Mood Board

Here is my mood board of idea's which I could use in my acoustic magazine. The pictures I have put in my mood board have been influenced by my research into acoustic magazines.



In my mood board I have included the mains colours I am going to use, which are red, white, green and blue as these were used in other acoustic magazines I researched into and link in with the idea of nature. As well as the colour brown which works well with the guitars.
Guitar will deffinatly be included in my magazine, but other acoustic instruments I may include are Banjo and Violin.
To link in with the theme of nature I will include nature pictures in the advertisements, such as flowers, tree's the sky and fields etc.
Another popular feature I have noticed used in acoustic magazines are guitar tab, so this may be included as a feature in my magazine.
The models on my mood board are models for a bohemian style of dress. I have included this because I want my main sell to be wearing bohemian clothing so as to attract radicals.
The martin guitar strings are going to be used for advertising, and I may also use them as a freebie on my magazine front cover.
Newton Faulkner and Mumford and Sons are some well known acoustic artists who could feaure in my magazine, by possibly advertising their new albums or having a review on them.
I have also included some pictures of some local musicians I know who I could interview and use in my magazine. Or as done in the acoustic magazines give them a double page spread for advertising themselves. Because of their bohemian style of dress I could also photograph them and use these pictures in my magazine.
The pound sign is linked in with the idea of advertising and creating money for other music compaines, and also the artists I could feature in my magazine.
The festival site picture is representing the venues which support acoustic musicians and offer them a chance to gig. Also I could include a list of dates and venues where new and up and coming acoustic acts are playing.
There is also a picture of a converted shed which has been made into a home studio, so I could have an article about home made studio's in my magazine as these are popular with many musicians.

Initial Research into Forms and Conventions

I have been annalysing 5 different genres of music magazines. Comparing them to find their simularities and their differences. I have been doing this research into music magazines to find out what the different genres use and incoporate into the product and what I could include in my magazine and what would work well. My research will help me create my overall product and will guide me throughout this task.

From my reasearch I have found out that most magazines dennote young people as the main sell as this conotes youthfullness and coolness and also the people tend to be wearing clothing that fits in with the overall genre of the magazine which conotes style and image.

This first picture could only feature in a emo style music magazine for an audience who like heavy music, just like Katherine Jenkins could not appear in a heavy rock magazine as the image does not fit.

In order to take my research further I need to decide on a genre for my music magazine. My chosen genre of music is Acoustic.

I have noticed that there isn't a huge market for Acoustic music magazines. This is because the artists featured in them aren't selling globally and are only targetting a niche audience, so there for there isn't any need for a large amount of them and explanes why there is a gap.
This is this months issue of the magazine 'ACOUSTIC.' 'ACOUSTIC' is the UK's first music magazine dedicated to acoustic guitars and other stringed and fretted instruments.

The masthead 'ACOUSTIC' is simple but tells the reader straight away what it is they are reading and links in with the genre completely. Radicals who persieve themselves to have a different style may see and like this magazine as the title stands out to them and informs them that it will include smaller and more unique artists of a different musical stlye. A puff is also used just below the masthead, dennoting 'The UK's only dedicated acoustic guitar magazine.' This is used to show the importance and success of the magazine.

The colours used on the front cover are quite natural colours which all link into nature and the idea of making music without the use of electronics and from natural resources such as wood. Because it is an acoustic magazine which specialises in acoustic guitars, browns and reds are used to link in with the wooden bodies of the guitars. Aswell as the reds and browns, other colours used are green and blue which link in the whole idea of nature and being natural as it could represent the sky and the grass. All the text on the page is written in pure white and an off-white colour. The font style used for the masthead and cover lines dennote a sans serif font written in bold capitals which conotes a striking image which stands out to the eye and draws the reader into the magazines main selling features. The masthead uses white text colour where as the cover lines use green and an off-white colour. The strap lines dennote upper and lower case, white, non-bold text, apart from the important words high-lighted in bold to draw in the readers eye. Use or direct mode of adress is also used 'IMPROVE YOUR GUITAR PLAYING' which gives the impression the magazine knows you and is aimed at you.
The main sell of the magazine dennotes a dark blue background which gets lighter the further into the centre of the page it goes. It also dennotes David Grey as the main sell, who is positioned in the centre of the page holding an acoustic guitar, slouched slightly and staring directly into the camera. This conotes confidence and also relaxation and a laid back attitude. The masthead is positioned at the top of the page and the main sell overlaps through the middle of it. Above the masthead are three cover and straplines written in red and black capitals. The other strap and coverlines go down the page on either side of the main sell.

