Magazine Adverts

I bought both the NME magazine and also the Q magazines to study the magazine adverts within them.
There are all kinds of different adverts - some are very simplitic and some are complex. Many adverts tend to be more focused on the tour dates for well established artists with the digipack being advertised in small print. However there are also many adverts which are purly advertising the digipacks.

They are set out in many different ways within the music magazines, some filling half a page, some a full page and some are either just a quarter of a page. Depending on the marketing budget and the type of magazine that the artists are advertising in will relate to the size of the advert.

I have scanned in all the adverts from both the NME magazine and Q magazine and I have annoted the different types to show the range and left others blank as extra examples

NME Music Magazine

This images shows the artists sitting at a
table. This image and design has been
taken from the digipack however, quotes
have been added about the music. This
is effective because it represents the
digipack exactly.





This image shows a page which 3 adverts have
been placed on. There are two at the top and one
large at the bottom. The one at the bottom is advertising a DVD
which shows that they mix up the types of adverts and do not
group all of one type together.



Q Magazine



This is plain and simple but effective. It includes the artists name and their special collection. The artist name is big enough not to require an image to go with it. As its advertising a collection, there is no need for quotes as they are tracks that the fans will have heard before.



This is an interesting advert as it is advertising his original demo CDs that made him a legend. He fills a lot of the page as this is an important advert and he is looking at the audience which causes them to make a connection with him. Again it contains his website address so that fans will investigate further. It also contains the digipack covers for the cds so that the fans know what to look out for. The use of monochrome with the important writing in blue makes this stand out.

I like this advert because it is very simple but contains all the relevant infomation for fans. The use of the pattern in the top image creates a quirky feel which contrasts the black background. Again in this image there is no artist - whih must mean they are a well developed band. It is also advertising the fact that it is an Expanded edition and like the Bob Dylan advert above the important infomation is in purple to make it stand out from the less relevant infomation. There are many quotes included from fans and others which helps the fans to see what they are getting and what others thought of the album

These two adverts have been placed together as they have similar content. The positioning of the artist is very similar and the text is very large and eye catching. These adverts are aimed at a specific audience and so have been grouped together. Again they contain the release dates, quotes and the artists website.

From these adverts I think that our advert needs to include the following:

1. The name of the artist and the ablum - similar or same font as digipack.
2. Release date
3. Quotes
4. Artist website
5. A posed picture of the group to attract the fans - almost like a poster image - different from the album.
6. Either tour dates and where to buy tickets or a web address for dates and tickets.

Digipack

These are just some rough sketches of some possible digipack ideas.
As our video contains many images of artifical objects in a natural surrounding I have built on this idea.

The following image gave me some inspriration on an image.

This image takes the idea of artificial in a natural envrionment. I have taken this image and built on it, adding the band members to it to show the audience who they are.

Paramore have used the image I had imagined for our front cover on their back cover. This therefore linkes with the front cover as it displays them as a band on the back cover. However, for our front cover as stated above I imagined the band members at different positions on the sofa.

This image takes the sof idea in a natural environment as shown in the Paramore image but places the band members around the sofa i.e. member sitting in front, member standing next to it, member sitting on back of sofa and member sitting on the sofa.

This image takes the 'Out of a Hat' idea and this is an example of the band members sitting on the hat. However the band member in front I don't think will be possible because of the illusion that is created on the following image:

This image is a possible back cover. I have had the thought of placing the band members in the skate park at the top of the ramp either with their legs hanging over and the track names written down the ramp or them standing at the top and facing over the back and the image taken from the back.

Artist and Album Distribution Channels

I have been researching into the current possible distribution channels for an artist. This is because we have to consider how and to which outlets our artist's music will be distributed once it has been made. For example, we have to ask ourselves whether it is worth releasing the album so it is available to buy in-store in an increasing technological age or whether the revenue gained will outweigh the high costs involved in the distribution of the product.

