Analysis of Q magazine-
I chose this cover for my LIIAR analysis because the genre is indie. Although it is not fully representative of my genre, there is no specific magazine that is solely for indie folk so in order to do this analysis I needed to choose out of the two genres I have mixed together. Indie had a wider selection of magazines as this in the more mainstream out of the two.
FRONT
CONTENTS
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Language:
Front
The text on the front cover of this magazine is all in capital and bold. This makes the writing stand out and legible. All the main stories are in bigger writing then the small piece of information underneath outlining what the story is about. This is to grab the attention of the reader and then once they have the attention of the story then can then go on to read what the piece is about.
The text is mainly in black, white and grey, this fits in with the genre and the colour scheme of the overall front cover. It fits in with the main image on the cover as this is in black and white. There is also red writing on the cover, this fits in with the magazine and the masthead is in red with a white 'Q'. The red stands out against the black and white of the rest of the magazine. With just small bits of red over the whole cover it makes it stand out as it is not an overwhelming cover.
The main feature is clear as it is the biggest writing on the front, it stands out the most showing that is it clearly linked with the main image.
Contents
The main heading on each of the features carries on from the font used on the front cover. This continuity shows that the feature on the front link in with the features on the contents page and therefore links in with the rest of the magazine. The main title of the feature is showed in bold and capitals(as on the the front) but the small piece of information underneath is in lower case and not in bold. This is because once your attention is grabbed by the title of the feature you will carry on reading the fine print. It makes it clear what the page is about as at the top there is 'Q CONTENTS' in bold white on black writing. At the bottom of the page there is other stories within the magazine but they are not main selling points therefore they're not in bigger writing. The contents page doesn't show everything that is in the magazine, only the main feature stories. Things that are in the magazine every month don't appear on the contents as they are expected by the audience.
Double Page Spread
The colour scheme continues onto this page, linking it back in with the main image on the front of the magazine. The image of the band 'U2' is black and white, the same as it was on the cover of the magazine. This shows continuity throughout the magazine so you know you are still reading about the same band or genre. there is still elements of red throughout the page, this also links in with red shown on the front cover of the magazine.
The font is very clear, bold and simple. This makes the text easy and therefore more appealing to read. The only font on this page that is different to the one used on the front is the main title of the piece 'The month in music', this doesn't necessarily fit in with the band U2 but it fits in with the overall magazine meaning it could be a recurring them throughout.
Institution
Bauer Media
'Bauer Media UK reaches over 22 million UK consumers every week through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heat, Kiss, Grazia, Empire, Magic and Absolute Radio. It creates and curates entertaining media content that audiences love whenever, wherever and however they want through a multi-channel strategy and a focus on product excellence and audience insight.'
'Q, the UK’s biggest selling music monthly magazine, sits at the heart of a cross-platform brand that celebrates the biggest stars in rock and roll and brings you the most exciting new artists. The Q brand has developed a worldwide reputation as a trusted and premium quality voice of musical authority amongst fans, musicians and the music industry alike - one that is founded upon Q's unrivalled access, world-beating exclusives and outstanding production values. This reputation is extended not only through the magazine but across online, radio and on into Q's unique events, which encompass exclusive, intimate live shows with major stars and the world famous annual Q Awards.'
(Taken from http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/)
Q magazine also have their own award ceremony for the music featured in their magazine called the Q award's. It celebrates 'the best of music' and mainly has guests who have featured in the magazine itself.
Q magazine is the principle music magazine linked with Glastonbury music festival. The magazine produces the official review of the festival. The review is released directly after the festival takes place in order for people who went to get an instant review and the people who didn't go can experience what it would be like if they did go.
Q Radio is aired on absolute radio which is part of the Beuer Media group. It airs every sunday night from 10pm, it contains 'exclusive interviews, live sessions and moments of scurrilous-gossip-dressed as news, bought to you by the people that know about music' (Written on an advert as the back of the U2 issue)
Ideology
The magazine Q stands for world music, it stands for getting the artists before anyone else but also showing world famous artists. It is well know in many places and therefore something people could buy and know what they're going to have. Seen as they are a monthly magazine they can have the same articles in monthly, therefore the reader can rely on having similar things every month but with different artists.
The magazine is features adverts from brands that would appeal to the target audience, for example in this issue there are adverts for guitars and other musical instruments. There are also many adverts for artists tours/albums. The artists that appear in the adverts all fit in with the brand image and what would appeal to a target audience.
Audience
The readership of Q monthly is 473,000
The median age of readers is 29 and the percentage of readers according to gender. 75% male audience and 25% female audience.
68% have high disposable income.
(Taken for Q media pack http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/uploads/Q-MediaPack-2011.pdf)
The plug on the front cover also means it applies to a specific audience, for example on the front cover of this magazine the plug is 'Free music for 60 days', this would obviously appeal to the consumer as it is aimed at people who consume music and they are buying a music magazine so they are obviously intrested in it. Over half of the consumers have a high disposable income, this may mean it is trying to appeal to the smaller percentage of people which buy the magazine as someone with a lower income would be more likely to want something for free and there more drawn towards this selling point of the magazine.
Representation
Front
This genre is represented for with the colour scheme on the front cover. The main image is in black and white, this represents the genre as black and white is something used within a lot of indie products. It shows the type of music they play as black and white gives of the impression of slow, chill music. All the member of the band (U2) are wearing coats, this shows that they are all together as they fit together and are obviously in the same place. Only one seems to be looking directly at the camera, that is the main singer and therefore the most recognized member of the band. They aren't wearing anything that they wouldn't usually wear, so they are recognizable. None of the people in the shot are smiling, giving off the moody/cool image that fit well with their music genre.
The camera is on a slightly low angle mid-shot. This is so that although most of their bodies are in most of it needs to be covered by text so the heads are further up in the shot in order to see them.
Contents
The colours are a bit more vibrant on the contents page with the fact that the page numbers are in bold, bright colours. This makes them stand out from the rest of the page as the rest is mainly in black and white again. They have however continued with the colour scheme of black, white and red as we see this throughout the contents.
There is more images on the contents page, ones that relate to the other features that were not shown on the front cover. These fill out the page more and make it more appealing to an audience. There is a separate box for 'The Q Review' showing that this is a main feature of the magazine every month but the contents of it changes.
The band in the main image on the front has been used again on the contents but in a different shot. They are wearing the same clothes but are in a different order and a different setting. In this shot they are all looking away from the camera, with the main singer at the far left rather then the middle.
Double page spread
In the main image on the double page spread it is represented in black and white, this fits in with the mood of the indie genre. In the image the band are all looking in different directions, this is the same wit all the other images of the band within the magazine. This could signify many different things, such as them having different perspectives or at they all are aiming for different things.
In this shot they are wearing slightly different clothes to the ones they were all wearing on the front and on the image on the contents page. They are all similar as this is the bands image and they still need to look recognisable to the audience and be recognised by their signature items of clothing, such as the sunglasses, hat or chain that some members of the band are wearing is every picture and are known for outside of this magazine shoot.
In the image they are all holding instruments that represent what their role is in the band, for example the main singer is holding a microphone stand. The main singer is also standing at the front of the shot to signify his relevance and his leading role in the band.
They are standing at a beach with birds in the sky in the background, this could represent the indie music genre as it is laid back and chilled.
