Research
Introduction
The following research is all in relation to the brief that I have chosen: Brief 3, NuTunes Records. I have explored in depth the subject of logos, for example what they are, how and why they are used within the music industry, and exactly what makes an effective logo. I will be looking at several logos which will be split into two categories: record company logos and individual band/artist logos. I will use this information to help influence the decisions when creating my own logo for NuTunes Records. After this, I will begin to explore production company websites, looking into how these websites work in terms of content, layout, choice of language, colour, and text. When I have gained an understanding of these things, I will have a clearer idea of how my website for NuTunes Records should look, and how it should ‘speak’ to its audience; I will be completing this research because I have chosen to do the e-media platform for my practical work. Lastly, I will be looking at a selection of print material in relation to the music industry, for instance, tour flyers, posters, or advertisements/articles in music magazines. This research is important because I will need to have an understanding of what is typically included in a print material for bands/artists, as I have opted to do the print platform for my practical work.
Task 1 - investigating logos
In order to think about creating my own logo for NuTunes Records, I will firstly need to gain an understanding of what makes an effect logo on the whole. By finding out this information, I will be able to look at a logo, decide who is it aimed at, figure out how well it has been portrayed to the audience and then decide how well it is suited to it's purpose. This will be extremely helpful when considering what I need to do when creating my own logo.
From my research, I have discovered that logos should have a handful of important qualities. An effective logo should make a company memorable, and it should make a statement about that particular company, whether that be to show that the company is "cool" or "fun" or "unique" - the logo must represent the company in some way. This is important because the audience will need to recognise the company in some way, therefore the logo must have memorable qualities. In order for the logo to be memorable, the design must be simple. A simple design is key in company logos; it must have some intricate features but should be simple enough to make a quick statement. In addition to this, the logo design must use an appropriate font and meaningful colours. An appropriate font is vital when considering the design of a logo because the font must fit in with the aims of the company, for example, a logo for a classical music company should avoid harsh, clunky lettering and a logo company for rock music should stay clear of graceful, fancy lettering - even if it is more attractive to the designer. This is because the logo must convey the identity of the company. Meaningful colours link in with this, as the colours used in the logo should say something about the company itself. Colours and shades have different effects on people because of how they associate colours with other things. For instance, the colour red could be associated with danger or anger which are negative things, however some people might associate the colour red with love and passion. To reiterate, the colour choices for a logo must link in with the morals of the company. The logo must be appropriate in general. It needs to show what is being advertised; a logo for a music company needs to contain features that are relevant to music, for example, the logo would not contain a basketball if was representing music. This would be inappropriate as it would just confuse the audience, leaving them to question what the logo is actually trying to convey. Lastly, a logo should be timeless. This is important because logos cost money for advertising and timeless logos can last for a long period of time before needing to be adjusted/replaced.
In conclusion, logos should be memorable, simple, timeless, and should have an appropriate font with meaningful colours.
In order to create an effective logo for the music label Nu-Tunes, I will need to gain an understanding of what makes an effective logo on the whole. I have already identified the qualities that an effective logo requires in order to appeal to a target audience, and now I shall look for these qualities in a range of logos associated with the music industry; I will discover and analyse logos that represent record labels, and logos made for individual bands. Completing this research will give me a clear idea of how bands and record labels use their logo design to appeal to and suit a particular audience, and I will be looking into the contrast between the two:
Record labels logos:
Fueled By Ramen
This logo was taken from the official Fueled By Ramen website.Fueled By Ramen is a well-known record label that is home to the "best and brightest" punk-inspired pop/rock bands, some of which include international artists Paramore, FUN, Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes and Twenty One Pilots.
I have chosen this logo to analyse because I enjoy a lot of the music that the record label produces. The logo includes the name of the record label, "Fueled By Ramen" as well as a small image that represents a bowl of noodles. The reason behind the image of the noodles is because when the Fueled By Ramen record label first started out, the company wasn't well-known - or even successful - and the only food that the employers could afford to eat was Ramen (which is a Japanese noodle dish); the fact that the company is called "Fueled By Ramen" implies that the workers used Ramen as their 'fuel' or as a method of keeping themselves sustained and motivated! I personally think this is a catchy name, which shows originality as well as having a lot of thought go into it! The name is clearly personal to the origins of the label, and this suggests that the business is grateful to the public for how it has expanded and been accepted into society over time, which demonstrates how this record label is different to others.
