This document provides planning and research for a music magazine production project. It includes details on the preliminary front cover task such as creating the layout, adding images and text. Research is also presented on music genres to determine the target genre for the magazine. Statistics show that rock music has the largest market share, making it a good genre choice. Details on the established rock magazine Kerrang are also given to aid in planning. The target audience for the magazine is identified as males ages 15+ based on Kerrang's readership demographics.

1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
Planning & Research
Name: Emily Vaughan
Candidate Number: 3147
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Set Brief - Print
Music Magazine – Production
Preliminary Task Progression and
Planning & Research

2. Section 1) –
Preliminary Task

3. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Front Cover
Step-by-step

4. In this work I had to create a
transparent template with a
header at the top with the St.
Andrews logo and a blue top
with yellow underneath as this
fits my colour scheme In my
magazine and I created a
stroke by selecting blending
options then stroke which
creates a boarder between the
blue and yellow ad I created
one around the St. Andrews
logo which means it stands out
more.

5. To create this I had to select
the gradient tool on Photoshop
and create a new layer which
had the background gradient
on it then I h to select the blue
colour but not make it too dark
so you can still see text on the
page so it starts a bit lighter
then the top this makes the
page more appealing as it has
more colour and looks much
more interesting.

6. To create this image I had to
create a new layer saying main
image and the I dragged I this
image of a teacher and I used
the quick selection tool to select
the image then I press refine
edge ad I selected overlay this
meant it was much easier to edit
as the background hen re so it
was easier for me to edit the
picture then I used the brush tool
and by using black I could reveal
the image and using white I
concealed the image so I only
selected that part. After this I
inverted the image so that it
selected the background a delete
it.

7. To create this text I
created a new layer and
put it under the main
image so that the main
image stood out. I
created the text big so
that it could be seen
more clearly and I made
sure it was white so it
stands out so if you were
in a shop you would see
the comparison of white
to the blue which
catches peoples eyes
more then colours like
black.

8. In this step I have started to
create the barcode which
means in shops they can
scan the magazine to show it
has gone. In order to do this
I created a shape are
selected white then I turned
the shape around so it was
portrait and selected the
blending options stroke and
choose a small size so there
was a small outline.

9. To complete the next part of
the barcode I found a good
barcode which was longer
and pressed place then I
found the barcode in my
folders and it placed the
image on the document so I
turned it around so it was
portrait and moved it into
the shape in order to change
the size I pressed control
then I held down shift down
and made the barcode
smaller by pressing shift it
meant the image still had
good quality.

10. In this part I added text
to the barcode and
made it bold so it stood
out more and wrote
“Issue 1 November
2016” I put this on the
bottom of the barcode
so people know what
issue it is if they have
lots of the magazine I
turned this so it was
portrait so it fitted in
my barcode. I also
added a line either side
of my barcode which
makes it look better
quality as it has good
finish and looks more
professional.

11. To finish off the barcode I added
social media links this is good for
a school magazine as teenagers
are increasingly getting more
social media so I put on the
twitter, Instagram and Facebook
logos. This means that people
con connect with the school and
see any thing they could be
involved in. Furthermore, I
added the name of the social
media so people know where to
find the school and the email in
case anyone wants to get in
contact with people in the
school.

12. In this I added the logo of a
bus company so I can write
some cover lines of thigs
which the magazine is going to
cover this is good as it means
that people know which bus
company the magazine is
talking about. To do this I
pressed place and resized the
image.

13. In this image I added a
shape which was a circle
and selected it to be
yellow using the paint
bucket tool and I created
this to the size I wanted
and pressed blending
options stroke and set a
higher size so it outlined
the shape much more as
it was going to be a puff
promotion.

14. In this step I added the
word “WIN” in capitals
as it stands out more as
it is my puff promotion
so people can see it
more clearly which
might make them buy
the magazine as it has a
competition. I created a
stroke around the word
in white which makes it
stand out more as the
text is blue which
means peoples eyes are
drawn to it even more.

15. In this I added text to the puff
promotion saying “6 MONTH
SPOTIFY ACCOUNT” this is
good as lots of teenagers use
Spotify to listen to music so
it’s a good prize I put this
inside the circle and made it
dark blue so it stood out
against the yellow and I added
the Spotify logo so that people
can see the brand more so
they want to carry on reading
the magazine.

16. In this slide I added the main
title which says “A* grade
workshop with Mr crafts!”
this is good as it is in big
writing and it says “A*”
which draws students in as
they want to have good
grades so they could go to
the workshop and as it
doesn’t specify what its for
which means people read
the magazine for further
information.

