Unit 14 : digital magazines learning aim :A

1. GENRE : MUSIC
Unit 14: digital magazines
Learning aim A

2. purpose :
Music magazines serve a variety of different purposes such as:
surveillance- They keep the audience updated on current information in the music industry .For example new albums
being released, music festivals/events and exclusive information on an artist’s personal life or career.
Personal identity- Music magazines advertise a variety of things to their audience (typically a younger demographic),
who are still in a phase of self discovery .The magazine will advertise popular trends with musicians , clothing styles or
brands and upcoming events around the time of that issue being published .The magazine will also advertise certain
products they think will interest their audience , It can strongly influence what kinds of media the reader will consume
.For example , a reader may start listening to a particular musician because the magazine has told them it is popular
within the music industry.
Diversion- Music magazines (particularly print) are a great way for people to relax ,entertain or pass time. They immerse
themselves within the magazine to distract themselves from the world around them , this works because they are able
to read about different musicians that they find interesting.
Personal relationships and social identity- Reading the articles within the magazine allows people to become involved
in the musician’s life or career . It also teaches them empathy and how to interact with others because they are able to
discuss the magazine either online or in person.

3. Print magazine:
Technical considerations :
• Size of page (A4 or A5).
• Style/font/formatting of text.
• Bleed line -if you go beyond the bleed line the text wont be visible.
• Use an even gutter line – this make navigation easier for the audience .
• Highlight and number pages to make sure the audience can easily find what they are looking for .
• Use a running head to indicate to the audience which articles are more important as they flick through .
• Consider the layout , you need to make sure to keep it even and keep relevant text on the same page as the heading.
• Consider where it can be bought , for example supermarkets or newspaper shops.
Distribution:
Print magazines need to be printed out and distributed to the locations people are able to purchase it from, such as
supermarkets , newsagents or stores relevant to different genres . Music magazines specifically can be purchased in
the same locations but also in stores that sell or are relevant to music. This costs the company money , to pay for the
printing but also paying the employees necessary to make it happen. The extreme use of paper makes print
magazines bad for the environment , there is also the glossy paper often used that makes them unable to be
recycled.
Younger people sometimes don’t enjoy having to go out and search for specific magazines in store , sometimes they
prefer to visit online websites for convenience.

4. NEGATIVES AND POSITIVES OF PRINT MAGAZINES :
POSITIVES :
• A really good choice for diversion (alone/me time).
• More immersive because you don’t have to zoom
or scroll like you do with digital magazines.
• Tends to be a lot more stable because it doesn’t
have constantly updating technology.
• Doesn’t have software that crashes.
• Editors don’t have to worry about their software
clashing with other’s during both distribution or
when the audience is accessing it on their devices.
• Has physical presence/you can hold and keep it,
which some people tend to enjoy more than on
their devices.
• Has the ability to draw in an older audience that
struggles to use the technology necessary to access
and read digital magazines.
• Easier to find companies to distribute your
magazine eg . stores because there are a lot more
options available to you .
• More respected overall .
Negatives :
• Struggles to attract a younger audience . Some younger
people tend to loose interest while reading large
bodies of text without the videos or other interactive
features you can get in digital magazines .
• Some people tend to dislike/have difficulty actively
seeking out magazines that interest them in stores, It is
sometimes easier to find their genre of magazine
online .
• It costs a lot more to print out and distribute hundreds
of thousands of copies worldwide than it is to create
one copy to distribute online to multiple websites .
• Many print magazines have a glossy cover which means
they cannot be recycled, therefore they are a lot less
eco-friendly.
• You have to pay a lot more employees for distribution
and printing with print magazines ,whereas digital
magazines require a lot less employees for distribution
and none for printing .