One option is that we could offer the song on iTunes or other digital services for download at a certain price per track.  This is something that global retail giants HMV are considering, the relaunching their digital service in order to directly challenge iTunes by "offering every Top 40 track for just 40p and selected chart albums from £4.99." The website will work alongside "Spotify and other digital offerings".

We can consider each of these outlets for the distribution of our products:

•  iTunes 

• This diagram shows the rapid incline in iTunes Store Downloads over the seven year period since its inception. In 2007, the number of downloads grew dramatically because of the launch of the iPhone - showing that synergy between technological products increases sales. Ease of access has been the key unique selling point of the iTunes Store as people's lifestyles are busier than ever. 
• There has been a "36.3% increase in sales year-on-year to 10 million units."
• Spotify 
• This is a free service (paid for through advertising) offering "unlimited streaming from a range of major and independent record labels" for example Sony and EMI. Although we cannot distribute our tracks directly to Spotify, if our song was able to be viewed on Spotify this would mean another digital service promoting (or showing) songs by our artist to the public. This could widen our potential target audience (and increase revenue stream) as there will be people on this site who would not normally be subjected to this music. They could decide whether they like the artist and song and then choose whether they want to buy the song/album.
• In Store 
• Looking at the latest "BPI (British Phonographic Industry) figures for 2010" its shows a continuing decrease in album sales  "it’s a modest 2.5% fall-off". It may saturate sales if the album was released in store in this current climate.

Market and Distribution Research

I have been researching into the ways that music and videos are distributed and the artists are promoted.
One of the main ways they are distributed is through the artists website and the Music Channels such as MTV. The reason why Music channels are a main distributor to the audience is that they attract the fans who then go on to buy the videos off places like ITunes.

The following are ways that music videos are viewed and distributed and a way of bringing in the fans: 

• TV adverts - these generally are advertising genreal merchandise of the artists which makes the fans investigate further on the interenet into the offers, which leads them to stumble across new videos and music.
• Fan Email and Band Profiles- sign ups for example on the artists website you can sign up to receive emails about new releases and details of the band and therefore receive emails when they release new music videos. Band profiles such as Facebook pages and blogs keep the fans informed of the latest new releases and products.
• Magazine and Newspaper Articles - in music magazines such as NME often their will be articles written about bands latest releases and therefore those that read the magazines and articles who are fans will look further into the releases. Also this is a way for the genral public to be aware of what is going on in the music industry for example the recent release of Take That tickets and the problems which went on with the purchase of tickets.
• Virus Videos/ Viral Marketing - this is a marketing technique that uses pre-existing social networks to produce awareness of bands and artists as well as other things. They tend to take the form of video clips, interactive flash games, images, brandable software and other forms. This is another technique that is used by some artists to target music fans and it tends to be used more on the music websites.
• Website recommendations - These are good for fans as it allows for them to see new releases from the bands and artists. An example of a website recommendation is from Amazon. If you have been searching on amazon and looking at artists and their merchandise then if you have an account with amazon they will email you and tell you of other products that related to your searches. This is a way of fans being able to keep up to date with the artists products.
• YouTube adverts and recommendations - On YouTube when you watch a video, once it is finished, a screen comes up saying other videos you may be interested in/you may want to watch. This is another way for artists to build views on the web as people will move from one video to another.
• ITunes -  The Itunes store recognises the type of music you listen too and purchase and on the homepage of the itunes store will tell you what you may like to purchase. This is another way for fans to access their favourite artsits and benefits the artists from the sales it makes.
• Buses - In big cities, there is genreally buses used to advertise concerts and new releases so this again is another way for artists to make the public and their fans aware of the new releases.
• Other - Websites like google and facebook tend to advertise on side bars and some artists will advertise here to make the most out of a mass audience.

Digipack Rearch

I have been looking at digipacks and although they are not from our genre I have been looking at the types of digipacks there are and what they include.
There are standard digipacks and then there are the special addition digipacks.
The special edition digipacks have similar content to standard digipacks however the inserts tend to have more information about the band like history about them and also tend to have more images from performances and also older digipacks. They also often tend to contain more than one disk.

An example of this is below from the Platinum Edition digipack for Queen Greatest Hits I, II and III.

