magazine at. My target audience is mostly aimed at 16-24 year old girls however males would take up around 30/40% of the entire audience.
In detail i will look at Beth who’s 18 years old and lives in Central London in the midst of all the nightlife. She is a typical representation of the target audience I am aiming my magazine at and therefore by looking into her interests, this can help me understand which features to include, to attract the audience in the most effective way possible.

Beth is a student, also working part time in fashion retail. From this, she has made lots of friends similar to her in both personality and appearance. She has been to many festivals over the years including reading, v and sonisphere due to her interest in rock, indie and alternative music. As well as festivals, she frequently goes to live gigs of an evening with her friends, seeing both small artists and more widely known acts. After being hugely influenced by the “underground” music scene surrounding her in London, her favourite music artists include Florence and the Machine, The Kings of Leon and The Script. All of these stem from the rock genre, having an edgy ambience and creating an incredible atmosphere when performing live. After spending time at gigs, Beth would typically progress onto a nightclub before heading home in the early hours of the morning.

As well as her passion for music, she is also hugely interested in photography and fashion, frequently participating in photoshoots (both as a model and photographer) and spending time shopping for new clothes in both high street and vintage stores. By doing this, she has a very unique style and stands out from the typical crowd. She typically follows the styles of Alexa Chung and Fearne Cotton and aspires to be similar to them.

When grading my target audience within the ACORN classification system, I have placed Beth to be living within the "Comfortably Off" grade,  within "Settled Suburbia" - 34. Lower Income Semis. This is due to her still living with her parents who meet this criteria.
Within the NRS classification, Beth's lifestyle would be quoted as within the "skilled working class" grade.

Other magazine analysis

Other Magazine Covers

Music Magazine Analysis

Music Mag Analysis As well as researching a variety of other music magazines in order to gain ideas for my own product, i will also be able to see what my competitors are creating and whether a niche is present in the market for me to enter. By looking at these rival magazine conventions i can understand what typical audiences of music magazines expect from the product and what is seen to be popular.