Music Genres

Pop Music

- Justin Bieber -

Being able to adapt to great ranges, pop music is probably the most popular form of music and style to circulate the world. The genre is abbreviated from the term popular due to it's great likeness. Within the genre, there is no sub-cultures or divisions between audiences as the aim of appeal is to reach a broader audienceas possible. As the melodies and tones don't have a significant theme, it's therefore able to appeal to a variety of audiences as to just one. Unlike other genres, pop music doesn't just focus on the voice of the singer, but it expands further into the dimensions of sound and creativity. The appeal comes from the ingenuity as to the artistic qualities and capabilities. Pop singers are incredibly flexible in the sense they’re adaptable into any type of style. This enables them to have a much bigger success as they can entertain into extreme depths with dance performances, live tours and designer outfits.

LIIAR Interpretation Of Pop Music Magazine

Language

There are a lot of elements on the front cover of a pop music magazine that in some ways differ extremely from other genres. As they’re focused towards a younger generation, the colour schemes and tones are in some ways a little childish with additional clip art stars and so on. Some of the most major headlines that I have come across have been ‘gossipy secrets’ about Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. As these are often enough the main stories, the main image in the foreground is of these artists in an exclusive photo shoot for the magazine. To draw even more readers to the magazine there will frequently be free stickers and stamps for them and their friends.

Insitution

Bauer media is most probably the main magazine distributer to sell pop magazines. Their establishment is filled and based upon hundreds of genres so that they appeal to all their audiences and receive a much bigger, greater profit.

Ideology

Having looked at previous magazines, I just get the message that the magazines are trying to give their readers care-free fun and gossip. There is no real seriousness to a pop magazine due to the fact that not many people genuinely take it critically; just “cheesy” in some peoples words. But as an institute, whilst trying to get their product sold by having as much gossip and glitter as possible, they sometimes need to incorporate some serious messages. Being a boy myself, I can’t exactly say that pop magazines don’t focus appeal to boys as they do to me. However, the majority of teenage ‘lads’ aren’t really going to be picking up the latest edition of TOTP. Pop magazines are more focused towards teenage girls that enjoy reading some gossip while they pamper them selves. Not my point of it all, but just thinking stereotypically, this is the impression that I get.

Audience

As pop music represents such a large audience, there could be millions of readers they could target. It just depends on which form of style and images they incorporate with their magazine as different audiences require different needs. A pop magazine that features the latest gossip on celebrities and who is dating who, will be more or less targeted at early teenagers as to adults in their mid 30s.

Represenation

Pop magazines are literally teenagers bibles in the sense that it’s all they want to read and focus their lives around. There isn’t really a dignified representation given off by pop magazine as no one takes them seriously. Often these style of magazine are criticised badly as they’re said to mislead teens into a non-existent world!

Pop Music Magazine Examples:

- Top Of The Pops

- Heat

- 'POP'

- Smash Hits

- Sugar

 Rock Music

- Nirvana -

Within the music business, rock music is perhaps the more dark and heavy side of it all. As the tone and texture of it circulates guitar and drums, the outcome of it all is quite grungy and dismal. Being more of a sub-culture, it doesn’t really appeal to every audience on the market. I get the sense that the artists do more what they love to create music as to creating the music just so it will sell; if audiences don’t like it then that’s their fault. However in recent years, rock bands have collaborated with pop singers so that the combination opens up to both audiences bringing in more profits. Often enough, the appearance of rock bands and singers is quite tattered and scruffy with a lot of black interweaving everything. Rock music certainly isn’t an adaptable culture as pop, so there isn’t a great extent you can vary and work with; no dancing, no choreography and certainly no costumes.

LIIAR Interpretation Of Rock Music Magazine

Language

I get the impression that there isn’t a great deal of organisation with a rock magazine as images and interviews seem to be put if and where they may without a care. The scruffiness of the front covers, content pages and double page spreads reflect the rock culture within themselves; tatty and messy. The colour tones of rock magazines certainly aren’t going to be pink and flowery, but jet black almost. Rather then presenting information and images that are more about popular aspects of life, rock magazines choose to keep a more low down approach and reflect less known singers.

Insitution

Bauer media is most probably the main magazine distributer to sell rock magazines. Their establishment is filled and based upon hundreds of genres so that they appeal to all their audiences and receive a much bigger, greater profit.

Ideology

The one thing that I love about rock magazines is the ideology and the sense of individuality that they give off. Rock magazines such as Kerrang don’t specifically abide by what society says and does, which is why they demonstrate ‘out of the ordinary’ content.