This is an extra special digipack because it contains disks from three different albums and the inlay is extra long with a history of all of their albums and many photos from their time as a band.
This is a well establised, very famous band and therefore they are able to spend more on their products, as they have a developed fan base and so know from their past sucess that they are going to do well.

The Glee digipack is an example of a digipack that has been produced from a TV series. It is still a digipack but is linked to the characters and songs from the show - they are not an established band.

The digipack is shown below.

As this is linked to the TV show much of the inlay is filled with images from the shows, in this case the double page spread in the middle was a full image of the whole cast. This is still a popular digipack with the fans of the TV show and it is another way for the producers to make money.

Artist Analysis for Music Video and Digipack

No Doubt: This image is something we should take inspiration from. This shows the band playing their instruments, all wearing suits (all tied
together by the theme of black and white).


Paramore: This image shows the four band members lying in the middle of the road. I believe this is something we should recreate as it encapulates the bare, abandoned, lonely feel that our video shows. The band members keep their individuality by the costumes they are wearing, however the lead singer catches the eye as she is nearest the camera and is the only one wearing white and therefore more visable.

Elements of both these photos can be used:

- mise en scene (both)
- location (paramore)
- sight lines (paramore)
- iconography (both)

"Said The Hatter" Artist Logo

When we were thinking about our artist's image and digipacks today, I also drew up a logo for our artist (albeit very basic). I was basing it on the Arctic Monkeys logo from their album Favourite Worst Nightmare, which has jagged edges and is quite wacky:

 I am aware that mine is not quite so good, but I still want to have our band image/logo/iconography to have a colourful, weird and random aspect to it - to conform to the independent 'indie' genre. Here is my initial idea for "Said The Hatter", even if the logo is weak, the principles it draws upon could be taken into account:

Audience Feedback

I have started to collect some audience feedback on our song, as it seems as though this has been missed out during our planning stage.
Though Facebook I haveasked for (and received) audience feedback on the song, specifically:

• Whether they personally liked the song
• There genre preference
• What age group would listen to the song / the target audience
• What gender (if so) is this song aimed at
• Would it make any difference to sales if the band were to become signed

DigiPack Analysis and Research

Due to problems regarding the cast being unavailable to film and certain props and locations also being unavailable, I have decided to look ahead and start researching into what is included in an album package or digipack.


Here are three examples of digipacks/albums presented by artists within the music industry, which I will look into (ahead of putting together our own digipack):

• Linkin Park  (Alternative Rock/Nu-Metal) - Meteora - Enhanced CD for the same reason as Oasis
• You Me At Six (Alternative Rock) - Hold Me Down
• Oasis (Brit Pop) - Time Flies 1994-2009 - Special Digipack, made for those fans want something extra other than the conventional CD of the 16 or so hits

Linkin Park - Meteora

Front Cover: This album cover shows a young man (subtle hint about target audience) with a graffiti can, which has connotations of layering paint. This is just like the heavy levels of sampling and production that were involved in the sound of this album. The scaffolding in the album art may represent the ‘music in the making’ similar to buildings, as they also have to be constructed.

Middle Cover (within CD case): This image shows a close up of several spray can tops, continuing the theme of this image (prop) being shown throughout the digipack. Exactly like the front cover, this image helps to portray the large amount of sampling involved in the sound of the album because of the purpose of this item.




Back Cover: Tracklist on the left hand side. It also shows that this particular CD is ‘enhanced’, equipped with bonus features that were not present on the original version of the album. This allows the audience to get ‘closer’ to the band as they are allowed to see how the album was constructed, it also gives them the feeling of exclusivity i.e. not everyone will hold this album with these particular features. By the artist releasing this CD and allowing the audience to get ‘closer’ to them, it strengthens the relationship between them. This relationship would be proven as audiences will feel more obliged to go to their concert or purchase merchandise or further CDs, improving sales numbers for the artist.

Inlay:

Picture of Band Members: The picture is divided into six: one space/image for each band member. This allows them to showcase their different personalities but also showcases the band’s solidarity as the six images are still only shown as one whole one.

