Research and Planning : Distribution

There is a big difference between Major and Independent distribution strategies. A Major company, like Frontline produce magazines such as Q, Kerrang, Bella and Heat. All of these magazines have other platforms attached. For example, Q and Kerrang both have websites, TV channels, Radio Stations aswell as their magazines. This means you would be able to reach the brand from many different Medias whether it be television or radio. Frontline distributes their magazines to supermarkets and other high street popular stores. By doing this they are reaching a wide audience in turn this means more money for the company. Independent distributors (like Vice) however are different. Vice is an independent music magazine that gets distributed to 22 different countries around the world. However, this does not make them money as the magazine is free and is found in places like Galleries or Cafes. By doing this they are targeting a specific audience of ‘smart’ people. Vice, however, also own a lot of different platforms also, VICE Films, VICE DVD, VICE Books, VIRTUE and VICE Events. These are incredibly different to Frontlines’ platforms. These aren’t to do with the music magazine, they are completely different projects that could also attract their target audience. Vice are quite an upmarket audience which means they are quite hard to find. The magazine is all about independence, this is another reason why the magazine is free for people to have.

My audience will be interested in mainstream music and would like lots of different genres. Also I would assume that they would want to be able to find the music they want anywhere they go for example supermarkets, online and stores. For my magazine I would be using a major distributor as my target audience would want to be able to get music where-ever they would go to. As I plan to make my magazine a mainstream magazine I would probably make it a multi-platformed. For example a radio station or tv channel, website etc.

Detailed Research into Forms and Conventions

For my magazine I have decided to focus on a theme that includes all sorts of music in the mainstream, not just pop music though. Music from Girls Aloud, to Muse, anythi

ng that most people would be able to know. For my research I needed to find 3 magazines that fit my criteria of Mainstream Explorers, Jicnar scale : C1/B. I chose to do Billboard, Q Magazine and Mojo as I believe that these magazines follow my criteria for my target audience.

I found that all of the covers of the magazines in which I researched into all had quite well-known artists on the front of them, this is something that I could try and do for my magazines also.In all of the magazines they all tend to feature the same sort of things, including gig reviews, interviews and album reviews. This could be something that I could take on board when it comes to writing my double page spread. All of the magazines also have advertisements for tours of the artists that would be featured.

The language used in most of the magazines is language that a range of people would be able to understand. All of the magazines also use slang to try and appeal that bit more to their audiences.

The contents pages in my magazines all were really quite plain and simple. All of them included features that were in every magazine, reviews and then one offs ( like interviews etc ) I think that as all of my magazines seemed to have quite a plain and simple layout for their contents page, I should do this aswell when I make my magazine.

The double page spreads in my all my magazines were also very similar. All of them were very wordy and then with one large picture of the artist who was being questioned. However, in Mojo magazine they included more pictures which I think would keep the audience interested instead of having to read a long block of text. The colours used in the double page spreads were also very plain, blacks and whites, this would connote that they are serious about what they are having to write.

I found that not many magazines have a multi-genre theme and I decided that this could be something that I could do, as it is quite unusual and there aren't many around. By doing this research I believe it has helped set the foundation of my magazine and what would appeal to my targeted audience.

Initial Research into Forms and Conventions

For my research I found 3 different genres of magazines. This will help me to try and decide what type of magazine I would like to do for my project.


Magazine 1
Title : Billboard

The Audience : I believe the readers of Billboard would be Hedonists and Mainstreamers. I think this magazine will be aimed at young people/teenagers, both males and females. On the Jicnar scale I believe they would be C2/C1.

Main Contents : The main contents of this magazine is full of a range of different music including country, rock, pop, adult contemporary, latin pop songs, R&B etc.

Brand Identity : This magazine is for people who enjoy many different styles of music. This magazine is aimed at people who have a very wide view of music and like a variety of different things. They could like mainstream artists as well as indie eccentric artists.

Magazine 2

Title : BBC Music Magazine


The Audience : People who read this magazine are probably Succeeders and also Traditionalists. On the Jicnar scale they are probably B/C1. I assume the audience of this magazine are probably older men and women


The Main Contents : The main contents of this magazine is simply classical and instrumental music.

Brand Identity : This magazine is aimed at the older people who enjoy classical and/or instrumental music. They are traditionalists who like to make sure things stay the way they are. They are also Succeeders as I assume that they are quite well-off.





Magazine 3
Title : Mixmag


The Audience : I believe that the audience for this magazine would be Individualists and Hedonists. On the Jicnar scale I believe they would be C2/D. I also believe that this magazine would mainly be aimed at young males.


Main Contents : This magazine is full of dance music and information about clubs and places to go. They also would be interested in drum and bass music, also raves.


Brand Identity : This is a magazine that is suitable for a younge rage range who are into clubbing and dancing. It would be aimed at people who love a range of dance music including drum and bass. They would like the sound of different interesting music types.



After doing all of my research I have decided that it would be better to do a mainstream music magazine aimed at young adults. I would like the magazine to be a lot more sophisticated than other magazines that are out there as I think that most mainstream music magazines are quite trashy. I would also like my magazine to look at all types of music out there, not just pop but rock, R&B etc. This way I will be able to get a bigger, wider audience by morphing all of the different magazines in to one music magazine. A magazine that I researched was Q magazine, this magazine includes many different genres of artists and would be the type of thing that I would like to do in my magazine.

For my magazine I will take ideas from Q magazine and make it my own. I will make it appeal to a more sophisticated audience.

Main Task : Magazine

For my main coursework task I will have to make a magazine cover, contents page and a double page spread. My magazine will have to be a music magazine that is a certain genre and certain specific audience.

I will have to make sure I follow the criteria and make my magazine a certain way. The key dates for my magazine are :
RESEARCH AND FASHION DEADLINE : 8th January 2010
PRODUCTION DEADLINE : 15th January 2010
POST-PRODUCTION DEADLINE : 12th February 2010
EVALUATION DEADLINE : 5th March 2010