The barcode, price and issue number are positioned at the bottom right hand corner of the page. There is also a freebie included on the front page which attracts the readers attention.

The content found in this magazine features alot advertising of acoustic guitars and on nearly every double page spread their is a page dedicated to the advertisement of a particular make of guitar or music shops such as this one here. Not only are guitars advertised but also so are guitar strings. There advertising stratergy is to partner themselves with well known acoustic acts such as Elixir strings have done with Newton Faulkner.
Also this magazine offers the chance for smaller and less accomplished acoustic artists to sell and promote themselves and they are given a double page spread. Interviews with smaller atrists are also included in this magazine, aswell as tab to songs and methods of improving guitar technique. At the back of this magazine there a few pages on new releases and new talent in the music scene, aswell as venue and studio advertising and a page of guitars for sale which the readers can purchase.

The language used in this magazine is aimed at musicians and this is deffinatly a magazine aimed at people who have a real passion for both acoustic guitars and acoustic music. There is lots of technical language used when advertising the guitars such as Alvarez PD311AV which no non-musical person would understand.

These are just a selection of some of the photographs in this magazine. There is a picture of one or more guitar on every double page spread, included in articles and advertising. Nearly all the pictures of guitars are photographed around aspects of nature, as shown in these photo's.

The use of photographing the guitars against tree's has proven quite popular, aswell as using wood or other nature scene's in the back ground.
The artists being photographed are done so outside pubs or on a stage and always holding their instruments. This is done to show the artists passion for their music and also to show they gig and love performing and playing music. The men in the magazine seem to wear a simular style of clothing too, which is quite arty and fits in with their carreer as a musician. Their clothing can be quite quirky which again fits in with their chosen style of music and can also be used to attract the radicals who could read this magazine.

Also nearly every photo in this magazine of the musicians is done in sepia or black or white and gives the overall image a faded, washed out and retro look. The objects used in the photographs are quite simplistic aswell and the places photographed can be quite rugged and rual so all these qualities fit well together and work well with acoustic music, which is simply making music from non-electronic devices.

Here is the contents page of this magazine.

It is layed out in a 2 column format. The page numbers dennote a red text, where the headings and description dennote a black non-bold text. The headings text is larger than the description so it stands out more. A screamer and puff is also used at the top of the right hand page, written in bold, large red text. 'CHECK OUT OUR HUGE TECHNIQUES SECTION!' The use of huge shows how good it is and the exclamitive emphasises this point. Direct mode of address is also used to intise the reader and draw them in to something that could be usefull for them 'whether you're a novice or an expert our columns have something for everyone.' The use of direct mode makes the reader feel valued and they can connect with the magazine.
On the right hand page going down the right hand side from top to bottom there are different makes of guitars, again used a an adervitising mechanism.

In a seperate box at the bottom of the right hand page they have the magazines special features.

The left hand page of the contents page has large photographs and a small description and write up of the main artists featured in the magazine, so the readers can see easily who they can read about.

Simular to the other page they have two small boxes of seperate features included. These are the UK LUTHIER FEATURES and HEADS UP which is a list of the new talents found who are featured in the magazine.
The whole contents page is set on a plain white background, and the issue number and date is positioned at the top left hand corner of the left hand page.

Here's a double page spread from the magazine. This double page spread features one of the main artists in this issue, 'Sam Lakeman.' One and a half pages of this spread is dedicated to him for advertising himself and talking about his interests and musical experiences. In his article there are a selection of pictures, there is the main large picture used at the top of page one and then a further three smaller pictures showing the artist performing.

But half of page two is used for advertising 'NEXUS' guitar strings. This is a common feature used through out the magazine, as advertising plays a large role.

Quite an interesting feature in this magazine is that at the top of the pages there is a box which tells you whats on the page. I think this is quite a usefull feature to have as it makes reading the magazine easier for the reader as they can easily find a certain page they want without having to find it on the contents page.

This is another double page spread from further into the magazine. Unlike the other one this has one page of interviews and another page of avertising.

