Inspiration for my magazine

The music genre i am looking at focuses mainly on female pop stars, therefore i believe that for my magazine they should be the main cover stars in my magazine. I have looked at other magazines for example, fashion magazines and teen magazines for inspiration because there aren't many pop related music magazines out in publication. I will look at the following magazines for inspiration on poses and masthead ideas for my magazine.

Music Genre

The music genre i have chosen for my music magazine is mainstream pop. I have chosen this genre as there aren't many publications at the moment which cover this genre. I have also chosen this genre as i have a interest it
I will look at artists such as

• Kesha
• Rihanna
• Pixie Lott
• The Saturdays

Liiar analysis of existing magazines (Q)

Q front cover:
Language: I like how the cover line is in two different colours split. Lily is in black, and Allen is in black.
I also like how the red around the logo, links in with the other cover lines on the top right and also the main coverline. The panthers on the cover also link in with the cover line as the cover line says 'Sexy beast' and the panthers are beasts.

Institution: Q magazine is a magazine published by Bauer Media. Bauer Media is Europe's largest privately owned publishing group. The media empire offers over 300 magazines in 15 different countries.

Ideology: The ideology of Q magazine is that you can be whoever you want to be, no matter what age you are. For example in the past Madonna has been the cover star of it, and Madonna is quite old. So it just shows that even if you are old you can still be successful.

Audience: Q magazine is a magazine aimed towards the older generation, such as 25+ i can tell this because the majority of the artists in the magazine are for the older generation.

Representation: The magazine represents that you can be your own person and you don't need to follow a crowd.



Q Double page spread: I like the layout of this double page spread, however i think there is maybe too much text. Although the article may interest some people. It may not interest a lot and others may skip through it. The photographs used are very effective and look good on the page. The colour scheme used is effective too.


Q Contents page: I like the layout of the contents page, the image shows the reader who will be the main feature in the magazine. Also i like how it splits the features of this specific issue and the features of every month.

Analysis of magazines (NME)

NME Front Cover:
Language: The photograph is a medium close up. The masthead of the magazine is red. Which links in with the colour of shirt that Lily Allen is wearing. The coverline looks like the lettering from a newspaper which could also represent the fact that it is gossip, and that Lily will be giving them gossip about her life. The colour scheme is red and white and is apparent throughout the cover.

Institution: NME is a magazine published by IPC advertising.

Ideology: The magazine cover looks very individual, and rebellious. It is like it is telling you you can be rebellious and don't need to worry. The cover line 'Lily Allen takes on the world' shows how one artist can influence the world.

Audience: The target audience for the magazine according to the IPC advertising website is men aged 17-30.

Representation: The magazine is representing that you don't need to be afraid to show you're wild side. There is also special features in the magazine that you wouldn't normally see in other NME issues. The features are specific to this issue.


NME double page spread
I like the layout of the double page spread, i like how the image overlaps onto the other page and doesn't just stick with staying on one page. 'The USA got the love' headline is a good play on words as Florence's new single is called 'You've got the love' and as Florence is taking on America they have incorporated that into the headline which i think works well. When looking to compose a double page spread for my own magazine, i will remember this feature, and try to include a play on words as i think it looks effective. The colours; Grey, White, Red and Black work well together. They are quite plain colours on there own but when they are placed together they work well. I also like how the first letter of the article is larger and in bold compared to the rest of the article. I think this works really well, as it looks sophisticated. This is another feature i will look towards using in my double page spread. The choice of type face is effective too as it is classy and sophisticated but it is still legible.


NME Contents page:
I like the layout of the contents page. The images used represent the artists that feature in the magazine, it gives the reader an insight as to what is going to be in the magazine.
I also like the layout of the name of the magazine, and also the 'this week'. I feel that the capital lettering looks effective, and makes it look like the magazine is something to shout about. Along the right side of the page are the actual contents of the magazine. I like how the headlines are placed in a high lighted box. It makes them stand out a lot. Another feature of the magazine i like is the band index on the left side, this enables the reader to see who will feature in the magazine. I will take all of these features into account when composing my contents page.