Ashley Evans NEA 2025

Research Task Eight : Research Into Other Independent Music Magazine Websites

Research Task Seven : Independent Music Magazine Websites

Digital Convergence

Digital convergence is used quite extensively by the publishers of TheWire in order to promote both viewership on their website, and sales of their physical magazine. Examples of digital convergence include a similar 'house-design' shared by both media formats. The website however, expands greatly upon what is available on the magazine as it utilises the limitless information and constantly updating news that becomes available through online formats.

Reflection Point : What Have I Learnt About Magazine Contents Pages?

I have learnt that magazine content pages use a wide variety of formats, designs and structures in order to present the highlights and important features of their magazines in an effective and user-friendly manner. Content Pages often differ in design and format in order to appeal to certain audiences targeted by the publisher. These variations in design aim to make the individual magazine more appealing to targeted readers and promote the house-style of certain brands.

An example of these include the contents page of the Vogue fashion magazine, which uses lots of imagery and photography from different models in order to showcase small snippets of the magazine's contents. Furthermore, small numbers and descriptions are given to each point of interest in the contents page in order to aid legibility. The colour palette used on the Vogue contents page utilises colourful imagery and stark black fonts in order to stand out against the White background. The bottom fifth of the contents page is sectioned off to showcase an advertisement for the Vogue Website. This shows adaption from the Vogue publishers to current trends as they strive to advertise both their physical magazine, and their available online services/subscriptions.

Another example can be seen through music magazines like Mojo, which use non-conventional designs, photography and colours appropriate to the bands displayed within the contents page. The magazine uses a large photo of a showcased model as the main focal point of the contents page. The bright red clothing of the model acts to guide the reader's attention to bright colours, which are sparsely used in the contents page, only for titles and further important info for the reader.

Research Task Six : Wider Research Into Magazine Contents Pages

Research Task Five : The Wire Music Magazine Contents Pages

Reflection Point : What Have I Learned About Independent Music Magazine Front Covers?

Independent music magazine covers strive to showcase new content and subjects through a varied use of colours, formats and appearances. Most independent companies stick to a centralised house-style which remains both identifiable and sometimes reaching an iconic status, where consumers are more likely to purchase said magazine for its style and presentation of certain topics. Although some independent publication companies such as TheWire use starkly contrasting styles of cover presentation with each new issue, thereby bringing a potentially wider audience who purchase the magazine based on its ever-evolving ways of presenting the current trends in music that appeal to targeted audiences.

I have also learnt that certain independent magazine publishers use differing styles of front cover based on their target genre and general connections to conventionalism. Some independent magazine companies such as RnR maintain a more conventional form of front-cover design, utilising imagery and text in professional and 'traditional' ways that provide the public with an aesthetically clean look to the magazine. Some publishers such as TheWire strive to push these boundaries however, as their differing front-cover designs reflect their representations of newly forming and unconventional music genres, making designs with each issue that follow visually interesting and uncommon aesthetics.