The document provides details on the planning and research for a music magazine front cover and contents page project. It describes the step-by-step process taken to create the front cover, including adding graphics, images, and text. It also outlines the steps to create the contents page layout. Research is presented on established music magazines like Q and Billboard to identify conventions and the target audiences. Key points about the publishers and statistical information about circulation and readers are also summarized.

1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
Planning & Research
Name: Imani Ayimba-Golding
Candidate Number: 1012
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
1. I created a gradient background and I added the masthead with a drop shadow.
2. I created a shape at the top of the page and added the web address, the logo,
the date and the price.
3. Then I used the quick selection tool to cut Louise out of the background and
placed heron the page. I also added the strapline.
4. I then added the main headline.
5. Next I added the sublines and placed them around the main image. I also added
the issue number.
6. To add detail I then placed pictures, a puff promotion, the barcode and an
‘exclusive’ box.
7. Then I added more pictures and another subline.
8. Finally I added social media icons to the barcode and the final subline.

8. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Contents Page
Step-by-step
1. I created the title and dragged the shape from the front cover onto the
contents page.
2. I then added the logo, the date, issue and name of the magazine.
3. Next I added shapes to break the page and the editorial title
4. I then added the feature pictures and placed them
5. Next I added the feature headlines
6. I then added the features with their sublines.
7. Next I added pictures to go with the features
8. Finally I added the editorial which included the content the picture the
editorials information and signature.

13. Section 2) – Log Book

14. Music Magazine – Genre research
Top of the Pops Billboard NME- article from the guardian Billboard

15. Established Magazine for my Research
Masthead
Main image- bold, drawing in
the audience.
Main headline- used a pull
quote to give the
audience a taster of what
the interview outlines
Barcode/price/date/issue
Cover lines- outlines
what's coming up in the
magazine
Promotional- by
highlighting the
anniversary it draws
attention to the issue
Strapline – The verbal code
“discover” connotes that
the magazine gives you
something to explore.

16. Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs
The general target audience for Q magazine is mostly young adults especially males who are interested in
alternative music and purchasing CDs/albums. The statistics also show that 83.8% of the readers are 15-44
years of age (Hartley's seven subjectivities). This shows Q’s ability to make the magazine appeal to a wide range
of ages and social groups. This particular issue however shows that the target audience may be a wider group
of people. The Q readership profile states that 71.8% of readers are in the A B and C1 profiles. Katz – e.g.
‘inform and educate’ (Katz); MASLOW – ‘social climbers’; ‘explorers’. This would appeal to social climbers as
people that are into this genre of music strive to be like the people they look up to in society, in this situation
the artists in the magazine. People seek someone to represent themselves in a media, for example associating
themselves artists and connecting with their perspective.
What is the USP of this magazine?
I think that the USP is the fact that this issue of the Q magazine is a collectors
issue therefore targets a specific audience. The people who are regular
readers of this magazine would be more tempted to buy this particular issue.
http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/uploads/q.pdf

17. Publisher research
Q was founded in 1986 by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were
dismayed by by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a
generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new
technology. Q was first published by the EMAP media group in October 1986.
Q is published by Bauer Media, a media company that manages a portfolio if
magazines, digital products, radio and television stations in local markets
across the world.
The magazine mainly focuses on up coming rock and roll artists, however
occasionally features other genres. Readers are mainly young adults who can
afford to buy the magazine each month.
Q magazine has around 339,000 readers and 48,353 copies were distributed
between January and July 2014.
Most of the readers rate Q magazine very highly and in research it
outperforms competitors on things like best interviews and award winning
photography.

18. Conventions of a Music Magazine
Main image- focal point of
the front cover. Stance of
the artist suggests power
Logo- gives brand
recognisability, but also the
change in the original colour
shows artist originality.
Cover lines- advertises other
articles that feature in the
magazine.
Main Heading- bold so
catches readers eye. Use of
the artists name draws
attention to the magazine.
The colour pink links in with
the logo.

19. Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs
The target audience of Billboard magazine ranges from 16 year olds to young adult's around the age of 25. This is
because it provides the reader with the latest updates of the charts but also a variety of music from other genres,
especially Hip Hop and RnB. Advertising behaviorist models of human behavior Audiences are active in choosing media
for their own ‘gratifications’ (pleasure) Links to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Developed by Blumler & Katz Main
reasons for using media: Personal Identity – to define who we are (sometimes called self-surveillance) Information
Entertainment – includes escape, distraction Social Interaction – to help us socialize with like-minded people. In most
magazines the main image and sell-line/anchor text in the left hand third use Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications
theory by placing a celebrity who is a popular role model for the target audience of teenage girls as the main focus of
the magazine. The target audience is likely to have identify with the celebrity and her gender. pull quote emphasizes
individuality (as a trend setter) which emphasizes use as a role model that the target demographic is likely to want to
'use' to make decisions for their own fashion choices.
What is the USP of this magazine?
From the research completed into this media product, I think the Unique
Selling Point of the magazine is that it features many different genres of
music, this appeals to a wider range of people therefore increasing sales and
profits.

20. Publisher research
Billboard is the world's most influential music media brand reaching key
executives and tastemakers in and around the music business through
Billboard Magazine
Billboard is edited By Danyel Smith and is owned by the company
Prometheus Global Media.
Billboard is headquartered in New York with bureaus in Los Angeles and
Miami, and has editorial correspondents in major cities around the world.
It has served the entertainment business since 1894.
Billboard maintains several internationally recognized record charts, which
track the most popular songs and albums across several categories on a
weekly basis.