5. The dominant image consists of a profile shot
of a member in Metallica completely
invested in his performance. The use of a mid
shot brings the audience closer to the
musician , making a lot more personal . It
also uses low-key lighting to imitate a
spotlight on stage and increase the feeling
that this is a live performance. This is a non-
direct mode of address that establishes a
connection with the audience because it
creates the feeling of being onstage with the
artist performing live . Furthermore, it gives
them a feeling of close proximity they
wouldn’t experience somewhere else. This
will impact the audience because fans of
Metallica will most likely buy this magazine.
The dominant image overlaps the
masthead ,Indicating that this is a well
known magazine people recognize
instantly. Putting this magazine in a
position of power and subtly gaining
the respect of the audience .
According to the two step flow model
this means they are the opinion leader
. Furthermore , the audience will buy
this magazine specifically so they can
read their opinion on specific topics in
the music industry .
The main sell line links to the dominant
image , indicating to the audience instantly
that the focus of this issue will be Metallica
.The magazine uses a bold font in white on
purposefully to stand out against the dark
background and catch the audience’s eye.
However they have formatted the colour of
both the main sell line and the masthead to
appear faded/aged. This is a tribute to how
long the band has been around.
These are other sell lines that
advertise the other articles
within this magazine . It means
that even if the reader isn’t a
fan of Metallica, there are other
things that interest them . The
purpose of this is to interest as
many people as possible.
This running head is an indication
that this article is one of a kind . The
purpose of this is to entice is fans to
buy this magazine so they can this
exclusive information on their
favourite musicians. It connotes that
they wouldn’t find it in another music
magazine.

6. This is a skyline advertising even more features
inside this magazine . It is an indicator towards the
general age range and demographic of the audience
.
Audience profile :
Firstly , it is advertising posters of musicians which
is something teenagers tend to enjoy more than
any other age demographic as it helps them
construct their identity .This links to the fact the
psychographics of the audience are most likely
Explorers and Strugglers because of the magazine’s
age range which tends to read music magazines
more .
secondly , the use of slang terms such as ‘hella
mega’ is further indication that this magazine
attracts a younger age range , possibly 16-24
because it is inappropriate for anyone younger than
16 and too immature for most adults above
24.Therefore this tactic would be significantly less
successful for other ages . Furthermore , the
audience most likely belongs to the social grades E
up to C2 . This is because of the improper language
used as well as the fact that the price is £3.30 and
young people typically can’t afford expensive
magazines . People who work in higher social
grades tend to be an older and enjoy more mature
topics than the alternative music Kerrang favours.
Finally , the audience of this magazine is most likely
predominantly male based on the more masculine
colour scheme and the fact that the heavy metal
musician featured has a mainly male fan base.
The layout has multiple feature
overlapping each other to keep the
attention of the audience .Younger
people tend to have shorter attention
spans , therefore a more chaotic
layout has more success in getting
them to read the magazine/articles.
This essential info tells the audience the
prices, issue number and most
importantly it holds the barcode.
This is the subhead , it’s purpose is to
give the audience a teaser of the
article , enticing them into reading
the article and therefore successfully
getting them to buy the magazine
.The magazine has multiple pieces of
text (including the movie name) in
red, the contrast between the two
colours makes the movie name etc.
more eye catching and vice versa .
By making the movie name stand out
to fans the magazine is drawing their
attention towards that product ,
further enticing them to read the
article so they can find out about this
new content Metallica is releasing .

7. This is the running head ,it is
placed in the top corner by
the editor to catch the
audience’s attention as they
flick through the magazine. It
successfully catches their eye
and notifies them which
articles are the most
important . Further
supported by the use of
‘exclusive’. Another purpose is
to set it apart from other
magazines , creating a unique
selling point to convince
readers to buy this instead .
The layout of the article is a lot more picture heavy in comparison to the size/amount of columns, which alludes to this being aimed towards a
younger audience . The reasoning behind this is the fact that younger readers are a lot less likely to search through a large amount of text to find
the information they are looking for . Therefore , in order to work around this the editor uses a kicker (in a bold font) beneath the headline which
gives the essence of the article. The strapline also has the band’s name 'Green Day’ in a bold bright red font to contrast with the monochrome
colour scheme and catch a fan’s eye as they flick through the magazine . Secondly , there is a red drop cap which draws the audience’s attention
to the beginning of the article . As well as a bold pull quote from the lead singer in the kicker . All of this compensates for the shorter attention
span younger people tend to have by providing a large amount of information(for surveillance and social interaction) in a short space of time and
a smaller amount of text . The double paged spread will be a lot more successful because it provides the audience all of the necessary
information in a short period of time.
The background is a very light
grey/white for a contrast
which makes the band’s dark
clothing a lot more striking .
This contrast could be
symbolic of the music genre
they belong to .Alternative
musicians and its fans tend to
favour darker colours, making
them appeal a lot more to
magazine’s younger audience
in the double paged spread .
The ladder could have been
used in the image to make
the artists appear a lot more
urban to once again resonate
with younger people ,
despite being musicians from
an older era .

