Media Mock Exam - 54 Marks

Task 1:
I agree with all three of these statements to some degree, however the one I agree with most is that readers enjoy reading about their favourite musicians. (F)
The cover star on a magazine is incredibly important. Many people idolize a certain artist or band member and if this person is on the cover of a magazine, they are likely to pick it up. The idea that someone's favourite musician is featured in a magazine makes some people feel like part of a community. If their favourite musician is in the magazine, they must be very good/very popular. It serves as extra validation for the consumer. Mainstreamers in particular like to be part of a wider audience and have an interest in popular things and this will give them support in their interest. Also, when people enjoy someone's music, they often like to get to know the person also, as their songs have more meaning to the consumer. This is particularly true with singer/songwriters whose songs are often about real experiences. People like to believe what their favourite artist is singing.
They also enjoy interacting either with letters to magazines or forums on websites. As I mentioned previously, consumers love to feel part of a community. Interacting with letters and forums does exactly this. It allows the magazine to have personality, as there is often a comment on a letter this is featured in the magazine. People may also feel special that their letter or tweet was in a magazine that also features their favourite musicians.
I do also agree that the music press is popular because it provides a reliable source of information, however people are becoming more and more aware of the press making up stories (particularly in newspapers) and this may cause them to doubt the reliability of a music magazine. Especially after the phone hacking scandal, consumers are more aware than ever of the lies that are printed in some magazines. Although consumers generally trust their favourite magazine (especially if they are a regular or subscriber), they will always be a little wary about whether they are boing told or not.
(13 Marks)

Task 2:
I would agree that music magazines are generally targeted at male readers. However, the few magazines that do target a female audience target the early teenage audience.
An example of this is Top of The Pops magazine, whose male readership is only 14%. The colours are bright - often pink which is a colour that connotes femininity. The language is also stereotypical of teenage girls. "OMG", "goss" and "kiss and tell" are associated with this audience. These phrases would deter the majority of a male audience from reading the magazine. Also, the typography is very rounded and bubble shaped, giving the magazine a more friendly, happy vibe. Lastly, the use of male cover stars (often boy bands) tends to objectify them. The men have big smiles on their faces to look friendly and engaging, similar to the 'guy-next-door' image.

Kerrang on the other hand, has a more mixed readership. 57% if its readership is male. The aggressive language - often violent words and harsh syllables - will attract the male audience. The colours are also quite male orientated, usually black with blue, green or red as apposed to Top of The Pops' brightly coloured cover. The typography has a distressed style, and again this will attract a male audience, as they tend to care less about their appearance than women. However, the use of male cover stars may appeal to women and the free posters inside are more likely to be used by their female audience.

Q has the most male readership of the 3 magazines I have presented here - 75% of which is male. The style of the cover is minimalistic and this is very different to the previous two magazines - both of which had plenty advertised on the cover. Women are less likely to be overwhelmed by lots of information, whereas men prefer to see less on the magazine cover. Cover stars are often men, and these are usually moody and expressionless or presented with an angry expression. Other covers feature women, often sexualised and this will attract a male audience. Some women may find this derogatory and will be put off the magazine.
Most music magazines aim to target men and this is possibly because they are more likely to buy a music magazine. Music magazines targeted at the young teenage girl audience are harder to keep running and this was displayed when Smash Hits! magazine went out of business. There are more male-orientated music magazines, simply because there is a higher demand.
(14 Marks)

Task 3:
Today I pitch to you, a new, innovative indie music magazine. It's cool, it's edgy and it is sure to be the next big magazine.
Engaging Title
I bring you Live Lounge. The name uses alliteration to make it catchy, and the association with music is cool and different. This magazine is about pure music, and there are plenty of people who are searching for that. The tagline "it's all about the music..." sums up what this magazine represents. We're attracting music lovers who want to discover a new world of music. The title suggests sophistication and maturity which will attract the ABC1 social class bracket and make sure people are aware that this magazine is not directed at teenagers.
House Style
The house style has a vintage look, and this definitely attracts the indie audience we are going for. The typography has a typewriter style including the masthead, which is also slightly distressed. A gunmetal grey, along with monotone variations and neutral tones create a vintage sepia image, with blue accent colour to give it a cool modern twist. The cover is clean and minimalistic, making sure the cover star has the spotlight. Our cover stars will be new and interesting, but relevant. This could be artists such as Jake Bugg, who's recently released his debut album which has shot to the top of the iTunes alternative album chart. Cover photos will often feature the musician with their instrument (if they play one) to support the title 'live lounge'.
Target Audience
As you may have assumed already, I aim to target men with this magazine. The majority of magazines already on the market target men and there is clearly a reason for this. Music magazines set up for other audiences commonly fail. Once Live Lounge is on the shelves, men will be picking it up each month. The blue accent colours and sepia style is more masculine and will definitely attract the male audience. The vintage style is incredibly popular with indie audiences right now, so this magazine wll catch the their attention. The magazine will express who they are and will have them talking about the content with their friends. I am to target the age group between 20-25. They will have enough money to purchase the magazine consistently as they are more likely to be working than a teenage audience. The vintage style is mature and stylish, something that men in this age group are likely to be concerned about.
Regular Features
As this magazine is "all about the music", there will be plenty of music related articles and features. There will be a free live track by a popular artist or band each month recorded exclusively for Live Lounge. There will be a QR code which will enable them to download the track. Indie consumers are frequent users of iTunes, so a download will be appreciated by this audience. Each week there will be a countdown (usually a Top 10, although there may be seasonal issues - christmas/summer - that feature a longer countdown such as a Top 50). There will also be album and gig reviews each week to fit with the magazine's name 'Live Lounge'. There will also be a section dedicated to upcoming events that would interest our readers and these can range from smaller more exclusive gigs to bigger arena/stadium gigs. The magazine will be released monthly, but this will enable us to create a bigger magazine - making the reader feel the magazine is better value for money.
(14 Marks)

Do Music Magazines Target a Male Audience?

