Questionnaire

In order to gain an insight into my target audience I carried out a questionnaire to discover what needs and wants they would have from a music magazine, what kinds of artists they would be interested in featuring and what current forms of media they use to keep up to date with what is new in music, in addition to this I researched the average cost the target audience would be willing to buy Harmony magazine for.

Questionnaire

What gender are you?

Male       Female

All participants who answered the questionnaire were Female as they are the target audiene of Harmony.

What is your favourite genre of music? (Please tick more than one box if necessary)

 Pop          Rock        R&B      Hip-Hop     Indie - The most popular genre of music was Pop followed by Indie, R&B and Rock.

3. Please list some of your favourite music artists in the box provided below.

Here is a list of all the artists that were included by respondents:

Adele, Beyonce, Birdy, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Little Mix, NDubz, Rhianna, The Saturdays, Justin Biber, Rizzle Kicks, Katy Perry, Drake, Jessie J, Bruno Mars, Emeli Sande, The Wanted, Tinie Tempah, Nicki Minaj, Devlin, Proffessor Green and The Kooks

4. Please look at this list of features we would like to use in our new music magazine and write the numbers of the features you would be interested in seeing in the box provided below.

1.       A front covers featuring a reader of the music magazine who would like to make it into the music industry.

2.       Top chart of U.K artists

3.       Gig and Album reviews

4.       Advice on how to get into the music business

5.       World exclusive interviews with big acts

6.       Style advice and features including style steals of celebrities

7.       Other entertainment sections

 The most popular feature choosen by respondents were 2 and 5 followed by 3 6 1 and finally 1.

 5. What forms of music channels, websites or magazines, do you use to see the latest music?

Respondents replied: MTV, 4 Music, youtube, smash hits, kiss, viva

                                                                                                                                                                        

     6. What would you like to see in a music magazine?

Here is a qoute from a repsondant that sums up what the target audience want from a music magazine

'A magazine that tells me about all the latest music and gigs giving me interviews from the artists that inspire me and I want to know more about, above all a magazine that writes with passion and shares the same love for music that I have"

8.       What price would you be willing to pay for a music magazine? (Please circle your choice)/

·        £1.50 , £2.00, £2.65, £3.20, £4.80, £5.00 The price respondants were willing to pay was £2.65 on average

9.       Why do you listen to music and what does it mean to you?

a qoute from a respondant says " Music is like a drug i'm addicted to it, I can listen to a song and it can change my mood in an instant, without my ipod I would be lost"

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We love pop double page analysis

In this double page spread of we love pop it features X factor’s 2010 runner up Cher Llyod who has gone onto to begin her own music career. Cher Llyod has been used to feature in a interview with we love pop as she will be instantly identifiable with readers, we love pop is aimed at 13-15 year olds the target audience have a clear interest in music and are likely to follow The hit television show The X Factor. Moreover Cher Llyod is of a similar age group to the readers she is a couple of years older, acting as a older sister/role model for the readers to look up to. Cher is wearing a bright navy blue top, with stripey black and white skinny jeans, and high black wedges, her style is un-conventional and reflects her own outside out of the box personality, by being comfortable in herself and daring to wear statement pieces of clothing that others wouldn’t she encourages the audience to be comfortable in their image and be themselves, this sends a positive message to young girls who are bombarded by images of how they should look by the media. In the image she has a posing in a fun natural pose, it looks as though this image has been snapped mid-action of cher playing with the prop camera, by using this playful image, it allows the audience to see Cher as approachable, this is furthermore reflected in the interview where Cher Llyod reveals a down-to-earth side of her personality.