8. This is the dominant image , it captures
the band in a wide/mid-shot with
natural lighting .this specific camera
shot captures all three members while
also being close enough to show their
facial expressions and clothing style. It
acts as a tribute to how much they
have changed over the course of their
career. This is a small piece of fan
service for both the younger
audience(primary/ 16-24) and the
older audience (secondary /24+ )who
have watched green day develop over
the years . The positioning of the
members is a key indictor as to who the
main member is . Billie Joe is placed at
the centre of the v formation while also
being the only one to have a direct
mode of address via eye contact ,
putting him in a position of power in
comparison to the other members. The
magazine is using the main member of
the group to establish a connection
with the audience (especially fans)and
therefore entice them to read the
article so they can find out more about
Green Day.
The headline challenges codes and conventions by using three different fonts (one for each
word), this could be an attempts to appeal to reformers and explorers in the audience . It
also creates a visual hierarchy so the audience will see the colloquial term ‘hella ’ and then
‘good’, the most bold font will be seen first. The black colouring also contrasts to the
white/grey background to make it even more visible .This Is another attempt to catch the
audience’s attention and manipulate them into reading the double paged spread .
This is folio, it can
include issue
numbers,
websites or in this
case age numbers
. it organizes the
magazine and
allows the
audience to
navigate a lot
easier , making it
a more enjoyable
experience.

9. Digital magazines :Technical considerations :
• Some apps/devices don’t fully support digital magazines , which can cause issues with orientation and navigating . This
often ruins the experience for readers and makes the magazine less immersive .
• Some colours or fonts don’t translate properly into different software's.
• Options for digital distributions are limited because different companies use different programmes , if your software
clashes it can cause issues for how the magazine is displayed (especially if you want to be creative).
• How the reader will navigate e.g. skipping, scrolling and zooming.
• How audio/video will be displayed.
• Consider the possibility that videos or links provided in the magazine may be removed from the internet , which can
ruin the experience for readers and make it less immersive .
Distribution:
You can access digital magazines through online websites such as ‘Readly’ , Amazon and Barnes &Noble. Readers often
have to pay for a subscription to a specific website, it allows them to access multiple magazines within different
genres(including music) as well as past issues of that specific magazine. You most likely wouldn’t be able to buy past
versions of a magazine in store as they are continuously updated .this makes it easy to come find an issue you like online
whereas you may have lost an old print magazine. However ,options to distribute your magazine through are more
limited because a software can clash if you use something different to another company . This can ruin the experience
for the audience .

10. NEGATIVES AND POSITIVES OF DIGITAL MAGAZINES:
Positives :
• Easier to share online and discuss with others ,therefore it is
better with personal relationships and social interaction.
• Can attract a younger audience because it is a lot more
interactive with videos and sound etc. as well as being able
to access it from your mobile phone at home/work/school.
• More convenient because you don’t have to find the specific
magazine you like in store , digital magazines are a lot more
portable and don’t get damaged/ruined .
• Companies don’t lose profit from unsold copies distributed
like print magazines ,because they never had to spend
money on printing or shipping to different locations ..
• Better for the environment because it doesn’t use paper,
which is a popular topic as of late . Which means more
people will buy digital for that reason alone .
• More memorable(videos/sound/links) and easy to come
back to/read again.
• Can keep up with increasing demand for content because it
is more fast paced .
• Companies can make a lot of money from advertising
products on the websites people use to access the
magazines.
• Makes a number of people lose their jobs.
• Has to deal with possible software crashes while audience are
reading , this can ruin the experience.
• You can’t read them without access to a stable wi-fi connection.
• Digital is less engaging because of the number of ads and the
audience having to scroll and zoom while navigating through the
magazine. This ruins the experience for some readers .
• Navigating the internet to find and read the digital magazine may
confuse readers , especially an older audience.
• A less respected source overall compared to print magazines .
• Less options to distribute because different companies use different
software , meaning if your software clashes with the website’s it
can cause issues with interactive features such as losing secondary
source files and the videos/audios being removed from the internet
.The experience is further ruined by possible page
orientation/navigating errors caused by the clashing software.
• Furthermore , some devices or apps don’t fully support the
magazines. This means that some buttons/features won’t link up
properly, causing navigation issues the audience wouldn't’t
experience in a print magazine .
Negatives :