17. In this page I have added the
strapline this promotes the
magazine as it demonstrates
that it’s a school magazine as it
motivates the students so they
do well on their work. I used
“engage together, strive for
success” this connotes that
students and teachers should
work together and strive for
the best and to become the
best people they can be by
being kind and thinking of
others.

18. In this I added sub stories which
appealed to students as it has
relatable things for sixth formers.
For example “ Bus prices increase
by double!” this illustrates why
the prices have increased which
people will want to know about.
Other things which interest
people is the fashion tips for
sixth formers and trips like safe
drive stay alive. Finally, I used a
rhetorical question which is
“who is student of the month?”
this makes readers want to get
the magazine as it is a question
so people are not sure who is the
student of the month.

19. I have added a rectangle
on the magazine with an
stroke in yellow around
the edge so it matches
the rest of the magazine
and the shape is dark
blue so it matches the
logo and banner as the
background is white at
the bottom so it stands
out more.

20. I have added writing in
the rectangle which says
“A grade tips for GCSE A-
level success” this
stands out as the “A”
has a bigger text size so
it stands out more as it
is the most important
part. This matches the
magazine as it has the
same colour scheme so
it don’t reinvent the
wheel.

21. I added photos on this by
pressing file place and
selecting the images and
then I used the magic
wand tool to get rid of the
background and I changed
the size by pressing
command T so I could
make them smaller then I
moved them so they were
near their stories.

22. In order to complete the
magazine I changed the font
type as it didn’t stand out
much and I made the text
bold so it stood out even
more. Then I spread some
of the letters out so it want
so stuck together and it
filled the magazine so it
looks more striking .
Furthermore, I made the
star on the A yellow so it
stood out more as the rest
of the text is white. Finally, I
added a stroke to some of
the text so it stood out
more.

23. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Contents Page
Step-by-step

24. To create my contents
page I added a gradient o
my background and I
added the header to the
page so it matches with
the front cover this
means they can look
similar. I also have added
a bleed so when I add
text and shapes it is
equal.

25. I took my main image
for my contents page
and I pressed file place
and then I pressed
command T then I
resized the image. Also,
I added text and added
a stroke around the
outside in blue and the
text was white.

26. In this I used the
bleed to make sure
the lines were
straight and
organized then I
added shapes in
yellow to organize
the page more into
sections.

27. I added a curved shape at
the top connected to the
header in yellow so it
matched. Also, I added
“WIN 6 MONTH SPOTIFY
ACCOUNT” in bold letters
so it stood out and in
capitals then I added a
white stroke around the
blue letter so it matched
my colour scheme and I
placed the spofify logo so
people noticed its brand.
This is a good puff
promotion as lots of
students use spotify.

28. I added the issue not by
creating a white circle in
shapes and then adding
dark blue letters which say
“issue 001” this is good as it
“informs and
educates”(Katz) so the
reader knows what issue it
is so they have the most up-
to-date issue. I also added
white lines to make it more
athletically pleasing.

29. I added the editorial image
here and the text to tell you a
bit about the editor and what
they are doing and then I
added white text with the
social media and email link
with space to add the name of
the magazine.

30. I have added The title
“FEATURES” on the contents
page which is white so it
stands out compared to the
blue background and it has a
dark blue stroke which
means it can stand out more.
I have added the social media
logos which added brand
identity meaning that
students are drawn to this as
they use it quite a lot.

31. I have added the page
numbers here where I will
put sublines of several
pages and descriptions of
what has happened in the
magazine. To create this I
added a dark blue shape to
match the colour scheme
and I added a white
number on top so its very
clear. At the bottom right
had side there is also the
page number so the
magazines organised.

32. I added a photo taken of the
668 bus which is the school
bus as it relates to the stories
in my magazine and there is a
picture of the front of the
school with the chapel
showing it’s a Catholic School
and there are sixth formers
walking into sixth form.

33. I added the Sublines to
finish the features with
the features on the front
of my magazine the
subline is good as it
means students can get
a short description of
each page so they know
what is happening and
which pages they want
to see the most.
Furthermore I added the
signature to the editorial
which makes it more
personal.

34. I added the name of
the magazine in the
gaps which has a stoke
so it matches my
magazine name so its
consistent throughout
and it makes it more
interesting and
detailed.

35. Lastly, I have added the
school website to the
bottom right hand side
so people know where
to find the school if they
need information even
though its in the
editorial it means that is
more clear if students
are looking for it.

