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DIGITAL / PRINT MAGAZINE COMPARISON

Music magazines are magazine dedicated to music culture. This

type of magazine usually consists of interviews, music new, photo
shoots, music reviews, essays and record reviews. There is a wide
scale variety of magazines which cover all genres of music.

Billboard, Q and Kerrang are three very well known and successful
music magazine companies, who share different target audiences.
Magazin Cover Article
e

Billboard

Q
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KERRAN
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Between all three magazines there are many differences meaning

the genre, target audience but also many similarities from simple
key attributes for example how the magazines are constructed,
(cinematography, mise-en-scene and anchorage).

Similarities:
All three magazines consist of trending celebrities (attracts
viewer)
All magazines have an anchorage text relating to the central
image.
Q and Billboard magazine both have only one focus on as their
central image, and both central images are taken with close
up / medium shots, this creates less distance with the reader
and the artist making the relationship more personal.
Q and Kerrang share the same target audience so there is a
clear resemblance and similarity in their construction (the bold
edgy selection of images throughout the magazine).
Q magazine and KERRANG! both are UK based magazines.
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Differences:
Q Magazine & KERRANG!

The main colour in this front

cover is white and red. Red is a
colour, which symbolises danger,
anger and strength. White
however can resemble purity and
dominance.
This simple edit already allows the
reader to understand the genre of
the magazine.

The main image uses a close up

shot of singer Dave Ghrol from
Foo fighters and the rest of his
band members are placed in his
mouth inside a pit of flames and fire. This is again used to really
enforce the type content that will be within the magazine. The
technique is edgy and urban rather than having stereotypical
conventions of a rock music magazine for example, dark dull colours
(enforcing an emo atmosphere).

Qs magazine is targeted at adults in the age range of 25 and

above.

The main theme in this front cover

is black and white. The colour
black resemble many atmospheres
in this instance it is resembling
power. The colour white usually
gives the create a mood of purity
but together the contrast of black
and white create an atmosphere of
excitement and edge as the two
opposite shades collide.
The adrenaline and excitement
from the colours of the magazine
also match with the central image
consisting of an Avenged
Sevenfold a heavy metal band.

KERRANG!s target audience is

followers of rock music from ages
18 upwards, their target audience
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stemming from a teen age creates an understanding of as to why

the theme of rock is blatant and exaggerated in the front cover.

There are key advantages of traditional publishing for quality

control, before any content is publicised it will undergo many
literacy agencies, editing and production making sure the magazine
is of a high standard. Print media allows you to choose your own
space for advertisement meaning you can control you expenses on
advertisement. Another benefit that it is traditional meaning it has
been occurring for years after years making it a normality to
consumers and readers as they are used to reading a glossy
magazine rather than digital version.

With all pros there is a con, a disadvantage of print publishing is

that the audience is shrinking, as modern times go on people are
now dependent on social media for their news updates as well
socialising with peers to keeping update with celebrities on a more
personalised platform. Another disadvantage is ad clutter as
minor as this default is, it bothers many readers as the source pages
on the magazine are filled with advertisements.

Individual differences:
Billboard Magazine

The main colour in this front cover is

red. In addition to Rihannas
seductive pose and erotic choice of
clothing Rihannas matching red lips
and hair allow Rihanna to not only
look fierce but to create an
atmosphere of musty adventure.

Billboards target audience is young

adults starting from aged 16-26 who
are followers of various genres, as
the post several genre type of news.

Unlike Q and KERRANG! Billboard

magazine is a digital magazine
meaning that none of their content is
paper printed.
This is key, because it is understandable as to why their target
audience is from as young 16. 94% of teenagers use social media
everyday meaning they are dependent on it, this in fact, is a
security blanket for the publishers as they are reassured that their
readers will be reoccurring.
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There are many advantages to digital magazine publishing, for

instance being able to deliver content across multiple platforms,
increasing magazine distribution on a global scale and having a
lower production and on-going publishing cost (maximising
revenue). Another advantage of digital publishing is being able to
open new sustainable revenue channels through advertising and
having free publicity by social media.

However, there are slight disadvantages of publishing digitally for

example ease of theft, whilst the magazine is share and distributed
to millions of people daily the chance pirating increasing causing to
loss of revenue to the rights holder. Another con is not financial but
it is effects the reader when reading, the experience of holding a
magazine is gone causing them to not savour every moment.
Also when reading digitally readers tend to skim through the pages
rather than read due an undetectable urge to hurry.

In conclusion even though there are negatives about digital

publishing, times are changing and technology is increasing causing
people to become more and more dependent on their devices
whether that be phones, tablets or laptops, which reasons as to
digital publishing is more ideal.