Audience

Clearly the audience won’t be as big as a pop magazine, however rock magazines still do have a pretty large fan base. In itself, the magazine is focused towards all ages and preferably the male species. Stereotypically, it’s targeted towards characters with a more grungy and care-free approach to life.

Represenation

Although rock magazines come across as care-free and irresponsible, they give off quite a significant vibe. They show that individuality is a must and not at all to care what society or anybody thinks. When you open that specific rock magazine, may all your worry and problems be lost.

Rock Music Magazine Examples:

- Kerrang

- Rock

- Noisy

Classical Music

- Katherine Jenkins-

Relying solely on skill, classical music is a genre where there is no room for mistakes. Unlike pop music, classical music doesn’t incorporate everything that the artist are or is as a singer but simply of their talent. It’s light and weightless tones reflect the beauty and passion that is up kept within classical music. There isn’t a great variety of style of classical music due to the fact is more of a traditional way of producing music, originating back hundreds of thousands of years. 

LIIAR Interpretation Of Classical Music Magazine

Language

The font on a classical music magazine is probably the most expectable aspect of it all. As the music and tones are extremely elegant, it is reflected by the sleek, curvy and elegant style of writing. Every element within the magazine has to be their for a reason as there is no room for unnecessary items. It’s all kept light and simple, yet beautifully done, just like the music itself.

Insitution

Rhinegold Distributers is a magazine company that specialise in magazines which feature classical music. Although they aren’t as big as the usual Bauer Media, they are probably just as wealthy as they focus their magazines to a higher class of society that can afford ridiculous amounts of money for the odd magazine.

Ideology

Hardly any of the time is classical music or any of its composers are ever reflected within a negative light in the media. Often enough, it’s all about the good things they product in society which brought to attention. I get the impression from this that it’s because no one actually wishes to hear about classical singers in the wrong which is why the media don’t pick up on it. This shows how classical music magazines aren’t really going to have a large audience range as it only being focused towards a minor audience. In magazines which I’ve seen produced about classical music, do they only go into great depth about the music’s texture and so on as to the actual artists themselves. It’s producers want to give off a great impression of the style of music as to the artist.

Audience

There isn’t a large audience which truly appreciate the classical musical genre for what it is so there possibly won’t be that many audiences to buy it. This would therefore mean that the magazine wouldn’t largely be distributed as it’s not something that audiences are willing to purchase on a regular basis. There isn’t the usual, weekly gossip that you get in a pop magazine that you don’t get in a classical music mag. However, as classical music is greatly appreciated by audiences in the south around the London area, the magazine is able to charge a lot more money for any one magazine as they are classed as much more wealthy.

Represenation

As classical music is seen so highly in the world, the magazines aren’t going to want to publish Paul Pott’s latest drug ordeal on the front cover to create a negative image. Magazine distributors are all for reflecting the newly discovered violin and how the queen enjoyed the variety performance which featured classical music.

Classic Music Magazine Examples:

- Classical Music

- Music

- Femmes Di Siede
 

Hip Hop, R'n'B, Rap Music

- Jay Z -

Over the years, rapping hasn’t been necessarily remembered because of it’s lyrics or because of the rapper, but however because of the melody and/or the tone that underlies it all. These songs are composed of an artist speaking lyrically which composes the definition as we know, ‘rap.’ Although there is a great deal of subcultures that branch of into very diverse and separate audiences, when all of them come together as a whole, there is actually a pretty impressive audiences; in the terms of how large it is. Often enough in present days do pop and rap artists actually collaborate together and incorporate both of their talents to appeal to an even large audience.

LIIAR Interpretation Of Rap/R'n'B Music Magazine

Language

Pop and Hip Hop magazines are incredibly similar in the sense of the photography and stuff, however on another level the two are completely different in the terms of textual information, facts and language. Readers of that genre; most probably a great range of men, don’t wish to hear about how P Diddy has a crisis from a break out of spots. That is the point where the two magazines become extremely diverse. These sort of men that read the magazine want to hear about and see what women he’s kindled with and so on. Furthermore, often enough the colours which feature within their magazines are a more neutral based including blue, green, black; not pink.

Insitution

Bauer media is most probably the main magazine distributer to sell R'n'B magazines. Their establishment is filled and based upon hundreds of genres so that they appeal to all their audiences and receive a much bigger, greater profit.

