This a draft of what my magazine will look similar to. The mast-head will feature at the top of my magazine. I have thought of several names for my magazine taking into account that it is a music magazine. These include:
Sound- This relates to the magazine featuring music, new sounds, bands etc. It is also short and catchy which is needed to catch the readers interest.
Raid- I like this name for a magazine as it doesn't represent anything in particular but it is very catchy and therefore a good name for a magazine.
Boom- This is like an explosive sound which is effective. It is also very catchy.

The main image is going to be of a new band in 2009. The band is going to feature 4 members and will take up the whole front cover. The background on the image is going to be white, therefore the people will stand out more.

The headline is going to be placed under the image at the bottom of the magazine. My headline is going to be the chosen name for my band which will be one of the following:
Fine Young Cannibals
The Bittersweets
The Breakaways

The cover itself isn't going to feature many plugs or inside stories. I did this because I wanted the main focus to be on the new band. However I am going to place two small texts saying: '100 Greatest Hits Of 2008' and ' Exclusive Interviews Inside'. This gives the reader some knowledge of what is going to be inside. I got the idea to do this from a previous Rolling Stone magazine I analysed as this also didn't feature any plugs or inside stories etc.

This is another example of a double page spread featured in a magazine. This one similar to my previous magazine also uses the colours of red, white and black, however this time I don't they represent sadness as such as in the image she seems happy rather then sad. They use the colour white for questions and the colour red for answers off Jameli, this makes it easier to read.

Also similar to my previous magazine, this features a main image covering one whole page, however writing is used over this image. Jamelia is wearing white clothing on a white bed, I think this is so she is more noticeable as she is behind the writing. It also features another image on the first page unlike 'Q' magazine.

Once again the first thing to be noticed is the name of the star; Jamelia. This is done effectively as it uses the background colour with just a simple white outline.

Instead of using a quotation from the story this uses a headline to explain what the story is about; this says ' The Queen Of UK R&B On Finding Her Voice, And Feeling Exposed'.

This story uses a lot more writing then in 'Q', however the story is an interview with the star as in 'Q'. This is because it is typical of a two page spread to feature interviews etc.

This is a double page spread from the magazine 'Q'. It uses dark, simple colours of black, white and red. I think these colours are made to represent sadness more then the possible love and purity because Madonna herself looks fairly upset or unhappy. This is effective as they use colours to represent feelings and emotions rather then words.

The main image is of Madonna who is wearing black and silver clothing. The image takes up one side of the double page and effectively looks like Madonna is resting on the first page.
In the bottom corner of the page it also gives a quotation from the story; this is enlarged and usually placed there so the audience will read this and then want to read more.

At the top of the first page it uses the heading of ' Cash For Questions (Special Edition)'. This is due to the magazine being a special edition and featuring a new technique for interviews. Although this is the headline, the first thing to catch the readers eye is the large, bold, white writing saying 'Madonna', this is due to the fact that it is white and stands off the black background.

The writing is fairly short and takes up only half a page. This is usual for a double page spread as they normally feature short interviews or reviews of the star.

I think my magazine double page spread is going to be similar to this in the way that the main image uses a whole page and the writing is short and simple. This is a typical double page spread.

'NME is a British weekly magazine featuring agenda-setting news, the UK's most comprehensive gig guide, definitive reviews of the weeks hottest gigs, tracks and albums. It bills itself as the essential guide to the week in music.'

This particular issue was their first issue in 2009 and is devoted to the new bands of the new year.
The magazine is published by IPC media, the UK's leading publisher.

Male: 69%
Female: 31%
Average Age: 24
Working Full Time: 52%
Working Part Time: 7%
Still Studying: 29%
Circulation: 56,284
Readership: 369,000

The magazine is aimed at an audience of both male and female however 69% of males read the magazine as apposed to 31% of females. This could be because more males are interested in music etc. then females. The magazine is aimed at people of the age of 24 and these readers are mostly full time workers as apposed to part time and people who are still studying. The circulation of the magazine is 56,284 and the readership is 369,00 which is a very high number showing that the magazine is very popular and attracts a large number of readers.

