Research and Planning: Music Magazine research

I have decided that my music magazine will be based on Rock/Screamo music. In order to appeal to a specific audience, I need to use a range of techniques that will appeal to them. My Audience will be teenagers of a similar age to myself 

I need to consider..
-The layout and style of my magazine
- The colourscheme used (Keep to around 3 colours)
- The stories used and the Masthead  (They must be appropriate for my audience)

Kerrang is the prime example of how I want my finished magazine to look. It contains all of the features I need. the music represented in this magazine is exactly the sort of music I'm hoping to promote with my own magazine. You can tell that the genre is rock because of the choice in colours (Dark) and the fonts used are bold and they stand out.

The colour scheme is Black White, Crimson Red and Yellow. This sticks to the rule of not having too many different colours. The main image is he band 'The Blackout!' All members of the band are facing forwards and looking directly at the camera. This gives the affect that they're looking straight at the audience. Although the set out here is very busy with lot's of different pictures and stories, I feel that this fits with the theme of rock with it seeming loud and 'in your face.' The shot type used for the main image is a group shot, almost a medium shot. The people in the photograph are crouched and those at the back are stood together. The facial expression of the band used for the main image is serious to show that they are not a 'happy-smiley pop band'. All bands mentioned on the cover are rock bands or alternative. This makes it clear who the magazine represents.

The target audience for Kerrang is teenagers who are interested in loud alternative music, away from the mainstream music of today. In other words, they show bands that (nobody has ever heard of) They have a very specific target audience.

This is NME another indie/rock magazine which I will use to help base my ideas on. You can tell the genre of this magazine because of it's choice in images and quirky set-out. The Strap line used is at an angle and in different colours to attract attention. The words used such as 'ultimate' give hints towards the genre, as do the names of bands used.

The people used in the photographs are all wearing dark colours and look quite smart, one band member wears a lighter colour than the rest do he stands out quite a bit more than the others. The band members seem to have a fun 'i don't really care.' sort of attitude. This is shown by two members pulling a funny face and the central member reaching out towards the camera. This gives the affect that he's reaching out to the audience. (Like some bands do when they're on stage) this creates a connection between the audience and the image used on the magazine. I like this affect and I hope to recreate something similar on my magazine.

because of the quirky design you can see that the magazine is aimed at a quirky audience, those who enjoy indie music and individuality. There is a bit of overlap in the design which creates the illusion of it being busy and exciting.

The shot type is almost a high angle as the people in the image seem to be looking up at the camera. There is also a medium close up and a two shot used on this cover. The colours used here are again, black white, red and yellow. All fonts are rather similar, keeping to the theme and stopping the magazine looking too crowded.