Ideology

Very much like pop magazines, the creators just like to give that care-free fun vibe so that you can sit back and indulge into the magazine. However in a lot of recent magazines hip hop magazines, they have been giving off very subconscious messages off to their audiences for a good cause. For instance, they don’t post images of knives or guns in respect to the knife and gun crime. They wouldn’t want to be responsible for influencing a reader for committing a serious act. Not only would they be have it on their conscious, but the amount of people that read that magazine would plummet.

Audience

As rap music often collaborates with pop artists then there is a great range of audiences that they appeal too. This has been constantly happening in recent years and I’m sure it will in good years to come. Rap music is often associated with gangsters and trouble causes that are alcoholics so if that was the case that I’m gathering that’s what a rap music magazine would be focused towards.
Represenation

As stated before, the magazines like to give off a good representation for their own sakes. If they give off a negative impression they are more likely to influence characters and cause trouble. On the other hand, I’ve noticed recently how rap magazines have been keen to give off a good message by inferring that a lot of street crime doesn’t always involve the minorities of the sub culture.

RapMusic Magazine Examples:

-Source

-Vibe

-Monster

Generic Music Magazine Conventions

Cover

Contents

Double Page Spread

LIIAR Interpretation Of The Brief

Front Cover

Language
When it comes to music magazines, there is such a variety of genres for multiple audiences. Due to this, there is a wide range of conventions; different conventions for different readers, which have very assorted tastes - there are niche audiences! However beneath the varieties, there are still a few conventions which stay constant.


Masthead

A masthead is certainly an aspect which is continuous through-out every music magazine, which is 99% of the time allocated to the top left hand corner. This really is a compulsory element to a magazine as this is what we as an audience first glance at. As it’s the same literally everywhere, it’s just something we do naturally without hesitation. If the masthead is truly eye-catching, then that initial glance will soon develop into a stare of an attraction; here, a magazine purchase is born! If I were to perhaps locate the masthead to the bottom left hand corner, it wouldn’t be visible, and no one would even notice the magazine.

"Exclusive" Headline
Taking centre stage, a large headline is often a convention of a music magazine as that is how they promote their biggest and most extravagant story. Often the headline is shadowed by bold and intense “exclusive” writing to express almost a high importance. Usually stories in order of importance have small to large text size on the cover. The subheadings on the front page are usually a different colour to make them stand out and to bring attraction.Trademarks of the magazine can feature the typface.

Images

Another main convention of a music magazine is the large image which is positioned across the full cover. 7 out of 10 times the image is actually a medium close up that contains a direct address to the audience. This establishes a connection between the viewer and the magazine making them feel a part of the cover. It isn't offen where you will find multiple amounts of images on the front cover as I feel this over-complicates the layout. It tends to allow the audience to wonder of onto stories that don't have as much high-importance.

Synergy

Synergy is a large convention which happens within music magazines on a regular basis. It highlights the comings together of two or more establishments that are trying to achieve a goal that isn’t possible independently. This allows both the music magazine and the artist to both get outcomes from one single thing. For example, a popular artist such as Britney Spears on the cover will bring lots of revenue as she is so iconic. This therefore means that the magazine will sell a lot more editions making a larger profit. However in the process of this, the artist such as Britney, is also making a huge profit of money as she will promote a new album or as such.

Barcode/Price

Usually on the right hand side of the page, more or less at the bottom is the barcode. This is always on the cover as of course when bought, it needs to be scanned and purchased. Although the price is positioned not far from the barcode, it is deviously done at such a small font which misleads the audience. The price is the last thing that they look at as it the most unnoticeable element. After eventually looking at all of the components on the cover, they will eventually see the price. Even though it may cost an arm and a leg, they still feel the urge to purchase it due to the desire to read the main stories which they have just viewed.

Many conventions stay constant through-out the magazine onto the contents page such as the images and head banner. Images are almost compulsory at this stage in the magazine as of course it needs to just be just as out-going and attractive as the front cover. Still of course, different music magazines have different conventions of a contents page to appeal to their audiences. Music magazines that are more child-based are going to have a much more imagery-based style then to one focused at an older generation of adults – different audiences expect and require different elements and aspects.

