Can only find one post on your blog...but there should be 4? Initial research is very good and analytical. See me about the rest. Mrs R

Music Magazines - What is currently out there?

Q - Q is the most popular music magazine (across all genres) for numerous reasons. It is famous for compiling lists such as "50 Albums To Listen To Before You Die" and it's special edition issues which are released every other month. The magazine also contains the top 50 essential tracks of the month; "Cash for Questions" (Readers send in questions for celebrities and win £25 if their question is printed, which is clever because the reader then becomes part of the magazine by helping to contribute to it.); Ten Commandments (Artists create their own "Ten Commandments which they live by)and Rewind which takes the reader back through musical history via the Q archives. Q was originally aimed at the older generation of music buyers, and it still is. Rather than raving about new genres and new bands who are "destined for big things", Q focuses on bands who are already very popular (Possibly because of the large fan bases they have?) and occasionally features upcoming bands in the Q50.

Mojo - Q's sister magazine is the 2nd most popular music magazine in Britain. Like Q, Mojo regularly produces special edition issues, which can devote a whole issue to one particular artist/band (Which again, will appeal to larger fan bases.) In 2004 it introduced it's own "Honours List" which is a mixture of critics and reader's awards. It is similar to it's sister magazine in the sense that it features more popular bands with the occasional cult acts and "left field" acts. 

Uncut - Uncut magazine is a monthly publication which is sold throughout the English-speaking world. As well as in depth features into old albums, it focuses it's attentions on DVD and film, therefore widening it's audience from just music enthusiasts. It features film and music news, interviews with artists, directors and a free CD which includes music from old and new acts. The music side of the magazine focuses more on Americana, rock and alternative country. 

These are the circulation figures of the above magazines for Jan - June 2008 :

Q - 113,174

Mojo - 106,367
The Fly - 105,212
Uncut - 86,925
Classic Rock - 66,632
Kerrang! - 60,290
NME - 56,284
Metal Hammer - 48,540
Mixmag - 34,073
RWD - 31,333
Rocksound - 22,527


See this information and last years circulation figures here

Intial Research - DTP Codes and Conventions

Codes and conventions in a media text can be broken down into 3 different groups :

• Technical (camera techniques & shots)
• Symbolic (ie clothing, colours)
• Written

The main aim of a magazine front cover is to interest it's intended target audience (i.e. shoppers) and make them want to buy the product. It has to stand out against all other magazines and be aesthetically pleasing. Colour, and pictures on the cover are symbolic and are all used cleverly to draw the eye of potential readers. Different magazines will need to appeal to different people, you wouldn't see a clean cut boy band on the front cover of a heavy metal magazine, nor would you see Slipknot on the cover of a teen pop magazine. The elements used in a magazine cover need to be right, or else the magazine will not interest it's target audience.

WRITTEN ELEMENTS

• A masthead which tells us the name of the particular magazine and any slogans which may be associated with it e.g. Kerrang - Life is Loud
• Large headings highlighting the main articles of the magazine, which will interest the potential reader
• Smaller headings and a sub-heading strip, which will interest the reader furthermore when he/she picks up the magazine.

SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS

• A main picture (The subject of which contributes to/features in the main article) which is usually in close-up or mid close-up. These pictures are symbolic in the sense that things such as the clothing, make-up, hair and body language of whoever graces the front cover can give out many messages related to their particular article e.g. the shot of a naked Beth Ditto below will promote her brash, forward attitude and will send out a confident message to her fans, yet to those who do not like Beth Ditto, they will only see the reasons why they do not like her (Possibly the reasons why some find her such an inspiration)


• A colour scheme, which is usually the same throughout the magazine and can relate to the nature of the magazine (e.g. Heavy metal magazines will use dark colours whereas pop magazines will use bright colours to attract their intended target audience.) The colours used will have certain connotations e.g. red represents blood, carnage etc. Using a colour scheme throughout will help to avoid confusion for the reader. 

TECHNICAL ELEMENTS

• The type of shot says a lot about a magazine. The mise en scene for the shot has to be correct or else the picture would not create an accurate portrayal of the magazines intentions. I.e. Shots for pop magazines are normally in close up or mid-close up, they are taken using high key lighting, they are simple and "clean" and are quite staged in the sense that their is not much action going on within the frame.

• However, an indie or urban music magazine will feature a picture which has a lot more action going on. The mise en scene of one of these types of magazine can include a variety of different shots - close up, mid close up, long shots, medium long shots etc. More is captured within the frame to emphasise the character of the magazine (normally raw, edgy and innovative, almost as if they are telling a story.)
  

• In both magazines, the colour schemes are the same (Red, black and white for NME and pink and yellow for Smash Hits), the main subject of the magazine has a large picture (Mid long shot for Beth Ditto, Mid close up for Preston) and a large heading relating to the subject of the magazine.