11. The dominant image is a long shot of
Billie Eilish , the image is taken on a tilt.
This has connotations of being unusual
and makes the audience feel
disorientated . The setting has a detailed
mise-en-scene consisting of what is most
likely a bedroom with low-key lighting
from a pair of blinds on a window(both are
outside of the shot) . This setting looks like
it was once glamorous , but it is now in
disarray . The lighting from the blinds has
connotations of prison bars , making the
artist look trapped/imprisoned within the
room .furthermore , the magazine has
taken the image this way in order to
intrigue the audience . It makes them
wonder why Billie Eilish appears trapped
and makes them feel compelled to read
the magazine in order to find out .
This unusual outlay is also a reference to
the artist’s style of music , which(similar to
this magazine) is also unusual and
unconventional compared to others in the
music industry, this draws in fans of Eilish
because it makes her instantly
recognizable on the front cover .The
magazine is challenging codes and
conventions of music magazines by having
such a detailed mise-en-scene in deep
focus instead of focusing on just the
musician .
Eilish is making eye contact with the
audience which is a direct mode of address
. The fact that she is eye level makes you
feel as if you are in the room with her . This
is a marketing technique used in music
magazines (and magazines in general) to
establish a connection between the
audience/fans and the artist. The purpose
of this is to increase the probability of
them buying the magazine .
The masthead is in a bold white font , this
specific font makes the magazine have a
retro feeling to it . The audience then
trusts and respects this magazine a lot
more because it appears older and
therefore it must be run by a successful
company .’Rolling Stones ‘ then becomes a
successful opinion leader that can
influence the audience because their
opinion on specific musicians is respected
.
The magazine is challenging codes and
conventions by not including the
essential information on the front
cover .This makes the audience have
to pick the magazine up and pay
attention to it to check the price .

12. This is the main sell line , it tells the audience what the
main story of this issue is . The text has is in a bold white
font to contrast with the shadowy background and catch
the audience’s attention towards the artists name , making
it more likely for people to buy .The colour white has
connotations of innocence , which contrasts to the theme
of being imprisoned . But it also has connotations to
something clinical , such as a mental hospital which means
it could also be hinting towards insanity . Which is a theme
Eilish hints towards frequently in her music , this could be
an small link for fans of her work to recognize .Fans are
more likely to pay attention to this cover specifically
because it is an accurate representation of the musician
they may not find in another magazine.
The magazine is challenging codes and
conventions by only using one image , the
dominant image of Billie Eilish .Magazines
, especially the music genre, tend to use
sub images on front covers as well in
order to advertise other features(e.g.
Another musician ).This draws the
audience’s attention on just one artist ,
indicating to them that this artist is very
successful/important. The magazine may
draw in more readers if their primary
audience is a large fanbase .
These are other sell lines which
advertise other articles in the
magazine .This ensures that even if a
person isn’t interested in Billie Eilish
then there is another topic or musician
that will encourage them to buy this
magazine . It is a technique which
ensures this magazines appeals to as
many people as possible .
The text is formatted to be tilted , this ties into the
dominant image .The magazine is also challenging
code and conventions by having the subhead
positioned beside the main sell line .Typically it
would be positioned beneath the main sell line
and it gives the essence of the article to intrigue
the audience . By challenging the codes and
conventions the magazine is not only linking to the
artist and setting itself apart form competitors,
but also drawing in certain psychographics . Such
as reformers (people who actively seek change
and protest restrictions ) as well as strugglers ,
who can often belong to the younger generation
but are also frequently disorganized .Similar to the
setting of the dominant image .The subhead has
one word underlined , creating a visual hierarchy
to draw the audience’s attention to the word
‘weird’ before anything else .Indicating that
‘weird’ is a key theme of the article .

