Initial specific research into shared features

The task was to do some research into the genre of music that I am going to do, and find out the forms and conventions typical for this type of magazine. To do this I looked at similar magazines to the magazine I am going to create.

After looking at several genres of music magazine to see the different types of magazines available to produce from the market. I have decided to produce an indie magazine. I chose this genre because it is a genre of music which I am interested in and it would attract a large audience to the magazine as indie music is very popular in the music industry.

The forms and conventions typically used with this genre of music is bold colours used to attract the audience to the headlines and so that they can easily identify what the main headlines are with the magazine. Main colours used on NME is red, yellow or white. The font stands out in bold so that the main stories and titles stand out on the front cover so that the reader will buy the magazine.

Often the picture is of one of the main well known bands who are popular with the audience to attract the reader to the magazine. On the magazine which I have got of NME there is a medium close up of Kasabian with a large heading of 'Kasabian ''We've been on a psychedelic trip'' this is used to try and attract the reader in so that they want to know what the band has been up to on their 'psychedelic' trip.

The front cover tends to show a lot of different pictures of different bands with the heading 'Albums '09 in the studio' this is another way of interesting the reader to look at the magazine and want to find out what is in the magazine.
Another magazine which could appeal to a similar audience to NME is Q magazine where they again use medium close ups of the main artists for example on the front cover of Q which i looked at there was a medium close up of coldplay with big white and yellow bold font over the top of the image explaining what the story is inside the magazine 'world exclusive! Coldplay, four months of fear, tantrums and nudity' this makes the reader interested in the story.
The two magazines use the same colour fonts to stand out - yellow, black, white and red.
Q magazine has a sub heading of 'the essential music guide' which means that they are trying to sell there magazine to a wider audience by trying to sell there magazine to be the best music magazine in its market. However Q magazine may be aimed at a slightly older audience than NME as it covers more rock and roll bands.
The layouts of the magazine tend to be structured around the main image on the front cover so that the main image still occupy most of the readers interest as they are the main pull to the audience to buy the magazine.

The audience are generally males aged between 15-25, are either living single or in a relationship, and are middle class. The psychographics for this magazine are underachievers, radicals or aspirists and i think that the social values will be hedonists as there is lots of articles in the magazine to explain to the audience what there is to do such as gigs. On the Jicnar's scale I think that the audience are around B - C2. IPC media is the company who publishes the magazine who also publish many other magazines to many other audiences.

Overall I think that I am up to date with my research as I have decided the genre of my music magazine and the type of shot I am going to use on my front cover - medium close up. Also I have got information on the similarities between similar magazines of this genre so that I know the typical forms and conventions of this magazine and also the type of audience that will buy the magazine.

From this task I have learnt the main forms and conventions which are typically used on this type of magazine, so that I know what needs to be included on the front cover, contents page and double spread. I have learnt that it is important to have a font which is bold and the colours stand out to the reader and for their to be lots of pictures on the front coverto attract the reader.