This magazine cover is fairly different from my previous two in the way that it features many more colours and uses more then one picture on it. The colours used are made to stand out as they are bright colours like, yellow, red, white and black.

The cover uses a main image of Florence and The Machine, a new band of 2009. However it also features smaller images of other new bands of the year including The Big Pink and White Lies. By featuring more then one image on the cover it could attract more readers because everyone has a different genre of music they like.

The masthead is also different from my previous magazines as it is an abbreviation for New Musical Express and it is also fully shown unlike the others being slightly covered up. This is effective because the magazine is very popular like the others however it doesn't cover up the masthead to emphasise this.

The magazine itself features music of many genres including: rock, dance, hip-hop, metal and indie. This therefore relates to many people as it it includes many different genres. and therefore attracts a larger audience.

The magazine also includes news about celebrities and bands etc.
(http://www.ipcmedia.com/mediainfo/nme.pdf)

' Q' is a monthly music magazine and is published with Bauer media. It has a circulation of around 130,179.

'Since launch in 1986, Q has been the UK’s best selling music monthly magazine. With its unrivalled access it has delivered the world’s biggest music stars every month.'

'Every other month, Q - and its sister magazine, Mojo (also owned by Bauer) - have a special edition. These have been about musical times, genres, or a very important/influential musician.'

'Open minded experience seekers, the Q audience don’t define themselves by the music they listen to. Music is an important passion, but their love of music will never be to the detriment of their other passions, such as film, sport and comedy.'

Similar to my other magazines Q also features news about sport, comedy, film and politics. This creates a wider range of interest and would therefore attract a larger audience.

The cover of the magazine is noticed straightaway to be the 20th anniversary special from the banner type writing at the top.
The main image is of the well known singer Madonna. I think they use Madonna as she is known by people from many different times due to how long she has had a career. She is made to stand out as her clothing is a bright eye catching colour of red; this matches the background colour of the logo.

An unusual feature on the cover is the other article's featured down the left hand side as they usually contain several short stories which continue inside the magazine. However, this cover just says '20 Exclusive New Interviews', and names 20 artists which is effective as it informs the reader of whats inside without giving away too much.

To celebrate the fact that the magazine is a special edition for their 20th anniversary the magazine also features '20 greatest albums and tracks of Q's life.' This is most likely going to feature the best music throughout the year in the magazines choice.
(http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/Brands/Q/)

Rolling Stone magazine is issued every two weeks and is published by Jann. S Wenner a well known publisher of many American magazines. It focuses on music, politics and culture.

'Rolling Stone reinvented itself, hiring former FHM editor Ed Needham. The magazine started targeting younger readers and offering more sex-oriented content, which often focused on sexy young television or film actors as well as pop music.'

'The magazine has resumed its traditional mix of content, including in-depth political stories, and has seen circulation (currently at 1.4 million) and revenue rise. In 2007, the magazine's revenue was up 23.3 percent. Also in 2007, the magazine won a National Magazine Award.'

'Today, four decades since its founding by Jann Wenner, the Rolling Stone record reviews section is regarded by many sources as still one of the most influential around.'

In this issue they use a white layout for the background making everything on the magazine stand out.
Rolling Stone is a very popular magazine and they emphasise this by covering up some of the masthead. The masthead is silver and bold; its usual font which stands out on the white layout.

The main image is a medium close-up of the upcoming star, Zac Efron. He is wearing a white t-shirt which matches the background, and he is taking it off to attract the readers eye. I think this particular issue would attract a larger female audience then usual due to the image and main story of Zac Efron.

Down the left hand side is the inside contents of the magazine. The first thing to be noticed from this is the large red writing saying: 'The new American heart throb'. This indicates Zac Efron however it doesn't give any information on the story inside, keeping the audience guessing. I think they used the colour red to represent love rather then the possible hate as the headline indicates the star as a heart throb.

Underneath this, inside stories are also reveled and all of these are related to music and bands. They use the repetitive colours of silver and orange for these stories which still stand out on the white background.
However the magazine also features politics as one of the stories is about 'mosh-pit' killings which relates to real events that have happened in the news.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone#Today)