RESEARCH ON BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

BACKGROUND AND OWNERSHIP

Billboard was first established in 1894 as a trade paper for the bill posting industry. Few years later, it started to include news of live entertainment such as circuses, amusement parks, carnivals and fairs. In 1909, it introduced motion pictures and started operating in the radio in the 1920s. Jukebox industry was instituted in the 1930s, there upon Billboard started writing charts and news. On the 1950s, it began presenting the cover information of the television industry, so the news about live entertainments was handed over to another magazine. Currently, the publisher of Billboard magazine is Tommy Page along with editorial director Bill Werde.

CONTENT AND APPROACH TO MUSIC

Genre of magazine;

Billboard magazine does not concentrate on one particular genre of music and therefore is wider audiences are obtainable.

As the content page contains news, reviews and statistic for various of music genres with radio play, music video, links internet activity associated and retail of music updates.

Style of magazine;The tone and register is formal and cultured to appeal to the target audience. This move the audiences away from the disobedient type who could be perhaps interested in heavy metal type of magazine. However, the content is engaging and faintly amusing which works to appeal to target audience.

CONTENT AND APPROACH TO MUSIC – CONTINUE…

Reader Profile;

KEY STATS:Male – 35%Female – 65%Average Age - 18

Music; Listen to multi genre music. Keeps up with main stream. Invest in concerts. DVD and poster.Fashion; Conscious about fashion. Shops in Topshop/TopmanFILMS: Interested in films, also spends money on DVDs or/and sometimes attends the cinema. TECHNOLOGY: advance in technology, owns a smarts phone with internet available. Spends about 3 hours a day using internet. Also has Facebook to be updated with the billboard daily news. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: Parties/Pubs , Cinema and Concerts. READERS SPEND (PER YEAR ON ENTERTAINMENT):£100 - £500 OCCUPATION: works in HMV part time. Attends college as well.

EDITORIAL CONTENT

What sort of message the editor is leaving?

Editor of Billboard magazine is influencing their audience to different culture of popular music. Regularly focusing on main stream music. The editor is presenting multi genre to their audience in order to juggle decision on the type of music they would normally listen to.

ANALYSIS OF DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD- LAYOUT

The layout of the first double page is rather simple divided into 4 sections; yellow bar (“THE LASTEST NEWS FROM .biz”), advertisement for “HELP” (located on the top of the page), masthead (“UPFRONT”) and the story “Second Time Around”.

Second page follows similar layout with yellow bar and house style of the color yellow, sky blue and black.

The layout of this double page spread is quite original because it is different from other magazines. For example, 5 small image are located on top of the page to inform the readers about their “HELP” and encourage them follow through their guidance. The small images has related support of the caption written in each images. Perhaps to indicate who is offering the guidance.

On the first pages there is a image of both Beyoncé and Taylor Swift suggesting they are the focal point of this article.

This double page includes close-up and mid-shot images. Examples of mid-shot; image of Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and image of Genovese. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s image takes up a quarter of the first page. Therefore the editor is quarterly relying on the image to entice the reader into reading this article. Both of their fans will defiantly be encouraged to read further because fans want to develop the their understanding of their idols.

Examples of close proximity images are; 5 small image and Ben Sheffner.

The image and text amount has been equally contributed to attract audience. Depending on the reader, whether they are intruded by the text or/and image, so the editor has involved both text and images equally to incite reader who respond to both kinds (text and/or image).

Basic colour; yellow, lime, sky blue and black follows throughout this double page spread.

ANALYSIS OF DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD- LANGUAGE

Sub-heading in the yellow bar provides alteration such as “MYSPACE MUSIC” and “SPOTIFY SCORES” to attract readers which encourages them to carry on reading the following text.

Most of the readers probably already watched the “Grammy” award, therefore Billboard is capturing and review on the highlighted nominees. However this speech main focuses on “Taylor Swift” and “Beyoncé” as there story intrudes the readers because of Beyoncé support unlike Kaye West’s conflict (“disrupted Swift’s acceptance speech”) .

Subject is repeated 5 times to notify this article is discussing about “Grammy” nomination. Repetition of “Grammy” in the introduction of this article is quite abundance as it is used 3 three time. Perchance to remind the readers the subject. Later on, towards the near end, the article concludes by the sentence involving the word “Grammys”. This represent a strong hold of the subject and indicates the importance of “Grammys” to the readers. Also acts as a highlighter.

Varieties of punctuation such as question mark, exclamation mark and full-stop has used composited within this article to add variation in order to engage readers. For example, “Concert Live!!” has double exclamation marks for double response from the readers. Meaning, two exclamation marks emphasis the point to the readers. Rhetorical questions such as “Might the middling ratings effect the nomination special's future?”, this is making the readers think, therefore this involves the reader.

Fillers is included within some quotation in this article which formats a relaxed register. Hence it is informal and there a sense of personal opinion which also indicates that the person who is speaking is thinking. The usage of fillers connects the readers and this article as they acknowledge the personal statement. Example of fillers; “network is committed…” and “I Am … Sasha Fierce”.

