Completed market research of British music magazines

1. market research of existing music
magazines
By Charlotte Griffin

2. Music magazines available in the UK:
• Kerrang!
• Classic Rock
• Metal Hammer
• Q
• NME
• Mojo
• Top Of The Pops
• BBC Music Magazine
• and many more…

3. Complete list of music magazines

5. • ‘BBC Music Magazine is the world’s best-selling classical music magazine’ says their
website. http://subscribe.classical-music.com/?utm_source=google-http://
subscribe.classical-music.com&utm_medium=ppc-exact&utm_term=bbc-music-
magazine&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=Cj0KEQiA-aujBRDqj772vpGfgooBEiQAzWAZUit45DwqpHttMmepQb4MSRzlGE95HWHvYCnLM
qcz8IYaAjo_8P8HAQ
• Aimed at ‘classical music connoisseurs and new
enthusiasts’.
• Immediate Media Co publishes the BBC Music Magazine,
and overall publishes 34 websites and 50 magazines, with
over 1 million subscribers, a brand reach of 11 million UK
consumers.
• The magazine’s total circulation (print and digital) is
41,226.

7. A brown and orange colour
theme flows throughout the
magazine so can be seen not
only on the front cover, but
the contents page and
double page spread I have
found. These colours create
a warm and comfortable feel
to relax their readers
The banner is used to show
more information that can
be found inside and to
entice the target market to
buy the product
The headline is used to
show what the main item
in the magazine will be. It
has been written it
capitals to make it stand
out from the rest of the
text.
The use of visual banners
contributes to the classical
feel of the magazine
therefore complimenting
the style of music the
magazine is about
Front cover:

8. The graphic designer of the magazine
feels confident enough about the brand
of the product that they can cover up
part of the mast head
A serif font is used on the mast head to
create a fluid shape that compliments the
genre of music they associate themselves
with
The text has been written is
white to stand out from
their colour themes
The cover lines show to the reader
what is inside, enticing them to buy
the magazine to find out more
The price is a common
convention expected on all
magazines. It is written in a
small font as the company do
not want that to stand out
and discourage the target
market from buying the
product
The bar code is a
convention for the use
of retailers
The buzz word ‘plus’ in capitals, a larger
font and red lettering stands out to avoid it
being hidden in the bottom corner and to
attract the audience’s attention to that
item

9. White text is also a recurring theme
throughout this magazine as it is a
contrast against the background
colours making it easier to read. It is
also written in a large font as some
of their readers will be elderly
people who may have trouble
reading small text
The brown and orange
colour theme is continued
on the contents page which
creates fluidity and
professionalism
A big image is used that
runs over two columns to
make it stand out and fill
any unnecessary white
space
Text is used to
explain the purpose
of each image
Different shaped images have
been used to contrast the
uniformity of the columns
Contents page:

10. Images are used to split up the
text, add colour to the page
and to illustrate what else will
be found inside
As BBC Music Magazine is a
monthly magazine, rather than
putting the full date of issue, it
simply puts the month to
identify which product it is
Subtitles are used to categorise
sections of the magazine to
make it easier for the reader to
find a specific article they are
looking for. They are written in
capitals to make them stand out
from the rest of the text
Columns have been used in the
contents page as it is a layout the
reader is used to and to keep the
text tidy. This column layout has also
been used to place the images on
the page so that it doesn’t look
chaotic or messy

11. A pun is used as the headline on this
double page spread to introduce the
reader to this article. Changing a
popular song lyric to a headline shows
the reader that the writer has musical
knowledge
The graphology of this
headline is different from the
rest of the text as the font
has a medieval script feel
about it, using crosses and
differently shaped letters.
This compliments the word
‘knight’ as it all relates to the
same semantic field
Double page spread:
Columns have been used
on this page to keep the
text neat and organised,
but also to create a shape
The first letter of this paragraph is
a drop cap (a larger size and fills
the length of three lines of text).
This makes the paragraph stand
out and look more appealing to
read. It also indicates that it is an
important paragraph
The recurring theme of white
text is continued in this
article as it stands out form
the dark background so is
easy to read
The name of the
magazine and page
number is placed in
the bottom corner of
both pages

12. The orange lighting and
brown setting in the
background keeps the
colour theme flowing
throughout the issue,
making it seem
professional but also
creating a warm, cosy
atmosphere
The column layout has
been carried on into the
image using the vertical
lines in the background
and the position of the
man
This double page spread goes against
the convention of placing the text on
the right hand side of the page and the
image on the left, perhaps to make it
stand out when a reader is looking
through the magazine

13. • ‘Launched in 1952, the New Musical Express is the world's greatest and most
influential weekly music magazine, known globally as the NME’ their website
claims. http://www.nme-magazine.com/about_us/
• In it’s ‘about us’ section is talks about indie, rock and britpop, so it can be assumed
that the audience are young adults with passions for these styles of music.
• Their mission statement is ‘to provide up to date and new information, reviews
and listings of the best new music’.
• Their slogan is "first for music news“.
• NME’s circulation is 19,491.
• IPC Group Limited publishes NME along with over 100
different magazine brands and is the UK’s leading
consumer Magazine Producer.

