Music Press

"What does it take for a magazine to be successful in the music press today- what do they have to do"

For an magazine to be successful in the music press today it requires many things. The magazine must;

• Keep the reader interested by featuring exclusive information
• Give away freebies which would make the magazine seem like it's worth its money, such as; iTunes download for free, CDs, posters, gig guides
• It is vital for the magazine to stick to their primary target audience- Kerrang! is a very successful music magazine as it stays loyal to it's primary readers and features articles, interviews and images that appeal to them. However, magazines do try to broaden their number of readers, e.g. Smash Hits audience changed as the magazine progressed, however it became a failed magazine after not having an established target readership. 
• They must help create personal relationships and relate to people to build personal identities
• Have multi-platforms, e.g. magazine, website, radio station, social networks 
• Enable the reader to be interactive with the magazine to feel involved
• Have a system of contacting other readers to share opinions- Again to help build personal relationships, but to also make the reader feel involved
• Feature popular artists - So the reader can feel updated with up and coming bands/singers, to again build personal relationships

Analysing Websites 

Name of magazine: Q Magazine 

Web address: http://qthemusic.com

Genre of music: Rock

Colour scheme: Black, white and red 

What menu bars are there?: Home, News, Q Radio, Features, Track of the Day Gallery, Q covers, Ticket Shop, T-Shirt Shop, Promotions, Newsletter sign up

Which artists appear in a prominent place?:Ryan Adams, Steve Winewood, The Foo Fighters, Robbie Williams 

Competitions: Win tickets to Reading and Leeds, Win tickets, flights and accommodation to SnowBombing 

Subscription details: £12 for 12 issues, free delivery, save 75% on shop price

Examples of multimedia: Moving adverts, moving banner advertising ticket sales  

Examples of interactivity: Buttons to vote on questions, listen to Q Radio

Examples of free giveaways: No free give aways 

Is there a digital edition? (for iPad): Yes

Does the company have other platforms?: Radio

Identify 5 feature articles: Foo Fighters recording new album, Gig ticket alert, Azealia Banks accuses Stone Roses of sabotage, Laura Marling set for new album, Story behind David Bowie 

Describe one feature in detail: The story behind the recording of David Bowie's Heroes extract. Two images, a comment box for you opinions on the article  

3 adverts - what products?: FHM's - Hottest Women in the world 2013, Listen like to Q radio, Geton.com- advertising motorcycles 

Shop - What can you purchase? T-Shirts of different artists and films. e.g - Lil Wayne, tickets to concerts and festivals 

Social networking options: Find Q Radio on Facebook

Uses and gratifications theory: 

Entertainment: humourous tone, people like music because it's fun

Information: To be informed about the music industry 

Personal Identity: Find music that appeals to them and helps to establish them as a person

Personal Relationships: They're able to say that they have heard of a musician before other people or feel more included with their friends 

Name of magazine: NME 
Web address: http://nme.com
Genre of music: Rock
Colour scheme: Red and white
What menu bars are there?: Home, news, videom tickets, new music, photos, blogs, tv and film, magazine, awards, most read, most shared, shop 
Which artists appear in a prominent place?: Vampire Weekend, The Strokes 
Subscription details: Save 70p each issue
Examples of multimedia: flash scrolling, links, videos, radio 
Is there a digital edition? Yes 
Does the company have any other platforms? Radio
 Identify 5 feature articles: The Strokes stream "Comedown Machine" ahead of release, registration for Glastonbury festival tickets reopens, Vampire Weekend reveals new songs, Ian McCulloch records orchestral version of Echo & The Bunnymen hit- listen. Lil Wayne leaves hospital following seizures. 

What doe the reviews tell the audience?: The tracks are reviewed professionally  talking with terminology related to music and assumes the reader knows what they means 
3 adverts - What products? 02 Music, Films (The Croods), NME 
Shop- What can you purchase? Tickets to partners site, T-Shirts 
Social networking options: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr
Uses and Gratifications theory: 

Entertainment: humourous tone, people like music because it's fun

Information: To be informed about the music industry 

Personal Identity: Find music that appeals to them and helps to establish them as a person

Personal Relationships: They're able to say that they have heard of a musician before other people or feel more included with their friends 

Audience Profile

My magazine is a magazine aimed at both males and females. However, the audience would be slightly more male dominated. 56% males and 44% female readers. They would be individualists in the group ABC1. The primary audience would be young adults, 15-26 years old. 

An example of a reader of my magazine is a seventeen year old, white male who even thinks about music in his sleep. He influences his friends on punk rock music and vice versa. He works in HMV and has a love for music and enjoys interacting with other people who share a love for music.

What makes magazines Successful?

Different attributes make the magazines in today’s society successful:

• Having a range of mediums- magazine, website, radio station, tv channel, award show, ect.
• Advertising 
• Freebies/competitions 
• Readers can interact
• Exclusive stories
•  Feature popular artists/bands of the music genre

Representation and ideology 
Does the Music Press and the music industry use stereotypes to package and sell performers?
Yes, the Music Press and the music industry mainly use stereotypes the package and sell performers, this is to target their primary audience and establish the genre, ect.

Does the Music Press rely on old-fashioned ideas of feminine and masculine, or black and white to sell music?

Does the Music Press present an impossible body image (‘thin is beautiful’) to girls, and increasingly to boys (the six-pack)?
The Music Press does present some impossible body images, such as 'thin is beautiful' and six packs. The idea of this is to sell the magazine ect, by illustrating an inspirational figure, this makes the girl want to look like the girl in the Music Press and make the boys want to be with the girl, so ultimately, the Music Press' audience is larger. 

Do only good looking, able-bodied, young, usually heterosexual people feature in the Music Press?

Does this limit what kind of performers can become successful?

Does this give readers a false impression of what is ‘normal’?

Does the Music Press just give the audience what it wants (pretty

 girls and buff men)?  Is it the audience’s fault?

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