Music Magazine Proposal

My magazine is going to be specifically aimed primarily at girls between the ages of 16 and 19, however it is going to have elements that make it male friendly too. These will be middle class girls, who are also into fashion and taking care of their appearance. They will be well educated, and be fun, outgoing, bubbly and friendly. I feel that many music magazines tend to have a male feel about them, therefore I am creating something that is more feminine to stand out from other magazines.
          The genre of my music magazine is going to be indie. I feel this is a popular music genre at the moment, and I know a lot of people that are into this kind of music. Therefore I can gather first hand evidence and opinions. This is also a genre I am into, and therefore know a lot about, which i can transfer into my magazine. There isn't a magazine that is specifically based on indie music either, therefore it will stand out from other music magaines and appeal to the target audience as it is something specifically for them.
          A large part of my magazine will be about bands and artists, with interviews with them and photoshoots looking at their style. There will also be sections about indie fashion, where the audience can find out where to buy fashions similar to those of their favourite indie artists. The magazine will include reviews of recent concerts, albums, singles, and bands, therefore influencing the reader to go to concerts, buy an album or listen to a new band etc. Question and answer sections like a typical girls magazine, but this time with more of a music 'feel' with questions specifically about bands and their upcoming tours, merchandise etc. Finally, there will be competitions for the readers to enter giving them a chance to meet their favourite indie bands, win free merchandise or tickets, trips etc.
         My ideas for coverlines are as follows: - 'Indie Gig Guide' - this will be a puff/plug making the audience believe they are getting more for their money by having a separate guide. Also, it will appeal to them as they will be people that go to gigs often, and therefore they will be interested in finding out more dates. 'The Kooks Behind The Scenes' - this will appeal to the target audience as The Kooks are a well known indie band, and will therefore appeal to fans of The Kooks. Also, as it is behind the scenes, the audience will believe they are getting something extra for their money. 'Find Your Style' - this will appeal to the target audience as 'style' suggests fashion and look, and it suggests they are going to be given suggestions of clothing.
         I have decided on the title 'IN-D.' This specifically shows the genre of the magazine, while also being clever as it sounds like the word 'indie'. This will straight away make it clear to the reader the type of magazine this is going to be, but also shows that is going to be quite witty and clever, as it has abbreviated the word. It is quite informal, and will make the reader automatically feel relaxed and as if the magazine is for them.  I did consider calling the magaine INDIFFERENT, as this is what 'indie' also is, different music. However, I thought this was too long and didn't have such as good an effect. It also doesn't really sound like a music magazine, and would take up too much space across the top of the magazine. I also considered INDEPENDENT, but this is what indie is short for, but being the name of a newspaper could confuse the reader and also sounds quite formal, which may not appeal to the reader. Finally, I considered calling my magazine RAW, as this is an indie phrase that is often used, and could indicate that the magazine is going to include, fresh, 'raw' music. However, it didn't really indicate what the genre of the magazine was about, and if the reader didn't know that this was an indie term would confuse them.
       The fonts I have decided to use are Gill Sans MT Ext Condensed Bold, as this is a serif font and is quite relaxed and appealing, but is also informal, and will therefore appeal to the reader. It is also clear and easy to read, whilst fitting the the name of the magazine style well. I have also chosen rockwell for some of the coverlines, as this is a bit more formal as it is sans serif, but not so much that it will put the reader off, as the font goes well with the other one.
       Here are some examples of the fonts I have considered.......

I also have also experimented with masthead ideas: -

The colour scheme for my magazine will be dark purple, grey, black and white. I have chosen these colours as purple is a more feminie colour, the audience the magazine is primarily for, but isn't too feminine that a male wouldn't pick the magazine up. I have also chosen these colours as they go well together, will stand out against a background, and dark purple is a stereotypical 'indie' colour. Finally, there isn't a music magazine that has these colours as their colour scheme, so will therefore stand out against other magazines.
            My ideas for taglines are 'In-Different' as this could be what 'In-D' stands for. It could also be 'In-Dividual' which could be describing the magazine - that it is different from other magazines, or the type of person that it is aimed for - 'indie.'
            This magazine will be published monthly, at the beginning of each month, full of gig and concert dates for the upcoming month. The theme of the main image will reflect the seasons as well as upcoming events such as Christmas for the December issue, festival theme for June etc.
             The image for my front cover will be of an 'indie girl' posing, but not overly posed, more of a natural effect. I may even have her holding a guitar to add to the 'indie' theme. To get these photos I will use my friend, and get her to dress in 'indie' clothing and pose infront of a plain background for the front cover. I will take further images of her in a more natural environment for use on the double page spread.
             The dimensions for my magazine will be 11" x 17", as this is the size of many other popular magazines such as NME and Q magazine. This is the called 'tabloid size' as it's the size of a tabloid newspaper. Therefore it is larger and easier to read, but also gives the editors the oppurtunity to fit more on each of the pages.