15. A sans serif font has been used on their
masthead to make it look clean cut and bold,
suggesting the same standards for their
product
Buzz words such as
‘Exclusive’ draw in the
audience as it makes
the consumer feel more
involved. It also creates the
impression that this is the
only place you can find out
the information, persuading
the consumer to buy it
The subheading is in a slightly
larger font than most of the
text so that it stands out when
the consumer first sees the
magazine. It usually shows the
main content of the product
The dominant image covers
the majority of the page. The
image is a mid shot of a well
known musician, used to
attract an audience interested
in the style of music that he is
known for. He is wearing black
clothing and has black hair,
meaning that he contrasts,
therefore stands out from, the
light blue background
Front cover:

16. The colours used (blue, red,
and black) suggests that the
primary audience is male, as
they are stereotypically
masculine colours. In my
research I have found that
73% of their readership are
males
Two sub images have been used
to give the audience a taster of
what is inside the product. It also
fills any empty space to make the
cover more interesting and look
more appealing
The date and price is a
convention expected on all
magazines. The price is in a
smaller font as the company
does not want it to stand out as
it is not appealing to the
audience
The barcode is a common
convention used so that the
consumer can purchase the
product

17. The subheadings are used to group the text
making it more organised and easier for the
reader to understand. The subheadings are
written in a larger font so they stand out
A column structure has been used to
keep the page organised. The NME
advertisement runs across two
columns showing that the are not
rigid rules to follow
‘The UK’s No 1 Gig Guide’ could
be NME magazine’s unique selling
point (USP), so placing it on a
bright red background in a shape
that stands out highlights it’s
prominence in the magazine and
draws the readers eye
The date is a convention in all
magazines to make it easier for
both audience and manufacturers
to identify the specific issue of the
magazine
Contents page:

18. Their masthead is used as a logo on the
contents page to reiterate the brand name
The colour theme of black and
red is carried on in the contents
page to create continuity and
The band index is a weekly show professionalism
convention used in NME
magazines to make it
easier for music fans to
find their favourite bands.
This creates ease of access
for the readers
A drop cap is used for decorative purposes in modern magazines, but
they were originally used in old newspapers to show where the article
started as the pages were crammed with text

19. In the introduction to
the article people’s
names have been put in
bold to make them stand
out from the rest of the
text making it easier for
the reader to notice
them
Columns have been used to
organise the main body of the
text, grouping relevant points
together therefore making the
article easier to read
Using a quotation as the title
gives the article an atmosphere
of importance and relevance as
it suggests that the journalist
has had direct contact with the
subject of the text
The title causes the
audience to ask questions
and makes them curious as
to what may be discussed
in the main body of text,
causing them to continue
reading
Double page spread:
The page number has been placed in the
bottom right hand corner to make it easier
for the reader to see when they are flicking
through the magazine

20. Placing the image on the left is a convention in magazines as it
causes the reader to see the image before reading the text because
in our language the eye moves to read from left to right. The image
is used to capture the audience's attention and in most cases show
who or what the article on the right is about
A studio shot is used as it will
have been taken with specific
requirements to fit in with the
themes and ideals of NME
magazine
A sepia image has been used in
this double page spread to suggest
ideas of ageing and going back in
time, this idea links back to the
title of the article ‘It keeps
dragging me back’. Music lovers
will know that David Bowie was
most popular during the 70’s so
that is probably when the
photograph was taken

21. • They claim that they are ‘the UK’s biggest music magazine’ and are ‘the arbiter of
taste, standing for music of substance across all platforms’.
http://www.qthemusic.com/
• Q magazine also say that their ‘influence is unquestioned
and its opinions are so trusted that they shape the views
of artists and readers alike’.
• Their circulation is 89,450.
• Their audience is ‘younger and more affluent than any
other music monthly’ according to them.

