Research of Existing Music Magazines
For my Magazine I want to create an Alternative music style with a general classy look.
so I have researched magazines such as 'The rolling Stone', 'Q' and 'The Word'
I don't think there is much market left for this style of magazine however, i think if it were more directed to Women or Younger readers i think it would work.
Front Covers
The Rolling Stone:
This Cover has used very bold fonts, this works because they have used a blank background. The colours are fairly simple and all generally well linked, the red font links to the image, and the blue is a typical colour used by the magazine. The black and white makes the cover very bold and clear, and the white makes it stand out on the shelf. They have used a simnple image of a well known star on the front to show a classic simple style.
There is quite alot of text down the side of the page, this fits nicely around the image and doesn't overcrowd it.
The rolling stone doesn't generally use big banners, but here they have used a simple rectangular bill board style box. this works, as it is away from the text and is black and white so it fits the theme. There isn't a barcode on this cover, but there is plenty of pace left in the corners for additional items like that.
For my Magazine I want to create an Alternative music style with a general classy look.
so I have researched magazines such as 'The rolling Stone', 'Q' and 'The Word'
I don't think there is much market left for this style of magazine however, i think if it were more directed to Women or Younger readers i think it would work.
Front Covers
The Rolling Stone:
This Cover has used very bold fonts, this works because they have used a blank background. The colours are fairly simple and all generally well linked, the red font links to the image, and the blue is a typical colour used by the magazine. The black and white makes the cover very bold and clear, and the white makes it stand out on the shelf. They have used a simnple image of a well known star on the front to show a classic simple style.There is quite alot of text down the side of the page, this fits nicely around the image and doesn't overcrowd it.
The rolling stone doesn't generally use big banners, but here they have used a simple rectangular bill board style box. this works, as it is away from the text and is black and white so it fits the theme. There isn't a barcode on this cover, but there is plenty of pace left in the corners for additional items like that.
This is another very different style cover, The red background really stand out and makes the people on the foreground very clear. This cover has alot of text, but somehow is doesnt look too busy and the image is still the main focal point. The circular banner is also a new style for this magazine, but it works neatly and doesnt distract any attention.Q Magazine:
This is another classy style magazine, however this one fits more with my genre. The image is quite a big feature and all the text fits around it. the large text is a clear indication of what to notice first and links the page together, The banner across the bottom isn't too striking but works well due to the neautral colour scheme. The shade od red in the texts all links and shows the general look of this magazxine, and is also used in other editions. The barcode is quite big, but doesn't stand out because of all the large fonts.The black background gives this a classier appearance and looks as though it is directed to an older audience.
This is a special edition of 'Q' and this is shown by a gold edge around the image. This has another very statement image, which makes the magazine look very high market, i think this is the look i will try and achieve. The page is quite simplistic, Large white fonts for main headlines, and bold yet not too dramatic text that fits nicely down the side of the page. The red banner links to the colour scheme of the magazine.The title is very simple yet effective, The Q on a red background is a well known logo that draws the eye. The barcode is quite small, and fits in on the side against a dark background so it is easy to find yet not too over the top.
This is a different style for the magazine, as they have used a plain white background, for a studio effect. The people stand out and give it a look of simplicity and class. The gold fonts also add a different tone to this page and link nicely to the image, the different size fonts make it more intersting and highlight the key titles. The fact that the image goes over the title shows how, even though the title can't be seen entirely, it doesnt need to be, as it is a well known magazine, and makes it seem more high market. The red fonts and banners are used once again as this is an ongoing theme in the structure of the page.Existing Music Magazines
Double Page Spreads
There are lots of different syles of double page spread, some have a lot of design and boxes of different colours and fonts. This would work for a younger audience, but i still want to stick with a more mature appearance.
An example of the type of article i would like to produce is like this old edition of Q. A simple yet effective image, with simple text. The headlines work well to add mopre to the page, and the different colours in the titles link to the theme of the magazine.
I like the way that this images has been placed, as it is at an angle and do makes it seem like a scrapbook photo. this gives it a reto feel. also because it is an old picture it works really nicely. The small black box of text is simple and clear. The overall effect of the simple text boxes and image make it seem classier and the colours are linked well.
This double page is very classy, and continues the theme of red and gold ( gold because it is a special edition)
The change in font texts creates a more interesting appearance, also the simple image on the left is very statement and simplistic.
The fact that there isn't much text and lots of colours makes it seem quite high market. I would like to add a bit more than this to my page, but i like this general idea.
This double page is also fairly simple, One main image, a very bold title. It is very effective and has enough effect to not look like a piece of hand written text. It is easy to read and understand, also the full page image means teenagers can pull out the page to use as a poster. A drop cap has been used which indicates the start of the article andd adds more to the page. 
This has another theme, where the text is written above an image, this seems like more of a feature page to intrigue the reader to read the article following, the article should follow the theme and include an image, but should be much more formal to seem more like an interesting read than an interesting picture.
The word, which is the leading music magazine of 2008, uses this classy style of up market design. A simple black and white page, means they can add any colour without worrying about contrast. They have a bold and centred introduction, with 3 even columns of text. They have used one simple, yet effective image, that has been fit within the text. I like the effetc of this, as it leaves no white spaces. but doesn't create the busy appearance you would get with an image background. They have used small banners and pieces of informatiuon at the bottom of the page, these are references for the reader, but also add a bit more to the page.