36. Section 2) – Log Book

37. This connotes that rock is the biggest genre of music as 34.8% of the music
market is taken over by it with the next lowest being R and B which is only 17.5%
of the market share this demonstrated that when I choose my own magazine I
should choose a rock magazine as it should be the most popular magazine type.
During 2013 Rock
was the most
popular genre of
magazine again this
highlights that
there is a trend
demonstrating that
rock is always
popular which
emphasis that I
should do a rock
magazine like
Kerrang! as it
should be popular
as shown in the
statistics
throughout the
whole page.
This pie chart is from 2009 so it is 7 years old but it
demonstrates that the trend for rock has increased as in 2009
it was 25.% and it has increased in 2013 to 33.8% which
illustrates that the demand for rock in market share is
increasing so it is the most successful out of all the genres.
This further
demonstrates how
rock is always the
most popular genre
of music so the
magazine being
rock will ensure it
has the most
market share as the
next lowest is 8%
less then the next
lowest genre of
music.
Music Magazine – Genre research

38. References
• Graph 1 -https://www.statista.com/chart/1783/album-
sales-in-the-us-by-genre/
• Pie Chart 2:
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/04/07/most-
popular-music-genres-america/
• Chart 3:
https://musicandcopyright.wordpress.com/2010/08/11
/pop-is-still-king-of-the-world’s-music-genres/
• Chart 4:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/188910/us-music-
album-sales-by-genre-2010/

39. This depicts the amount of people who are
buying Kerrang! magazine which is
illustrated in ages and parts of the county
so we know how many people are buying
the magazine this means I know how to
appeal to my target audience at its adults
15+ with 673 thousand and more men
with 362 thousand compared to the 292
thousand women who have the magazine.
Also the magazine should appeal to ABC1
adults with 369 thousand people buying
the magazine so it should appeal to them.
This demonstrates Kerrang! is one
of the most popular magazines as it
was top on a list of magazines
which shows rock is very popular
on the list of magazines.
This statement emphasis how
important Kerrang! is in the music
industry being one of the biggest
rock magazines In the Uk.http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/uk-magazine-combined-printdigital-sales-
figures-first-half-2014-complete-breakdown/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/413642/kerrang-monthly-reach-uk/

40. Established Magazine for my Research
Pull Quote: In comic style
writing in speech bubbles with
a black outline around them so
the text stands out more and
its in red writing which
demonstrates something bad
has happened .
Main image: The picture is
in the middle and has hands
over their mouth so it draws
the reader in because they
can see he has done
something bad and as he
has his mouth open which
means it stands out from
other magazines. Also
because its Robbie Williams
it adds “star appeal”
(Richard Dyer) as he is the
only one on the front cover
it means more people are
attracted as the image
stands out.
Main Headline : Different
text styles and colours make
the magazine stand out and
emphasis that something
bad has happened.
Cover lines: Down the right
hand side some text is bigger
and some is smaller to show
the selling points of the
magazine and names of
celebrities in bold dark
colours so people know what
the most important things in
the magazine are.
The Masthead and strapline
: is grey with black, red and
white writing which makes
you look at the white writing
saying “All the backstage
drama” which makes you
want to read on to see if
there is drama and gossip .
Main image: The red on the
t-shirt matches the logo and
some of the writing so it
stands out from other
magazines. Which connotes
something bad has
happened as red symbolises
death.

41. Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic
needs
The target audience of the Q magazine is the older generation from middle aged
about 30-40 years old. The target audience is usually targeted to men of middle-
class and upper class such as A and B of he socio-economic needs which is higher
management and middle management. Furthermore, according to Maslow's
Hierarchy of Needs they are care givers as the consumers are emotionally
engaged and subjective to the subject matter and in Katz’ Uses and Gratifications
theory the reader can have personal identification and a personal relationship
with the writer because of the issues discussed and the subject matter so they
could have gone through the same struggles so they can immerse them self's with
the text.
What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is personal
stories with celebrities who have all sorts of things in life with both good and bad
situations and pictures of the celebrities throughout there lives as they have detailed
interviews which is shown on the front cover through the selling lines and through the
main image as it shows Robbie is surprised so it makes you wonder what he has done
through the star appeal (Richard Dyer) of the magazine.