Evidence Q appeals to men: (75% male)

• Aggressive facial expression would deter a female audience from buying the magazine.
• "Sex, drugs and golf" - language appeals to men. Rock star lifestyle that would appeal to men.
• Breathing fire indicates bravery and strength - qualities that men respect and aspire to have.
• Dave Grohl represented as a hero. "Dave Grohl saves rock. Again."
• Sexualisation of Nicki Minaj using the phrase "Little Miss Dynamite".

Evidence Kerrang appeals to both genders: (57% male)

• Cover star is a woman and this will apeal to men, however she's not sexualised so the female audience will still buy the magazine.
• Free posters of a male band appeal to women.
• Bold font of "Paramore" and distressed masthead are very masculine. Capital letters are commonly associated with shouting. Reinforces the aggressive language - "Loud" "Rebels" "Panic". Aggressive appearance will appeal to men.

Evidence Top of The Pops appeals to girls: (14% male)

• 
• Lots of posters of the cover stars. Friendly, smiling faces appeal to girls. Represented as "Boy next door" stereotype.
• "OMG" "Kiss & Tell" "Snogs" "Gossip" "Hearts" - feminine language. Abbreviations used typically by girls. Language softer and centered around love.
• Love heart symbols present the cover stars as heartthrobs. Attractive to girls.
• The competition to "meet the boys" also offers a "cuddle" from the boys. This would appeal to girls.

Task 3 - Outline Your Pitch

I bring to you today a new and interesting indie music magazine that is cool and something that the consumers will want to buy. Missing out on this opportunity would be a huge loss, and I’d like to take this opportunity to explain to why this magazine is the next big thing.

Title

This magazine is ‘Live Lounge’. The alliteration makes it catchy and punchy. It could be easily remembered and repeated to friends, therefore passing on the brand to more people. The name would have impact when repeated. People would want to own a copy of Live Lounge. The name suggests coolness with the indication of live music and strays away from cheesy titles such as Top Of the Pops.

House Style

The house style follows the impression given by the title – a monochromatic colour scheme in greys, gunmetal grey, black and neutral tones. The font of the masthead is urban and edgy, but not futuristic. The masthead is slightly worn to again give it that cool, edgy appearance.

Regular Features

New and interesting features we have in Live Lounge include a spotlight on a new artist each month. This would include an interview and profile etc. Also each month there will be a code for the reader to go online and download an exclusive live track from a band or artist that could be either well known or slightly off the wall. We want to bring our readers something different each month. The magazine will also include exclusive interviews, reviews of new albums and a monthly top 10. These focus on the magazine being ‘all about the music’, which is the magazine’s tagline.

Target Audience

The audience I am targeting with this magazine is adults aged between 20-25. I feel the edgy, cool house style will attract this audience because the look is edgy and urban yet mature. The target audience doesn’t want to feel like they have picked up something for children. Other music magazines in this genre such as NME are purchased by both genders; therefore the neutral colour scheme will not deter either genre from the magazine. However, 66% of NME’s readership is male and therefore I will be targeting the magazine at men, by the bold and strong typography and design. By targeting this at an adult audience, the magazine can be bought more easily by the readers and the circulation of the magazine will be higher. I believe it could reach numbers as high as its competitor NME – around 20,000. This magazine is edgy, cool and interesting. Most importantly it’s all about the music. Are you with us?

Magazine Cover Image Description

Magazine Cover Comparison

Music Artist Scrapbook - Bruno Mars

+ - Ed Sheeran - Album Review

Ed Sheeran came to huge success following the release of his debut album +. Since the release of the album, we've come to expect emotional lyrical songs, with perfectly simple acoustic backing. This is exactly what + gives us, with a couple of surprises thrown in there too.

The first track on the album is the debut single The A Team. This immediately sets the tone and expectation for the rest of the album. The fourth single released from the album, Drunk, is second and flows brilliantly from the previous track.
The fourth track on the album, Grade 8, strays from what we expect. The song has definite R&B influences, whilst staying in keeping with Ed Sheeran's distinctive style.
We're then taken back to classic Ed Sheeran for another 3 tracks, before being thrown another curve ball. The City isn't the strongest track in the album, but the edgy hip-hop sound is certainly a surprise. Similar to this track is You Need Me, I Don't Need You. The song again, has hip-hop influences with rap style vocals. All of Sheeran's lyrics are incredibly clever, but unlike the other deep emotional songs Sheeran writes, You Need Me, I Don't Need You is intriguing and entertaining.

The album ends with Give Me Love. This is a brilliant song to end on, as it sums up everything that Ed Sheeran's music is about. The song is reminiscent of Skinny Love by Bon Iver and is by far one of the stand out songs on the album.

Other standout songs are Lego House, The A Team, Drunk and This. These songs all, in my opinion, showcase everything that Ed Sheeran is about. I would have included Small Bump in this selection, however I feel the acoustic version of this song is far better. The composition of the version released on the album is overworked and takes away from the emotion of the song. As with most of Ed's songs, it's the simplicity of the instrumental that strips the lyrics bare and allows us listeners to really feel the emotion of the song.

Overall, the album is a brilliant debut, which is why I'm not surprised it's been such a huge success. The album showcases Sheeran's talent as most of the album isn't overproduced. His voice is easy to listen to and the overall vibe of the album is very chilled. The deep meaning in his songs doesn't feel heavy or depressing  and are perfect for when you're in a reflective mood.