The main headline of the article “I was the girl parents blamed for their kids turning out wrong” instantly lures the audience into the feature as it relates to themselves, the target audience are at an age where they have just become teenagers and it is common to have disagreements with their parents on all kinds of things including their friends. Below the pull line reads “Forget everything you know about Cher Llyod...and read this interview...” this attracts in the readers as the readers already have expectations of Cher Llyod because of some of the negative press she received whilst on the X factor, furthermore it addresses their reaction to the main headline as they may make assumptions about Cher Llyod. This interview appeals to the target audience as they feel let into Cher’s life and her past, as she opens up and reveals an unexpected side to her, unlike the rebellious teenager the media portrays her as. Cher acts as an inspiration to the readers as she talks about her own hardships allowing the target audience relate to her.

Furthermore the colour scheme used are black white and hot pink, the hot pink is feminine and fun.

NME double page analysis

In this Double page spread featuring Florence and the machine the language used throughout the article is informal so to create a relaxed relationship between NME and the reader, they are talking to the reader as a friend with inside music knowledge, this informality allows the reader to feel like they are being let into the lives of the artists who feature throughout the pages of NME. Although the language is used is informal it still uses good grammar and a wide vocabulary as it informing the reader.

The double page spread features Florence Welch from the hit band Florence and the machine. The headline is “USA got the love”, ‘USA’ is in a larger bolder font which occupies most of the double page spread this is as the article is about Florence’s success in America, as a British artist this is a great achievement. ‘Got the love’ is a pun reference to Florence and the machine’s number one song ‘You have got the love’ that fans will be able to recognise.

The main image of Florence relates to the main sell line as she is sitting on the American flag made instantly identifiable to the audience by the iconic red and white stripes. Florence is looking directly into the camera making eye contact with the audience and pouting. She is wearing black leather shorts a matching top and sky scraper heels, her make-up ties in with her look as she has dark grey smokey eyes, her hair is styled in loose care free curls and is her signature flame red colour reflecting a streak of rebellion. This look will appeal to the target audience as NME mainly consists of a male readership and Florence Welch is styled as the ultimate rock chick, the fantasy girl for male readers. As for the minority of female readers she is someone they look up to and aspire to be like as she has reached success with her music, the female readers may be inspired by her unique rebellious style and may be encouraged to have the same care free attitude as Florence Welch.

The pull quote used to lure the audience into reading the article states ‘She’s 2009 biggest success story, with America at her feet. So why is Florence Welch lying on the floor attacking herself’ this sell-line allows the reader to see an unexpected yet more realistic side of Florence Welch. Although she is portrayed as glamorous and successful she the pull line shows that like everyone is she has her own insecurities. The readers will be able to relate to this as human beings we all have parts of her self-esteem that could be improved on.

The colour scheme of red, white, black and blue relates to the main heading of the article as it is the patriotic colours of the American flag.

Analysis of excisting media texts: We love pop Front cover

We love pop is a music magazine featuring artists from the genre of pop it is aimed at a female teenage readership between the ages of 13-15.

As shown in the masthead we love pop features, gossip, fashion and boys, this attracts the target audience as it reflects aspects of their life styles that they seek more information on. The we love pop masthead is slanted given it an edgy unconventional look, reflecting it’s a new magazine and is aimed at a younger audience. However it maintains conventions by staying on the left-hand side using the same font style each issue however changing colour accordingly to the colour scheme. The slogan of ‘Don’t bore us. Get to the chorus’ reflects the magazine’s and target audience’s fun and youthful attitude. The puff above the masthead of ‘Brand new magazine’ is placed there to draw attention to the fact that this is the first issue of we love pop.

A second puff of ‘World exclusive’ is used to make the target audience feel they are especially receiving gossip from Tulisa. “Tulisa” is in capitals in an uppercase font to draw attention to the fact she is the main sell line, ‘Tears, Strepsils and Tesco! The X factor star keeps it real’ the down to earth attitude of Tulisa attracts the T.A as they are able to relate to her. In the main Image of Tulisa she is posing with a small pug dog and wearing a sequined embellished playsuit she is looking straight into the camera lens and laughing, although she appears glamorous she still looks approachable and friendly and is smiling at the camera, the T.A will admire her for not only her sense of style but for her attitude and outlook on life.