23. This magazine is not
afraid to use white
space, making the
layout clearer and less
chaotic
Q magazine’s masthead
and slogan, ‘discover
great music’, has been
slightly covered up by
the image of Adele,
showing that they are
confident of their brand
as it can be partially
hidden but is still
recognisable to their
readers
The Q magazine masthead has a bright red
background to make it stand out on a shelf
full of magazines. Red is often used to
represent passion, implying that this
magazine is passionate about their product
The studio image has been
taken so that her hair frames
her face creating a natural
border
Adele’s hair has a red
tint to it’s colour,
which contributes to
the red colour theme
that runs throughout
the magazine
The image shows her looking
directly at the audience
giving the reader a sense of
personal interaction,
encouraging them to buy the
magazine
The three subheadings have
been grouped together in a
rectangle to keep the cover
free from clutter and make
the image the prominent
feature
The background behind the
heading is dark, so the text is
written in white to stand out
and make it easy to read.
The use of white could also
be symbolic. This colour
suggests innocence and
honesty, perhaps implying
that the contents of this
magazine are honest
Front cover:

24. The use of gold on the front cover
gives a sense of the product being
precious and rare, encouraging the
audience to buy it
In the golden circle they mention what
could be their USP for this issue- an
introduction by Paul McCartney. This
stands out because of the gold and his
name gives the issue a sense of
importance
The barcode is placed in the bottom
corner for easy access and to prevent it
from spoiling the aesthetics of the cover
Alliteration has been used in the
phrase ‘Bono’s Bum Deal’ to make the
subtitle more memorable

25. Their logo is used
twice on this contents
page to get it into the
readers’ head and
make it recognisable
The banner has a black background
giving the page a sense of formality
and importance
The month and year of the
release of this issue have been
placed in the banner in the top
left corner, making it easy to find
but keeping it out of the way from
the main body of text.
The image covers a large
percentage of the page,
showing that the article
concerning the image is the
main item in the magazine
A column layout has
been used to keep the
page organised and to
group relevant sections
together. The image
compliments these
columns by creating
vertical lines that run
down the page
One of the people in the image
is wearing a pair of red brown
shoes, contributing to the
colour theme
The subtitles have been
written in capitals and a
larger font than the rest of
the text to make them stand
out from the page
Contents page:

26. The ‘Q list’ and ‘Q mail’ are two
examples shown on this contents
page of the magazine creating its own
identity and making it seem like its
contents are exclusive to this
magazine- they cannot be found in
any other media product
The buzz word ‘special’ has been used to
capture the reader’s attention. The
subtitle, page numbers and border of
this section are all in gold, suggesting it
is rare and valuable.
The red colour theme has been carried
on in the contents page making it look
professional and well thought-out

27. A convention in Q magazine is to place the first
letter of the musicians name on top of the text.
This is in red, making the colour theme more
consistent. The ‘J’ highlights that the article is
about Jay-Z
The article
was
written to
entertain
and inform
the reader
Columns and
paragraphs have
been used to
organise the text
into groups. The
columns structure
has been used
throughout the
whole double page
spread, with the
quote in the corner
of the image in a
column and the red
lighting splitting the
page in half. This
red lighting also
contributes to the
red
colour theme of the
magazine
The logo of Q magazine, the page number, and the
month and year of it’s release (as it is a monthly
magazine) are placed in the bottom left hand corner.
This keeps them out of the way and prevents them from
ruining the over all aesthetics of the page
The two
drop caps
indicate
the start
of an
important
paragraph
and
makes
them
stand out
from the
rest of the
text
This magazine uses a lot of block text
showing that they have a lot to say
about this subject and that the reader
wants to find out all this information in
detail
Double page spread:

28. A studio shot has been used
because the image was taken
specifically for this magazine so
it has been designed to fit in
with Q magazine’s style
The quote in the
corner of the image is
used to get the
readers attention and
make them interested
in what the main body
of text has to say

29. Common aspects in front covers:
• Image covering majority of page
• Masthead at top of page
• Subheadings
• Studio image
• Bar code and price in bottom corner
• Sub images
• Buzz words
• Date of release
• Colour theme

30. Common aspects in contents pages:
• Large image
• Colour theme
• Subheadings in a larger font
• Column layout
• A number of smaller images
• Date
• Masthead/logo
• Grouped according to topic

31. Common aspects in double page
spreads:
• Colour theme
• Large image on left
• Title
• Studio shot
• Drop caps
• Page number
• Column layout

32. Aspects I aim to use in my magazine:
• Front cover:
o Image covering majority of page
o Masthead at top of page
o Bar code and price in bottom corner
o Colour theme
• Contents page:
o Large image
o Colour theme
o Subheadings in a larger font
o Column layout
• Double page spread:
o Colour theme
o Title
o Studio shot
o Column layout