Lyrics and Comments: This shows the lyrics to the song, something which is repeated for all others on the album. It also writes about the constructing of the song in one paragraph, so the audience feel more attached to the work of the artist as they now have a deeper insight into the lengthy processes of making it.

Middle Page: Montage shot showing ‘snippets’ of what it is like being in a band, making the artist have power and become the envy of the audience. This helps to show the band’s position, illustrating their success. It can also personalise the band so that they are more accessible to the audience.

You Me At Six - Hold Me Down

Front Cover: This image on the front cover includes an explosion of colour coming from the centre (of looks to be a person) possibly signifying pouring their heart and soul into both the record and the
relationship (on which the album’s music is based). It shows a man posed in the crucifix position with arms out wide, showing he may be giving up, however this could also depict an angel (as his saviour). It looks as though a female is placed by his left shoulder indicating she was his inspiration for this album. The artist and album name look as if they have been written on a piece of scrap paper and held up by some tape. This may illustrate the state of mind of the lead singer about this relationship,  that the bare minimum has been done to hold the paper up i.e. he is just about surviving (linking back to him in the crucifix position). It is interesting to note that the front does not show an image of the band, but this band are not from the indie genre so different conventions may apply.

Back Cover: The track names have been written on scrap paper and held up by tape once again, showing a thread of consistency and theme throughout the album (from front to back)


CD: It continues with the main colour theme of green from the album as well as the image of roses. A hatching effect has been added to this image in order to please the audience as it is now more aesthetically pleasing but also to show that (the rose – signifying that love is blossoming) his love has been tainted and is no longer pure.

Inlay:

First Page: The first page continues theme of love/loss with images of red roses placed on the end of the pages, possibly signifying the start and end of a relationship which is further eluded to by the music on the album

Second Page: The second page shows a picture of the band in the centre of the page (on the centre page of the inlay). It gives the audience to visualise the band and start to build a personal relationship with them. All the band members are looking straight forward to (you), the lead singer is shown slightly off-centre possibly conforming to a music stereotype.

Oasis - Time Flies 1994-2009


This album is different from the usual presentation of an album or digipack as it is a greatest hits collection; it comemerates the existence of this band for the duration of the 15 years they made music. 

Front Cover: This digipack is presented as a special digipack for those who paid extra for additional on the album like: the music videos of all 27 singles on the album, the band's last ever live gig recorded as well as the 2-Disc album of songs itself. Therefore the digipack is presented as a box and not as a conventional CD (to differentiate between the two editions but to also give those fans who bought this edition something extra) however the front cover design does not differ from the original edition to the extended edition.
It illustrates the band's iconic iconography in the top left hand corner, which has appeared on the majority of their previous studio albums. This helps to identify with and please their (built up) fanbase as this has almost become an expectation of this particular artist. It shows the crowds at a packed out Oasis gig eagerly awaiting their arrival (similar to the person who bought this record eagerly awaiting to hear the music). It helps to convey the size of the band within the industry, it is a bold statement playing on the reputation of the band and does not even require any images of the band members on the front cover.

Back Cover: The back cover's image is the reverse of the front cover - where audiences were waiting to hear the music, now the gig (and album) has finished, it demonstrates the clear up at the end of the concert. This may also indicate to audiences that the album is supposed to be presented as a live performance (in as much as the presentation and track listing, not the sound). So the theme of a concert has been started and ended as we 'journey' through the album. This is something I would want to consider when creating our digipack.

CD: The CDs are contained in pockets. On these, there are audience members shown at an Oasis live concert, maintaining the strong theme of celebrating this band's work and it being illustrated as another gig.

Inlay: The digipack is also sold with a booket, inside it shows quotes from fans of the band which again enhances the status of the band. On the first page (important as as introduction) there is a picture of a fan holding a Union Jack flag indicating this global band's origins, something which they are proud of and (obviously) want to illustrate.

All of this may have been done to 'preserve' the band's legacy in years to come.