Have music magazines affected the type of music we listen to in today's society?

In a particular research task one woman asked 100 people if they would buy a music magazine if it was specific to one particular genre, 75% said yes and the other 25% said maybe therefore showing structure and a not to busy content is seen to be more attractive to the public. This shows that each music magazine produced will have a particular genre that they will pursue throughout the whole of the magazine which has structured information about a specific genre of music. There are also not alot of popular music magazines that make the shelves of news agents and the ones that do both write about the same genre which is indie rock. This means these are the only available magazines you can buy at convenience so buyers will automatically pick up this magazine if they want to read about music, therefore there reading about this particular genre of music and will be interested finding out more about it by listening to it buying albums ect. This form of publicity can shape the way society select a certain genre of music they listen to and find of interest.

As music progresses so does the type of articles magazines write about which can be very influential to those who read them. If an article slates and hates a certain album, artist or music genre, society might be naive and trust what the magazine is suggesting therefore only listen to what the magazine recommends creating popularity for that album or artist ect. Also you don't want to feel out of the loop if everyone has heard this particular song or album and you haven't therefore the majority of people who want to be up to date and on trend with music will listen to what ever is new or of the moment to fit in. You also read magazines to find rising stars before they have made it big time which can be found in music magazines and if only a couple of music magazines provide you with this skill you are most likely to pick up and read this. 

Most of society find music magazines very influential as they provide you with up to date news on the music industry specifisised to the particular genre it is writing about. If you rely on music magazines to feed you up to date information on what is deemed popular of the time then you are most likely to trust the article and follow what is suggested. This shows artists wouldn't be as successful without music magazines as they promote there music or albums ect. There growing publicity and followers might of found out about them through reading or seeing something about them in a magazine or article they have read which shows just how much music magazines shape the genre of music we listen to.

This is why i want to produce a music magazine of the 'indie' genre as it is an influential type of music which is vastly gaining popularity. Therefore more people will want to read about it to seek advise on who and what to listen to and 'NME' or 'Q' can not cover all of it which is why there is room for another music magazine on the shelves. This will also provide the audience with more selectivity to choose from which is what society like and can have a more personal feel of their choice of magazine because the style suits them best which my new music magazine might provide and account for which 'NME' could lack. 

What type of Music Magazines do we find most popular? 

Music magazine's do not seem to be as popular among newsagents stands as fashion or lads magazines, which could demonstrate that their might not be such popular demand for a magazine devoted to music. However the music magazines that are viewable are 'Q' and 'NME' which both seem to carry the same music influence of rock or indie culture. These seem to be the most selling and popular music magazines due to the music genre is accompanies for, 'Q' modestly calls itself "The Worlds Greatest Magazine" which could be deemed difficult to argue. The music magazines both seem to account for not only this genre of music but to the interests of people that listen to this type of music which includes gig's, festival's and everyday life. Both magazine's are glossy and stick to 3 main colours keeping it classy and appealing to a middle class society which could also address the targeted audience it expects and add to why this genre might be so popular as they can afford to attend festivals which is where this genre is most revealed.

'Q' magazine has become so popular it has even set up its own radio, music channel and website to further appeal to their targeted audience allowing them to enjoy 'Q' in what ever way they want. 'Q' has transformed with the technology which could contribute to its popularity as it has it can even be downloaded on an iPad for those who are on the go and maintaining a busy working lifestyle to pay for their further enjoyment of music such as festivals, which do not come cheap! The content of Q magazine includes reviews, up to date gossip, and interviews with the main stars of this particular music industry, which could be why it appeals to the majority of the public as it gives you inside information before the rest of the public find out making you feel privileged as you feel you are receiving something before every one else. 

'NME' is also seen just as popular as it follows the same trend as 'Q' but with an enhanced rock music genre. It is not seen to be as popular as 'Q' but still has a huge fan base following cover stars such as The Killers, Radio Head, or even The White Stripes. 'NME' seems to be less technology based and more about the content as they only have a website which is still however full of reviews, news, blogs, new music and even films and TV. This could add to the appeal to the audience as unlike other magazines 'NME' includes content the target audience wants to hear or read about especially as it focuses solely on the rock indie genre. Furthermore the audience which favourite's this genre of music might be interested in reading about it and getting more out of music than the CD compared to other music genres such as hip hop or pop where they might only listen for recreation and not want to further their knowledge by reading. 

Overall 'Q' and 'NME' seem to be popular magazines that grace the shelves of newsagents, both including content on similar music genres which could show the popularity and high demand for information on this music. Even though it might not seem mainstream it is becoming increasingly popular to the extent where readers only have two music magazines to choose from and might want more of a selection on this particular genre.

This summerise's why i should make a music magazine following the same genre as 'NME' or 'Q' as they are the most popular music magazines around. This would mean i would still produce a magazine that is going to sell or be interested in by my target audience so want to boost the popularity of a fresh magazine writing about their favoured genre of music. Therefore i am still producing a music magazine as more are needed among the shelves of newsagents but of a popular and wanted genre any way which most of the targeted audience of music fans would be in to buying any way. 

This is my final piece for my student magazine. I have pushed all the text to the edges of the page to make it even i have also changed the font colour for my subheading of 'Why we love iphone 5' so that it is more visible. Not only that i have made sure 'heres how' links with 'want instant money fast' so now it doesn't look to distant. The things i like about my cover is i have stuck to the three main colours which match the main image of my magazine. I also like how i have a mixture of fonts as it looks unique, i have only stuck to 3 different fonts as it doesn't look to confusing and messy or cheapen the magazine. 

To my contents page i have added extra information under each subheading as it gives you an idea of more of the content and what each category will contain when reading so you can select what you would prefer to read. i have kept each added information the same font colour and size so it doesn't get to confusing and mismatch with all the other fonts added in. I like that i have continued the 3 different colours and fonts as it looks neat and matches my front cover. I also like my title of 'Contents' as it is laid out in a unique way that allows the rest of my content list to fit everything in and make it look like i have a larger content.