13. The double paged spread is following codes and
conventions typical of a music magazine by
using features such as a drop cap , a head line
and a pull quote. It is also following codes and
conventions because the layout has much larger
columns than the images used in the top left .
Therefore there is much more text than image.
By following the codes and conventions the
article will attract an older audience ,this is
because the large columns of text are a more
mature feature .People from an older age
demographic are much more likely to read
through this article because they have a much
higher attention span, they will overall be more
patient to search through the text to find
information. In comparison to younger people
who prefer a lot of information condensed into
smaller columns .
The double paged spread has a very monochrome colour scheme , with the exception of small bursts of colour in one
image and the highlight . This represents the documentary advertised in the article itself, which looks back on numerous
older artists throughout the country’s musical history .However , the monochrome makes the double paged spread seem
much more mature than if it were colourful . This links back to the older target audience the double paged spread is
trying to attract .

14. This is the dominant image , it is a
black and white long shot that
reflects back on Johnny cash’s
career. It depicts him creating
music in his youth and paying
tribute to his career .The image
replicates being in the room with
the artist .The sub images are also
of famous artists from the past .
The images are laid out to imitate
a collage or a photo album a family
would have , it makes the audience
feel reminiscent. These
connotations make the article feel
more personal. Furthermore , the
people in the images aren’t
making eye contact with the
audience , which is a none direct
mode of address. The
metaphorical distance between
the artists and the audience is
symbolic of the fact that these
images are from the past .Despite
the space between the two , the
magazine still establishes a
connection with the audience by
creating a feeling of nostalgia and
allowing them relive/experience
past events .
This is the headline , it is
formatted into a bold and black
font to contrast with the white
background and catch the
audience’s eye as they flick
through. The headline provides
the audience with a very brief
idea of what the article is about .
This is the strapline , it is placed
underneath the headline and it’s
purpose is to give the audience the
essence of the article . This entices
them into reading on .In this case it
is advertising a product and is
forcing the audience to read the
article in order to find out more
information .
This is the drop cap , it stands
out to the audience
immediately and indicates to
them where the article (or
certain sections) begins . It
subtly draws their attention to
the article so they are more
likely to read but it also allows
them to navigate the page
easily and provides a much
more pleasant experience
while reading .
This a pull quote , it
provides the audience with
a second opinion or extra
information related to the
article . Its makes it more
credible/believable because
the author is providing
more than one point of
view.
This is folio , it provides information such as page
numbers or a website. It allows the audience to
navigate through the magazine with ease, allowing
them to find which article they want a lot quicker .
They make the audience enjoy the magazine a lot
more , therefore they are more likely to read on . If it
was a hard to navigate they wouldn’t continue reading
and the magazine and it would be a lot less successful .
The article’s layout is
structured into columns ,
with ally's in between each
one . This structure allows
the article to appear more
organized , mature and
easy to navigate .it impacts
the audience because it
makes for a more positive
experience while reading
and creates a positive
impression . They are more
likely to buy this music
magazine in particular
again because they have a
more immersive experience
reading .
There are multiple drop
caps throughout the article
to indicate where the
different sections of the
article begin.

15. Audience profile :
I believe that digital magazines(including the music genre) have a target audience between
16-24 , their primary audience is younger because it is online . The younger generations will
find it a lot easier to navigate the internet in order to access digital magazines . They also
prefer to access information via technology such as their mobile phone . Whereas the older
generation(24+) are the secondary audience because they will most likely enjoy a magazine
with physical presence .
the psychographics attracted to digital magazines are most likely reformers an explores
because digital magazines are a more modern concept compared to print . Therefore those
two will be more wiling to break societal norms .the social grades this magazine will attract
will most likely be E to C2 because they have younger readers who will be unemployed , a
student or have a job lower down in ranks . It could be a mixture of a few of those ,but they
will most likely not be able to afford expensive subscriptions necessary to access certain
websites that provide digital magazines. Students will make up a large percentage of the
audience because they fit into the age range and will most likely belong to one of the two
mentioned psychographics as well as the social grades .
Digital magazines have an overall gender neutral audience , this is because the alternative
music genre tends to attract a more masculine audience overall . However the rolling stones
magazine tends to feature a more diverse range of musicians that would attract a female
audience such as Billie Eilish . There is also the fact that younger female fans tend to be more
invested into the lives/careers of their favourite musicians .