The document provides information about an upcoming Year 11 examination on music magazines. It will involve a 1.5 hour exam with 4 questions - 2 on music magazine theory and 2 related to designing a new music magazine concept. Students will receive a brief 4 weeks prior with exam content hints. Theory questions may address issues like relevance of print press or gender/ethnicity in the music industry. Design questions require describing a new magazine idea and creating a front cover/homepage design. The exam aims to analyze conventions of magazine covers and compare print/online content. Key points are also provided on magazine and website design terminology.

1. Year 11 Examination 2013

2. The Exam
1 hr 30mins
4 Questions to answer
2 Questions on the theory behind Music Press. 2
Questions based on your own Pitch.

3. The Brief
4 weeks before your exam you will get a brief from
the exam board and this will hint at the content of the
exam
For those 4 weeks we will only be able to give you
guidance and not teach you from then on.

4. 2 Questions on Theory?
These are hinted at through the Brief. It could be
something based on the issues of:
Relevance of the Music Press
Issues of targeting Young People
Relevance of Print Press
How to make money from Online Versions
Gender and Ethnicity issues in the Music Industry
Stereotypes and Genre

5. My Pitch?
These questions will ask you to do two very clear things:
1.Describe your idea for a new/rebranding of a Music
Magazine
2.Design your front cover/Home Page

7. Key Points from the Exam Board
You should be able to:
1.Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a
music magazine. Discuss their effect on the target
audience.
2.Compare the content of a print publication with the
online equivelant.

8. Where do we find out about music
from?
Music Magazines? Friends? • itunes Genius
Magazine Websites? Going to Gigs? • Spotify
• Soundcloud
Youtube? Myspace? • Adverts
Facebook? Charts? • Tv Programmes
Twitter? Fan Sites? • Apps
Radio? Chatrooms?

9. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
Changes in where we find out
about music
We don’t look at Print based media for our info as
much any more. Only 2 people out of 3 classes used
them.
We like the immediacy of the internet
Apps like Shazam mean we can hear a song and link
straight to on youtube or buy it on itunes.
Not interested in Music journalist as we can just read
comments on youtube.

10. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
NME Magazine
Started in 1952 and continues today.
Went through a lot of changes since it started
Changes to suit the music interests at the time.
During the 60’s and 70’s it was the source of all
respected music journalism. The journalists were rock
stars along with the musicians they followed
Biased accounts of music and artists they didn’t like
During the 80’s it became more commercial using
artists they knew would sell on the cover.
Still going today because it understands it’s audience.
Has become less biased.

11. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
Smash Hits Magazine
Started in 1978 and ended in 2006
Established by Nick Logan the ex editor of NME.
Primary audience was always females
Began to decline in 1990’s when Top Of the Pops
magazine came out and the rise of Gossip magazines
which featured soap and film stars
Used to be for teens. When younger girls became
interested in the magazine their older sisters stopped
buying because they felt it was no longer cool.
It could not change to keep up with the demand
without changing it’s focus and lost out on market
shares to gossip magazines such as Heat and Now!

12. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
What does this tell us?
Music Press need to change to suit the audience
Audiences demand more than just hearing about
music careers
The change in culture means that the press must
evolve along with them.

13. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
You Do…
Consider why Music Press have set up legitimate
websites that match, in places, the content of the
magazines.
What do you think this has helped to prevent?

14. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
Magazine Terminology
 Masthead Name of the Magazine Headline Main Story in the
magazine
 Buzz Word “Wow”, “Exclusive”, “Free”
Caption Description of an image
are all examples of this.
 Puff Colourful boxes promoting
features inside the magazine Drop Capital Really big letter;
starts off an article
 Pug Placed at the top left and right hand corners of the
paper and are known as the ‘ears’ of the page. The
price of the paper, the logo or a promotion are often Banner Text, which stands out because it’s on
positioned there a coloured background.. Runs along
top or bottom of the cover.
 House Style A magazine’s distinctive design
that distinguishes it from its Strapline A Motto
competitors
 Copy Text used either inside or Sell line Text on the cover that helps to sell
the magazine to the audience.
out the magazine
 Lead The introductory paragraph of Anchorage Text
an article. Usually written in The way in which text helps to
bold or capitals. pin down the meaning of a
picture and vice versa

15. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
Banner
Sell line
Anchorage
Text

16. Headline Drop Capital
Lead
Copy

17. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
Website Terminology
Navigation
key terminology that simply refers to the process of working
Microsites
– cross between landing pages and front pages, often
through a web page or website, thus revealing its content. containing their own domain name. They ‘extend’ the user
Primary navigation refers to user interaction with the main experience and relate indirectly to the front page.
section of the site.
Landing Pages Interstitials
are where you literally ‘land’ after clicking on a link from the Front similar to Microsites they are adverts that load between two
Page. Often there are less graphic design considerations on a content pages (a Pop Up is an Interstitial). They draw an above
landing page than a front page. average amount of response and resentment.
Homepage Banner
simply refers to the main page of the a long, horizontal, online advert usually found
website running across the top of a page in a fixed placement.
Splash Pages Skyscraper
are a graphic introduction that directs you to the front page, often a long, vertical online advert (resembling a Skyscraper)
using Flash animation. Market research suggests some Splash usually found running down the side of a page in a fixed
Pages often alienate and frustrate the user in terms of time and placement.
the need for simplicity.
Jump Pages Overlayz
are pages that suddenly appear that have not been requested by a quirky graphic design that takes over the whole pag
the user. The obvious example is a piece of advertising that you when clicked on
have to navigate through or in some circumstances, close the
website down to remove.
Rich Media – where as many interactive and audio-visual elements are used to give richer content and a richer
experience for the user e.g. watch a film, play a game, listen to audio. It is a form of convergence.

18. 1. Analyse the generic conventions of the front cover of a music magazine. Discuss
their effect on the target audience.
Navigation Homepage Banner
Rich Media Skyscraper