Deconstruction of indie rock Music magazine covers 

• The magazine sticks to 3 main colours, in this case it is red, white and black. There is also pops of yellow but not much as it is only used to highlight the most important news that wants to be recognised. It could be seen as exclusive news as it is in yellow attracting you to buy the magazine more as you feel as if you are personally receiving first hand information about music before any one else therefore you have exclusivity which you wouldn't want to miss therefore you feel more inclined to purchase it. Red has been used as it is a colour that catches your eye and therefore attention first. 
• It contains a lot of cover line's to represent its large content, they have also been made in the colour red and in a larger font than the extra information beneath as it wants to attract your attention first to then go on and read about the extra information that interests you. They all include some significance to showing you what type of music magazine it is such as 'Rolling Stones Exclusive' which you instantly link with a rock or indie genre magazine. 
• Its masthead is in the top left hand corner as people read from the left and look at the top first so your instantly attracted to it. It is in colours of ounce again red so you are attracted to it first and outlined in white to further enhance what the title is. All of the three main colours are interpreted in the masthead so that when ever you see them colours or that font you immediately link it with this magazine increasing its popularity. 
• Underneath the masthead is the puff/plug which is normally shaped as a star however it is now in a circle as it suits the genre of the magazine more. It contains a small piece of information which stands out instantly as it is a different colour from the usual main colours therefore it is seen to be one of the most important cover lines on the magazine as it seems to be the most exclusive. 
• The main image is of an indie band named 'The Last Shadow Puppets' which is made up of Alex Turner and Miles Kane who are both icons of the indie genre confirming who the magazine is aimed at. They also have the 'indie look' which is seen as they both have similar haircuts which is long and messy and have black harrington jacket types. 
• There is a model credit beneath the image and the name of the band, 'I was worried the monkeys would think i had an affair' which clearly shows the article is also going to be a bit about Alex Turner's other band Arctic Monkeys who yet again follow the indie trend. It also reveals a bit about his personality therefore how the interview will be carried out as he seems laid back and comical which we can see through the line 'think i had an affair' with a different band. 
• All of the cover lines are on the left third so that when advertised on a newsagent stand therefore all there key selling information can be seen instantly. This is why it is important the cover lines are short but can instantly provide you with the genre and meaning of the magazine. 
• In the bottom right corner there is a bar code which also includes the date it was issued and with the price therefore you can see whether it is the latest issue which is normally out a month before the month its written for therefore you get instant news before everyone else finds out the month after. 
• The selling line beneath the masthead is what NME stands for which is New Music Express, this is another clear sign to what the magazine is about and will deliver. The message is clear that the magazine will be delivering 'new music' information quickly which is what the target audience is basically buying it for.
• It has a simple clean cut sans serif font with no extra flourishes which again links with the type of magazine it is and suits this type of genre. It demonstrates the magazine will be sophisticated compared to others this also can be shown through the price. 
• The magazine has a banner above the masthead including information that also wants to be recognised instantly as it is written in yellow so that it stands out from the main colours. It also includes another two bands that are seen as the 'indie' genre of music to reinforce ounce again what sort of magazine it will be. 

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.

This is my final front cover for my student magazine 'Student Choice'. I have added a couple of tag lines on to the front cover and added the Southdowns logo as well as the date so you know what issue it is. 

This is my final draft for the contents page where o have added small images and a background with a mixture of fonts but still sticking to my three main colours this makes it look sophisticated and high end without the price and with more of a relation to students it is fun and easy to read. Each section is under different categories and the page numbers are in a different order instead of chronological which is what most magazines have also. 'Contents' is written in the same font as my title on the front page as it is also a heading of a page therefore keeping it clean and tidy as they are all the same. 

Student Magazine First Draft.

IPC media case study 

IPC; also known as International Publishing Corporation, is the UK's leading consumer magazine and digital publishing house which has targeted and still targets a wide variety of audiences over the years. It contains a drop down of popular categories including, fashion and beauty, lifestyle woman and home, sport leisure, young men and music, teen and women, all of which targets the majority of the populations interests. Notorious magazines are associated with the IPC due to the categories they accompany for such as introducing the first 4 'Women's Weekly' introduced in November 1911. It played a big involvement in the women's magazines as they were hugely popular especially in the 1940s where it played a key role in the war time proving that women's magazines are the most demanded magazine genre, they have also been associated with 'Marie Clare' since 1988 proving they have had links with glossy magazines aimed at working class citizens.

IPC have been associated with a large variety of music magazines and during the 1950s there was an upsurge in the music scene heralding the arrival of 'New Musical Express' in 1952. NME set the ball rolling with its compilation of the first official UK record chart meaning the kickstart of music magazines began and IPC where one of the first publishers to sign on to a major music magazine showing that the company had a good eye to recognise good sellers. NME also became the first major music magazine to get its own internet site in which was designed to boost sale and recognition of the magazine as well as hopes of becoming Europe's most popular music website. With these ambitions IPC would be an appropriate publisher for a new music magazine as it is demonstrated that they know a lot about magazines especially in the music industry and what conventions they need to obtain to become successful. They would also be a well adapted publisher to house a new music magazine as they only publish one music magazine so therefore the audience who want to view a music magazine do not have much of a selection and might also not enjoy or want to read about the genre of music NME provides.

Due to there other selection of magazines targeting all ages and genders the type of music magazine that IPC might be likely to publish would be a popular music genre among everyone and also one that doesn't match that of NME as they could then provide more of a selection that everyone might be interested. Youth or middle age population seem to be the most targeted audience on the IPC website therefore there specifisised music type would be indie or pop as this is seen to be the most listened to and talked about across the majority of the main target audience. They will also want to publish a music magazine that has a different genre to NME as this is the only magazine on there they will want to provide a different music magazine that appeals to a different selection of audience and will gain more enjoyment from reading.

However alternative publishers such as Bauer might be appropriate as they house some of the most popular selling magazines which are mainly aimed at the middle aged women audience, apart from the BRAVO exception, so they could broaden their horizon and house a music magazine targeted to a different audience which could gain a popular rating. Furthermore due to Bauer publishing BRAVO; one of the largest youth magazines in Europe and also dominates the youth magazine market in Germany, it clearly shows there understanding of the youth of today and the new music magazine will most commonly be made to target that of the younger population. This also means the youth audience will be constantly looking at the Bauer website to look at BRAVO and will come across the new music magazine which should immediately intrigue them as both magazines want to satisfy the same age group and audience.