On the first page are two seperate interviews with new, up and coming artists on the acousitc scene. Both artists have two pictures included in their interview, one as a main advertising picture and another in a seperate small box. This box has the headings 'Guitar' 'Strings' ' Micraphone' and 'Misc.' Underneath thses headings are the artists choices of guitar, strings etc. This is done purely as another advertising stratergy as it says to the reader, this is what succesfull acoustic artists are using, so you should go out and buy it.

Agan the colours link in with the idea of natural colours and use red and green on this particular page.

On the opposite page is an advertisement for a make of guitar. The picture dennotes nearly a purely black page. There is a white border line in the centre of the page which frames a picture of the body of this make of guitar. And written in white, serif font there is the name of the company 'Acoustic music company.' This whole page conotes stlye and class with the use of serif font and simplicity in the actually picture and colour choices.

The type of audience this magazine is aiming to attract from psychographics are radicals and carers. They would also aim to attract people with a hedonist socia value and just people who are generally interested in acoustic music and guitars. They attract the radicals by featuring artists of a bohemian style who play alternative acoustic music, different to the trend set by electric guitars and your typical band set up these days. The carers would fit into the magazines audience as its quite a natural and nature orientated magazine, which includes country side and they may also like the idea of music being created without the use of electricity as it shows care towards the earth. On the jicnars scale you probabally wouldn't find an E (state pensioners, widows, lowest grade workers) mainly because they wouldn't be interested in looking further a field in tastes of music and would stick to the global artists if they listened to music. They also wouldn't be interested in learning or developing their guitar skills or consider purchasing a guitar.

This magazine isn't targetting a specific gendar and could appeal to both the male and female sex.

Main Task : Magazines

My task is to create a music magazine for my chosen genre and audience I aim to targett.
Here I am going to analyse 5 different front covers of music magazines and compare them to see which features they share and how they are simular.


The magazines 'MOJO,' 'Q' and 'NME' dennote a young, male band as the main sell. Using this as the main sell conotes youthfulless and also rebellion as all three of the bands are staring directly into the camera and wearing blacks and greys. Because of the male figures used as the main sell, this means that these particular magazines could appeal to a male audience because of the male dominant bands. But it could also appeal to women as they may be attracted to the men in the bands.


Also with these three magazine's and 'music' the dominant colours seen through out the front cover are red, white and black. These colours are quite bold and work well together, using the black as the main background colour and using the red and white in the fore ground as the main sells, cover lines and strap lines. The fonts used in 'MOJO,' 'Q' and 'NME' are a sans serif and all in capital, block letters. The use of this style of font makes it stand out and is eye catching. Using capitals creates a sharp and strong image, and quite a manly image to. The font also links in with the main sell, where bold male figures are used and adds to the feel of a male targetted audience.


'MOJO' and 'mix mag' iclude a freebie, which provides an added value to the magazine and is a feature which will appeal to the reader.


All 5 of the magazines position their masthead at the top of the page and also all the magazines have their mainsell overlapping the masthead, with mainly the mainsells heads as the main focus of the magazine and the coverlines and strap lines worked arond them.
All three of the magazines dennote one main colour for the font of the cover line and another less bold colour for the strap line. This feature is used continuously on the front covers.

'MOJO' with a price of £4.10 would be targetted at an upper market audience, interested in classic rock music and on the Jicnars scale probabally some where between C2 and B. The kinds of people this magazine is created to attract are radicals, as they are interested in rock music and persieve themselves to be different.
'Q' at a cheaper price of £1.90 would be targetted at a more mainstream audience as the magazine is based on popular music. They would target the audience at Hedonists and aspirers who want to move up the social scale musically.
'mix mag' with a price of £4.20 would appeal to a higher audience as its quite a steep price for a magazine, but thie magazine would appeal to trendy and fashionable students who know the music that is popular in todays society and listen to the mainstream, commercial acts.
'NME' has a price of £2.20 and would appeal to a main stream audience as it is a popular music magazine. The audience the magazine would try to targett could be aspirers or succeeders and would probablly be hedonists. NME could appeal to any age range.
'music' with the steepest price of £4.30 would only really appeal to people who have a real passion for classical music as it is a heavily based classical music magazine. It could appeal to young students studying classical music or the older generation.