Furthermore smaller related images of Pixie Lott, Fearne Cotton and Selena Gomez relating to the sell line “Star style at purse friendly prices” will attract the T.A as they are the T.A’s style icons. Because of the age group the T.A fall into they are likely to have a budget on the clothes they can buy, the sell-line will attract them as it fulfils their need to keep up to date with celebrity fashion culture whilst sticking to their set budget.

The banner featured at the bottom of the page “Essential Wall Candy” uses language the T.A will relate to and features a sneak preview of the posters inside of the pop icons the T.A admire and aspire to be like.

The sell line of “Glee: we’ll throw rocks at the new cast members” will attract the target audience as its controversial that the cast would act in this way, this entices the reader to find out more about the gossip feature one of the target audience interests.

The sell line of “Breakfast with Biber (in his boxers) nom nom plus a ton of reem boys JLS, The wanted, One direction, Olly murs, Joey Essex” will attract the reader as it fulfils their interest in boys, also the way in which the magazine addresses them is informal using language such as ‘Reem’ which the target audience will relate to. The magazine communicates with them as they would communicate with a friend. The handwritten text of ‘nice!’ adds in a extra personal touch as if though the editor has written it.

Analysis of excisting media texts: Front cover analysis of NME

NME (The new musical express) it features Britpop and British indie bands, the readership is mainly made up of male’s however there is a section of female’s part of the readership. They release issues weekly and describe themselves as “the ultimate source for discovering the best new music first”.

In this issue of NME which was released on the 28^th November 2011,

NME uses the same masthead font it is always placed on the left side of the front cover this establishes it’s brand identity. This issue features Amy Winehouse as the main image, the image is a close-up shot she is looking intensely into the camera lens reflecting the serious tone of the interview, her hair and make-up is styled in her classic trademark style of a messy beehive and thick black eyeliner making her instantly recognisable her tattoo of ‘Blake’ placed on the left side of her chest is visible reflecting her rebellious side and her marriage with Blake Fielder, and the open nature of the interview where all is stripped back and revealed to the reader. This issue is following her death and leading up to the release of her album NME give an exclusive interview with the producers Mark Ronson and Saalam Remi as well as collaborator Nas on the controversy over the releasing of her album. The sell-line uses the title of ‘World-Exclusive: New album story” to lure the target audience in, by describing the story as a world exclusive it makes the target audience, feel as if they are getting a piece of sacred information only available from NME.  “AMY” is the largest piece of text on the cover, it is bold and in a scarlet red font they haven’t used Amy Winehouse’s full name as by using only her first name it creates an informal tone making it more personal to her fans. Furthermore “Inside her secret studio sessions” lets the reader of NME feel like they’re in on the real story about her the making of her new album, it makes them feel like they are being let in on the “secret”, implying that information about Amy Winehouse has been concealed making the reader eager to read on and find out what the “secret” is. The sell-line of “+Free classic Amy Posters” relates to the main sell-line it attracts the reader as following her death the ‘classic’ poster’s are seen as a piece of collectible fan memorabilia.  The strap line featured “ Kasabian Vs Bombay Hotel Vs Noel Vs Monkeys Vs Vaccines! NME awards voting is go! Have your say” this attracts the T.A as it allows them to voice their opinion on which bands have their support. Other sell line’s that may draw in the T.A are “Vampire Weekend New Album Revealed” this will entice the T.A in as they have been anticipating the release of this album and by using the word ‘Revealed’ it implies information about the album has been hidden until now. The sell line of “David Cameron is sinister Example mouths off” this reflects the T.A’s rebellious but honest attitude, this will attract the T.A as they can relate to the feature as they share the same political outlook.

Harmony magazine: Target audience profile

My Target audience are female’s between the ages of 16-18 they are students currently studying subjects in a creative field which would enable them to pursue a career in the creative field. She is single as she enjoys her freedom and does not like to be tied down. She has a fun daring personality she is never afraid to try things in life. She is down-to-earth the girl who all her friends go to for advice. She is very ambitious with big aspirations for success in the future. She is positive and has tons of energy and ideas that she puts into her work. She is extremely passionate about music and lives and breathes pop culture. Her philosophy on life is you only get what you give, so she always give her best.

