Bhangra Magazine research

1. Music Magazine Research -
Bhangra Magazine
By
Hamza
Butt
I have been given the brief of producing a music magazine aimed at a specific
target audience. There are a lot of music magazines in the media industry that’s
why it was a challenge for me to choose what genre my magazine will be based
on. I made the decision to produce a magazine that will be based around
Bhangra music, so to understand the Bhangra genre of music and to see who I
will be competing against I did some primary and secondary research. As you
can see the two magazines which I have chosen follow all the conventions of a
typical music magazine. The first magazine I am going to deconstruct is called
Brit Asian, the second magazine is called Blender and the third magazine is
called Stardust.

2. Conventions of
Magazines
• Mast head: The masthead of a magazine is usually refereed to be a nameplate of a magazine; it is usually bold and bright so it stands
out to the reader, it’s in a clear big font which makes it stand out, the masthead is usually used on the front cover as well as the
contents page. It is made in a style that makes it look unique and different from all other headlines in the magazine.
• Main Image: The main image is quite important for a magazine as it placed in the middle of the magazine and also it is the first thing
the readers see when they pick up the magazine. So it has to attract the reader the image has to be of a good size and it has to stand
out to the readers
• Cover lines: Magazines use a lot of a cover lines that usually are based around one image, a mistake made with cover lines is that
they are aimed at the picture which usually changes colour.
• Main Cover Lines: This is quite large as it takes up almost a quarter of the magazine, the cover line is usually in 3 different colours so
that it can stand out, the cover line is usually placed against the models shoulders who is on the magazine front cover.
• Selling line: short, sharp description of the titles main marketing point (for Cosmopolitan: The Worlds No 1 magazine for women).
• Left third: The left third of the magazine is vital for the sales in shops where the magazine’s full frontage is not shown, so the title must
be quite recognisable to readers as they will be a lot of different magazines placed there as well. The start of the masthead is
important here, as are short cover lines that are easy to read.
• Date Line: A date of publication is very important for a magazine as if it is a monthly magazine it hits the news stands the month
before the actual magazine is released. Also a price is meant to be included on the magazine.

3. Deconstruction of a
Music Magazine
Selling line: The selling line is a important
part of the magazine as it helps to catch the
Mast Head: The mast head readers eye, in this magazine the selling line Main Image: The main
is bold big and it stands out is ‘The worlds leading interactive Asian image is of a Bhangra and
so that the reader can see magazine’. This line is quite catchy and it RnB artist Jay Sean on the
the mast head. The mast attracts the right audience as well which is the front cover. The reason
head says Brit Asian which Asian ethnicity. they have used this image
represents the audience the is because jay Sean is
magazine is aimed at, also it quite famous, so to attract
relates to its audience as its audience they have
well. used this image.
Cover lines: The
Main Cover Line: cover lines in the
As you can see the magazine are quite
main cover line is bold and their get
based around the straight to the point
main image, it says with what they are
Jay Sean I came, I talking about, this
saw, I conquered. helps as it interreges
This is a very strong the reader to read on
cover line as it shows more to see the full
how he became the story.
star he is today and
the way he did it.

4. Deconstruction of a
Music Magazine
Selling line : The selling line is a M ast Head: The mast head
important part of the magazine as it is bold big and it stands out
helps to catch the readers eye, in this so that the reader can see
magazine the selling line is ‘INDIA’S the mast head. The mast
BIGGEST MUSIC AND head says Blender which
ENTERAINMENT MAGAZINE. This line represents the magazine as
attracts the right audience who are the not just for Bhangra and
Asian audience as it represents their Bollywood but also RnB and
music and their country and it also has hip hop music.
an actress to show this.
Date Line: In the bottom corner you
Main Cover Line: As you can see the main corner you can see a bar code and
cover line is based around the main image, it date of when the magazine was
reads ‘Kareena Kapoor Exclusive Bollywoods released, this is quite important as if
Hottest Diva Speaks’. This cover line is really the magazine is a monthly magazine
catchy as people will read this cover line and then it will hit the news stands a
will automatically want to read on, to see what month before its release. Also the
she says, also in the main cover line you can price is included for the customer to
see that Bollywood’s hottest is written in red know how much the magazine is
and it is very bold this has been done to Main Image: The main image is of Bollywood going to cost.
represent her as the hottest there is in leading actress Kareena Kapoor. The reason
bollywood this image has been used is to attract all
readers’ eyes towards the magazine, as
Kareena is a role model for Asian girls all over
the world.

5. Deconstruction of
Magazines
P ull Quote : The pull quote for this magazine is
“failure doesn’t bother me now –Priyanka Chopra. Mast head : The mast head of this
The pull quote sounds interesting this is why magazine is bold it has a bright colour this is
people will want to buy this because when people the reason what makes it stand out this is a
Main image: The main image for pick the magazine up and look at it and it says this good thing because with the title being bold
pull quote the people will want to but this it will attract the people and it will come to
this magazine is the Bollywood actor
magazine to read what the actress is saying and their eyes and It will make them buy the
with his sunglasses on, this image is
the will want to read her interview this is reason magazine.
going to be appealing to the girls
the pull quote is an important thing for the
because in the image as you can the
magazine.
actor is wearing his sunglasses and
his shirt is open and he is showing a
bit of his body this is reason the
image will be appealing to the girls Main cover line: The main cover line is
very important for a magazine the main
cover line is the thing that makes a
magazine so interesting. The main cover
line for this magazine is “who is
Images : There is also images of other bollywood’s next superstar”. This is
describing the actor on the front cover
bollywood actors in the magazine and
because he is one of the most successful
their stories the first picture is of Aamir
actors of the Bollywood industry right now.
khan who is another successful
The superstar is in bold big letters
bollywood actor he made one of 2009’s
biggest blockbuster. The second picture
is of bollywood actress the story about
her relationship with her co-star.

6. Analysis of a Brit Asian,
Blender & Stardust
As you can see the magazines above which I have deconstructed follow all conventions
that are to be included in a music magazine, all three magazines are different in their own
styles, as you can see all three magazines are presented with famous celebrities on the
front cover which represent the magazine and the content of the magazine, on the first one
the front cover has a dark background which is then followed with a bold picture which
then stands out and also makes the magazine stand out it also has a large mast head
which is placed behind the celebrities head however the mast head still stands out and can
still be seen by consumers, the magazine also has quite big headlines and also a selling
line which reads ‘The worlds leading interactive Asian magazine’ this is also a plus
point on behalf of the magazine as it is attracting its right audience. My second magazine
has a plain white background which is then replaced with a picture that brightens the front
cover up, these conventions help as this is what helps to attract customers to buy the
magazine as the celebrity has a big impact on the buying of the magazine as the celebrity
on the magazine is quite famous so seeing her on the front cover will help the magazine
to catch the attention of the target audience. Headlines included on the front cover are
short and quick to attract the readers eye, they entice the reader to read on and buy the
magazine. The third magazine which I have deconstructed is called Stardust, this also
follows all conventions and codes of a typical music and entertainment magazine, it has
the bold headlines and pull quotes that are made for the readers benefit.