Flatplans

Front Cover

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Initial Ideas

Research: - Conventions of a Music Magazine

Conventions of a Music Magazine on Prezi

Research: - Annotated Magazine Covers

NME is a music magazine of the INDIE/ROCK/ALTERNATIVE genre, and therefore has many connotations that help to convey and create this genre. One of the biggest factors that help to create this genre is the artists and bands used on the front cover, as they will automically appeal to the indie/rock/atlternative genre.

Magazine Cover Annotations - March 2008 Issue - The Last Shadow Puppets

Kerrang is a magazine devoted to ROCK/HEAVY METAL music. The images and coverlines found on many of the magazine covers help to portray this, and appeal to the target audience.

Magaine Cover Annotations - April 2010 - Hayley Williams

Research: - Connotations of Music Genres

Research: - Mindmap of Music Genres & Sub-Genres

Research: - Target Audience

The target audience I am going to aim my magazine at are the Indie sub-culture. Indie used to be a term for the genre of music made from independent record labels, but nowadays is used to describe a specific group of people. Although the term suggests the group should be completely independent, and therefore completely different from anyone else, the modern day indie is instead someone who dresses a specific way, listens to specific music, and likes specific things.
             An indie is someone who wears 'vintage' clothing, often found in charity shops or unpopular clothings stores. It is usually different from the 'mainstream' clothing found on the high street or in magazines. They tend to mix and match from different eras; for example mixing an 80's cardigan with a 50's style floral dress. The music they listen to, although is still fairly independent, or at least originated from independed record labels, is now just often under the genre category of Indie, such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, Two Door Cinema Club etc. An indie is also seen to be a very arty person. They are generally involved with some form of art, whether it's drawing, textiles, graphics, photography etc, as they use it as a way to collect memories and express themselves.
            I am primarily going to focus on girls, as I feel there is no music magazine primarily aimed at females of this sub-genre.

Here are some examples of the kind of music my target audience would listen to: -

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor


Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn

Reflective of Student Magazine

I am pleased with my student magazine front cover and contents page. I feel that both are appealing, and that people would buy them. I feel the masthead is the most eye-catching part, as font isn't simple and boring, but interesting and 'young' which therefore relates to the target audience who are 'young' students. The colours of the front cover are also appealing, as the purple and black stand out from each other, but also stand out from the background. They are also generic colours that will appeal to both sexes. I have also included a plug, which are the same colours as the coverlines used on the front cover, which therefore tie everything together, but also makes the plug stand out.
            The coverlines include things like 'Advice and Guidance' and Real Life Stories.' These will appeal to the 'student' audience, as every student could do with advice and guidance on many things about college,   as well as other things, such as friends, relationships and sex. The real life stories will also appeal to them as they could relate to these, but it will also be interesting for them.
           The model on the cover looks like a typical 'student' with simple clothing, minimal make-up and carrying a bag. Therefore the audience will be able to relate to them. The image is also positioned to the right of the page, leaving room for the coverlines around her. She is also making eye contact with the target audience which will attract their attention. The background of the image is a brick wall. I decided to photograph the model against this background rather than a plain white or  plain coloured background, because I feel this makes it more obvious that she is in college, but also would make the magazine stand out from other magazines and booklets more.
            For the contents page I have used the same font as the masthead, showing the audience that the pages relate to each other. I have also stuck to the same colour scheme, so that it is clear to read and stands out. I have used a simple layout which leads the audiences eye down the page, with photos relating to some of the articles mentioned on the contents page.
            Overall, I am extremely pleased with my outcomes, and feel that they look like an actual student magazine that could be published. They follow many conventions of an actual magazine, and therefore will be appealing to the target audience. However, I have made some changes such as the background to make the magazine stand out. If I were to repeat this project, I would have spent more time on the contents page, taking more care over the layout, and probably use boxes to clearly section of areas. I would also have used a different background, as the white is very plain.

Student Magazine Contents Page

Student Magazine Cover