In her spare time she enjoys listening to music and visiting gigs. She is a party animal and has many nights out socialising with her friends. She also has a love for style and fashion and is conscious of what she wear’s, she loves to be creative with clothes and tries to keep up with trends; whilst adding her own edgy personal twist. She enjoys taking inspiration from the catwalk and look books. She enjoys and gets a real buzz out of retail therapy. She keeps fit and healthy by visiting her local gym at least once a week, and enjoys taking part in dance classes.

One of their favourite artists is Jessie J as she is one of the rising female British artists. She is role model to the target audience as she is confident and self-assured she knows who she is and what she wants. She has come a long way from her days at Brit school and has accomplished so much and she is only in the early stages of her career. Her lyrics are inspiring and deliver a message to her fans, her sense of style is original and she has her own signature look which she is happy in. She likes a range of music, mainly pop, but she also likes other genres, mainly current music.

She also enjoys watching films her favourite genres are comedies, chick flicks and action films. She is a avid technology user she uses the internet daily she enjoys watching music clips on you tube, she also has her own blog sharing her views on the current music industry, she uses social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with her friends and family.   

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Harmony would also act as a place to communicate with music fans alike, gain inspiration for their own creative work, receive the latest information on what is happening in the music industry, and much more.

 

Harmony Magazine: Mission Statement

The name of my Music magazine is Harmony, the name is inspired by the literal meaning of Harmony ‘the way a piece of music is constructed’. Harmony is a Pop magazine aimed at females between the ages of 15-18 the magazine will be distributed monthly, and will be available from all major newsagents and supermarkets. The magazine will also have online content and will be available in a downloadable format to the I-pad as the T.A are part of the technology generation. The magazine will cost approximately £2:50 an affordable price for the T.A who mainly consists of students, It is within the same price range as similar magazines existing on the market.

The magazine features will be divided into 8 main sections, each reflecting the interests of the T.A these will feature as follows: My Harmony (This section showcases the readers own talents and gives them the opportunity to promote themselves through the magazine), Artist exclusive (Harmony takes the T.A’s current idol and gives an exclusive interview giving a insight into their life and career in the industry), Gig and Album review(Harmony will review and rate the months latest music releases and events), The chart (This section will feature the bestselling singles of the month), Gossip(This is a general gossip section about music artists and their plans), Fashion(Harmony will advise the T.A in the months top trends), Career(This section gives tips about the music industry and will feature a person who works within the industry whether behind the scenes or upfront for example music video producer) Fan Mail(This allows the readers to submit e-mails about their thoughts on Harmony and any of the artists or articles it has featured allowing the readers to discuss and connect with each other).

Harmony promises to deliver each issue packed with inspiration and help for new artists, it acts as a new place to showcase their music, as well as being inspired by others. Harmony gives their readers the latest gossip and music entertainment news for music fans, with the latest gigs and album reviews of all their favourite artists. As the magazine is aimed at a female audience It will also focus on fashion, and the latest trends featured by their favourite music idols, reflecting the pop culture. It gives their readers a place to share their views on what is currently happening in the music industry and interact with others.

Harmony believes everybody should have the right to music, and women of all backgrounds, should be able to express their passion and love for music, The magazine values new talent and new music and works at giving young people an opportunity to share their talent, as well as giving a realistic insight into what it is like to work in the music industry. Moreover through Harmony readers can discuss what they think of the current music industry helping to shape and mould the next generation of stars. The magazine’s style is original, inspirational, quirky, youthful and modern.

The typical reader of Harmony is a teenage girl, who has a passion for music she is ambitious and aspires to be like her idols. As well as performing her own music, she loves listening to others music and being inspired. She has her own unique style and although she follows fashions, she dresses with her own quirky edge. She lives and breathes pop culture.