42. Publisher Research
Q’s publisher is Bauer they are the number one selling magazine in the United Kingdom along with one of the
most successful media company's in the world . More then 600 magazines, over 400 digital products and 100
radio and TV stations reach millions of people around the globe. The company have a huge portfolio with
printing company's , postal services , fields of distribution , marketing and media sales. (from Bauer media
website) The turnover is 2 billion euros . Moreover, the slogan is “We think popular “ is used to motivate
workers for its 11,000 employees in its 20 separate countries this connotes that Bauer strive for the best in
becoming the biggest publisher in many countries and is demonstrates their aim is to sell the most magazines.
Bauer magazines publish more then 570 magazines around 20 different countries some of Bauer's top
magazines are in touch, closer, life and style and Q magazine. The magazine is sold in retail outlets in shops
such as WH-Smiths, supermarkets and newsagents but one of the biggest places to get magazines is online
subscriptions which are sent to your house. But one trend which has been going up is reading magazines on
smartphones and tablets as its much cheaper and quicker then having a real life copy of the magazine this has
meant that thee need for paper copies has gone down (shown in the diagram below)
Reference

43. Main Image: There is a picture
of a person in the middle
which is big appeals to the
audience as its centred which
denotes you can see who the
main focus is in the article
which draws peoples attention
then there magazines as it just
has one big picture.
Masthead: The logo is
white compared to the
black background as they
are opposite colours
connotes that they want
the logo stand out more
so you know what
magazine is .
Anchorage text/Main
headline: There is a
rhetorical question so it
makes you want to read
on in the article to see if
he is the god of rock. This
is also in a different colour
to the name of the band
to draw in attention.
Puffs: The five posters is in
different colours again to
demonstrate how many
different things there are in
the magazine with 5 small
pictures down the left hand
side to emphasis the
magazine is packed full of
different rock stars.
Cover lines: The plus near the
bottom is white with red
coming out of I to draw you
to it to connote how much
there is in the magazine.
Cover lines: The writing
at the right down the
edge is separated in to 4
to emphasis the amount
of material the magazine
covers which is a lot and
all the sentences have an
exclamation mark or a
question mark to make
you want to carry on
reading.
Conventions of a Music Magazine

44. Target Audience
The target audience of the magazine according too Hartley's 7 subjectives is young adults about
17-24 and the gender is both females and males but mostly males who enjoy rock music the are
usually middle class and British the sort of person is rocky and goth like most of the audience is
British/Americans. This is because they magazine is too expensive for students then students
cant afford it. The consumers read this because of diversion like competitions which is part of
Katz uses and gratifications theory.
People who enjoy bands are the target audience as they want to see when concerts are on and
the posters in the magazines they can relate to the characters music and the magazine is there to
tell your more about their favorite singers and relate to there situation as according to Maslow's
Hierarchy of needs the consumers of Kerrang! is explores influenced by social change. Also ABC1
from socio-economic needs like doctors, teachers, junior managers because of the magazine
being more expensive so only older people can afford it rather then teenagers.
What is the USP of this magazine?
The unique selling point of the magazine is the cover lines which include posters to put in your
house/ wall which is good for their target audience as its teenagers who enjoy posters and
decorating there walls as they are just growing up and have idols so they know they can strive for
things when they are older and it makes them want to pursue there dreams. The posters are
famous rock stars so this makes tem want to purchase the magazine as it shows pictures on the
front to make people want to purchase it more. Further more the magazines include
competitions which is a type of puff promotion as people purchase the magazine to win tickets
to gigs.

45. Publisher research
The publisher of Kerrang! magazine is Bauer who are also the publishers of another 570 magazines “
foundered thirty-four years ago, an event that was seismic as events go within the publishing industry, let
alone music, today we’re a magazine.” Bauer media group also have things such as a TV channel and a TV
show. Bauer media group say “ and we’re a tour” the most popular music magazine is Kerrang! this is
mainly because they have made a radio station which means the magazine has a very large subscription
and following. The magazine can be purchased in newsagents and WH-smiths but it can also be brought
from subscriptions online.
The slogan is “we think popular” which demonstrates how hard Bauer work to be the biggest they can be
which is why the Bauer media group have different parts like TV ,radio and magazines. This denotes hat
Kerrang! magazine should get much bigger as Bauer aim for to be big and become very popular.
The target audience is around 17-24 years old and the socio-economic needs are ABC1 which is higher
management, middle management and the sort of people who work in an office and in the Maslow's
hierarchy of need they are explorers as they are influenced by social change. Also the target audience are
very dedicated to band members and concerts so Bauer putting competitions for gigs means the
magazine is more popular because of fans being so dedicated.
Bauer was foundered in 1875 and is now in the fifth generation of ownership and it is in 19 countries with
11,000 employees and the company reach 25 million consumers they are Britons biggest publisher with
starting the radio station in 1990 they claim their aim is “To connect audiences with excellent content
through our broad multi-touchpoint brand platforms. Wherever, whenever and however they want” this
means people are treated fairly no matter their sexuality, gender, marital status, age, race, colour,
nationality, ethnic origin, religion, disability. This demonstrates how hard Bauer work to make sure
customers needs are met.