“album”, “record”, “chart” and “soundtrack” are jargons for the music industry which suggest the reader about the topic not only the topic of this article but also about this magazine.

Hyperbole like “biggest” emphasis and encourage the readers to think that the “Countdown” is the perhaps the “Biggest” night.

Within the yellow bar, “offers” are indicated to the readers. In order to maintain billboard’s readers, they included “unlimited” music to listen to.

ANALYSIS OF DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD- LANGUAGE

The yellow bar contains information about the important events and news such as Taylor Swift hosted the “Saturday Night Live”, Adam Lambert’s “scheduled performances” has been cancelled and finally news of “SUPER BOWL” event which is informing the readers about “Who will perform”. All of the subheading in the yellow bar is short summary which appeals to the readers and persuades them to read the details as well. Short terms as “FCC” is an jargon indicating a media organiser.

“NEW BLOOD” is written in bold black capital letters to engage the readers to read further.

This page is divided into 3 sections; “LASTEST NEWS FROM .biz” (yellow section), “NEW BLOOD” (article) and “LEGAL MATTERS” (article). Two articles are includes in one page. However the masthead from each article is written in different style of font and different colours. This is to collect different responses from the readers for each article. Black font is often recognised as potential reflecting on the article suggesting it should be noticed by the readers as it is clear and easy to font to read. On the other hand, blue font correlates with power , dependable and trustworthy as this article is based on the law’s of copyright. However the blue font is written in stencil style of font, following the content font style.

Jargon of occupation, “CMA”, “ACTA”, “WSM” and “RIAA” . This suggest to the readers about platforms of the music industry. Emotive language; “sadly” is used with the quotation of Adam Lambert. This conveys the feeling of sympathy , hence the readers will have an emotional response to the text. Along with the text “sadly”, also an emoticon is illustrated of a sad facial expression to reflect Adam’s facial expression, “ :( “. Using both text and emoticon add emphasis on the point of Adam’s feeling.

Imperative is conveyed, “see Q&A, page 16” along with the page reference in order persuade and command the readers to read the following page. Both of the article has a brief introduction of the person in each image. As they are involved in more technical terms in the music industry, readers might not recognise who they are, so the brief introduction of them involves the readers because they acknowledge who “Ben Sheffner” and “Genovese” are. Rhetorical question is answered

which influence the readers to think and question themselves . However, the article answers it.

“abuzz” is an onomatopoeia to emphasis the power of “blogosphere”. This also entice the readers to read the whole article.

PROMOTING THE INDUSTRY AND OTHER PRODUCT

On the fifth page of the “Billboard” magazine within the “LASTEST NEW” (yellow bar), “unlimited free playlisting” is offered. This represent that Billboard is promoting themselves. As the offer is “free”, readers are intruded by their kindness, making the readers spread mouth-to-mouth advertisement of “Billboard”.

Within the content page, promotion of this industry is developed as they advertise their “Online” exclusive and “Events” .

PROMOTION THE INDUSTRY AND OTHER PRODUCT

Website

Within the billboard’s website, there is “Sharing Billboard” containing variety of social network which Billboard is connected with. This allows the readers to be updates through other media.

PROMOTION THE INDUSTRY AND OTHER PRODUCT

This is an app which offer the audience free access to Billboard charts, allowing consumers to follow by categories; genre, artist and charts. However people who pay have access to articles, information of the latest issue.

The online extension of Billboard magazine, Billboard.biz. This online extension allows the readers to follow up Billboards latest new.

FUTURE OF MUSIC MAGAZINE

Social media has a significant impact on music industries. Most of which is positive, however some may be for worst. Media has changed the way we buy and listen to music, perceiving new music are now limited. It is now an enormous network with 1.2 billion members just on Facebook. It allows every person to have immediate interactions with music industry. Music industry can take advantage on the fact most of their potential customers will be informed about the product within a second of time. The post can also be shared, rated, recommended to the viewer’s friends (it acts as a mouth-to-mouth advertising) and can be commented on. Social media is a very strong network which connects the audience and artist. Artist uses social media to shape their image and build their brand. It can also provide musicians with an easy way to land sponsorships and brand partnership. There are several reasons why social networking sites have impact on music industry. Which are; there is a range of consumption, wide audience (be it the difference of age or gender) and marketing has been more direct.

I presume in the future, Online biz, Billboard’s website and App will be most common ways read articles or any magazine in general. Considering global warming is an issue, deforestation is now reducing as the process emits pollution meaning less paper is produced. Producing magazine involve large amount of papers, therefore music magazine could either use recycled paper or/and post their magazine’s in a website. On the other hand, the ink of printing is considered hazardous to our health and whilst producing and using ink, pollution is emitted. Meaning, in the future printing magazine on paper as well as using ink will be reduced because it is harmful to the environment.