Head-banner / Title

Often enough, the majority of music magazines that you come across have ‘contents’ inked across the actual contents page. It gives the page that defining feature that truly makes it stand out from the advertisement pages before and after it. Conventionally, the font of the title stays similar to either the text of the magazine name on the cover, or/and the exclusive headline too. Having the two the same or similar, brings the magazine together as a whole, making the magazine feel not as fragmeneted

Images

On the front cover, the stories of importance are allocated by the size of their text. This is a very similar convention on the contents page as stories of importance are represented by images and text. A featured and exclusive interview with the latest pop star will be reflected within a large thumbnail image, text and even an extensive summary. Stories that don’t maintain the same high importance often only have a small page number and title; if that even. A lot of articles within the music magazines don’t even feature on the contents page.

Logo/Magazine Title

Some music magazines feel that it’s imperative to feature their logo or magazine name on the contents page where as other magazines…not so. Apparently, there is something extremely significant about reassuring the reader about what magazine they’re reading. When I glance at a magazine that has features constant on the contents and homepage such as the logo, I feel it brings everything together as one.

Insitution

 Within the UK, there is only a pocket full of leading magazine companies that are well distributed and successful.

IPC
IPC is a great example of a successful establishment which is involved in magazine distribution. However, the only downfall is that the 85 iconic brands that they put on the market are more focused to the world of gossip; not the music industry.

Bauer Media

Bauer Media is probably the most successful magazine distributor to date in England. As an establishment, they reach over nineteen million, UK readers alone. They’re most famous for iconic magazines such as ‘Q’, ‘Grazia’, ‘FHM’ and ‘Kerrang.’ All of which are very popular music magazines that tend to reach their target audiences with such great precision.

This is definitely the kind of intuition that I wish to distribute my magazine with as they have great relationships with engaged readers and businesses. As stated on their website: “We connect audiences with compelling content, whenever, wherever, and however they want.” This is certainly the type of attitude that I want my music magazine to shine through!

Ideology
When any type of audience looks at my magazine cover, contents page and double page spread, I want them to glance at it and feel inspired. Morals and messages that are given off shouldn’t be about how you need to loose weight, or how you look too fat. I want to express literal meanings that have depth and profundity. Stories written within my magazine, should be genuine and to be truthful; no false statements or impressions given off. Although I haven’t decided on my target audience and brand, I can’t really focus on a more elaborated Ideology. After genre research, I will then hope to identify and expand more.

Audience

Audience is the one leading aspect that can truly dictate the magazine - appearance, stories and content. As I am so early on into the development, I can’t at the minute decide which audience my magazine will warm too. Perhaps after researching and getting my roots deeper into the project, then will I will decide which audience my magazine will allocate too. For example, “Top Of The Pops” is a magazine which tends to focus towards teenage youths. As they’re focused at such a young age, the linguistic devices and language will not be as developed as “Q” for example - Different audiences require different contexts.

Socio-economic Groups
Socio-econmic groups largely dictate the type and style of magazine due to their wealth. Semi and un-skilled manual working people aren't all that favourable for buying the latest £10 magazine. They just simply can't afford it and it's not do able. There is no point in me creating a music magazine about Top Of The Pops for 'professional, business and white collar' audiences as there isn't a wide range of that type and it isn't certain that they will even like that style. Great research will need to be in order to discover what types of Socio-economic are in to what type of genre and at what price.

Represenation

Once again I feel as if the representation of my magazine solely depends upon the audience, and as I have no designated type of audience, I can’t really elaborate on the representation. However, I can and will state that I want my magazine to be on the verge of risky so it has that slight difference. So many magazines nowa' days risk defining everything that they are just so that they comply with regulations. Not many are willing to take a risk and publish something out of the normal; so that they don’t tread on anyone’s toes. “Kerrang” is a great example of a magazine that likes to take risks. They don’t settle for the normal that all of the other types of publishers do - it makes them more wacky and more defined. If a conversation of magazines is brought up for example, "Kerrang" always comes to mind as of course it stands out. This is simply what I want for my music magazine; to stand out and not be forgotten. The front cover is always about giving the best representation possible to draw people in to reading the magazine. No one particularly wants to see a female youth reading a book on the cover as it isn't favourable. Celebrities want to be incorporated with only the best magazines in the business as it reflects themselves as an artist. This is the 'only' way to go to create a successful magazine.

Music Magazine Brief

The music magazine brief is in some ways very similar to the college magazine, however this time there is some additional requirements such as a double page spread and an actual contents page. All images, text...basically everything, must be originally sourced from myself as to using an assortment of copyrighted material which would get me absolutely zero marks!

Main Task

Construct the cover, contents page and double page spread of a new and popular music magazine. All components on each of these three aspects must be original and this may include a minimum of 4 images.

Due in: 17/12/10

24 days.