I believe that the logo is fun, simple and memorable; it uses capital letters which 'stand out' to the viewer, giving the impression that this record label is one that is obvious amongst others, and therefore implying that the artists signed to this label are unique and intriguing. The font is used in the form of ' thick clunky-lettering' - it isn't fancy or elegant-looking, and it is used in bold which suggests the genre of music that the label produces, i.e. pop/rock artists. This is because pop/rock music has a rebellious feel to it which is reflected in the big, bold lettering used in the logo and this stands out to the viewer. The logo is simple: it includes only the name of the record label and a small, quirky symbol next to it - there is nothing else happening in the logo; this simplicity is needed to allow the logo to be memorable to the individual - if it is memorable, it is therefore recognisable. All successful record labels want their image to be recognised in the public eye, as this will generate interest of artists and consequently sales (money).
I think the logo is fun. The addition of the symbol for Ramen noodles is hugely eccentric beside the lettering; it makes the logo stand out from others, as most logos do not include such symbols, creating a unique image of the company and perhaps intriguing people to listen to their music. The symbol probably even seems odd to some - (the noodles symbol is commonly mistaken for a smiley face!) but this sense of 'weird' generates interest, and all record labels want their audience to be interested and engaged in their work, or else there wouldn't be much point to what they do.
The logo suggests that the record label would appeal to a more youthful audience of perhaps 16-24 year olds, who are interested in pop/rock music. This is mainly due to the logo being of a fun and "crazy" nature, which perhaps wouldn't appeal to an older person who would presumably enjoy more peaceful and formal genres of music such as classical or opera. I believe that the logo would appeal to both male and female, supported by the use of standard black lettering which could be seen as a neutral colour.
Looking at this logo has helped me to understand further the importance of effective logos; a logo must represent the company somehow, like the Fueled By Ramen logo has done by use of an iconic sign which shows the historical context of the company. I have learnt from logo that it is imperative to ensure that correct use of font, font size and colour is precise and suitable for the representation of the company; for example, the Fueled By Ramen logo uses big, bold lettering in a standard black colour to indicate to the audience that the label produces "bold" rock/indie music. These things make a logo effective in terms of audience and purpose, which is something that I will be considering when creating my own logo.
Rise Records
This logo is a representation of 'Rise Records'; the image was taken from the official website for this record label.Rise Records is an Oregan, USA-based record label, founded by Craig Ericson in 1991. This record label is one that is quite well-known to me, and I listen to the music of a few of the artists that are signed to it. In particular, I have chosen to have a closer look at this logo because I do feel as though it is a good example to use; the design is bold, eye-catching, and well suited to the genre of music that Rise Records produces through their artists (rock). These are qualities that I wish to pursue when creating my own logo for NuTunes.
At first glance, the logo seems fairly basic: there is a standard colour scheme of black and white used throughout, the name of the label 'Rise Records' at the bottom, and a big letter 'R' in the centre. However, once you take a closer look at the whole picture, you can see that there is a lot more detail in the logo. For example, the big letter 'R' in the centre, has been split into two halves (one half is coloured white, and the other black). This could be a representation of how Rise Records are appealing to both genders as their target audience (the colour white perhaps representing females, and black representing males) and the fact that both colours are united inside the letter 'R', could mean that there is an equality and unity between the genders, as both can appreciate the artists and music produced to this label.
Another example of detail in the logo, is how the letters of "Rise" are not completely straight, with the letter "S" not aligned with the others. I think this is particularly interesting, because it is sending a message to the audience that Rise Records is not like other labels. It is implying that this record label is different, bold, and perhaps even rebellious in the sense that because the letters aren't aligned, as they should be, Rise Records is making a statement about their company.
I like the original font used in this logo, it's not one that you can easily recognise, like Ariel, or New Times Roman - it is completely individual, which could be a representation of how Rise Records is a unique record label, with different artists and music. This idea would appeal to the audience, as they are looking at a label that is unlike any other, meaning that they can experience different qualities that Rise Records has to offer, that hasn't been seen anywhere else. This would seem exciting and intriguing to the audience. I also like how the font is bold, and therefore standing out amongst other labels - another idea that would seem interesting to the audience.
For all of the reasons mentioned above, I would conclude that the target audience for Rise Records is 15-24 year old male and females. I think that this recording label would really appeal to this age range, due to the older, more mature feel to it. There is a lot going on in the logo, and the detail shown within is something that can be appreciated by an older audience, more so than a younger one, who may just overlook it. The logo has a "dark" feel to it, perhaps reflecting the type of feelings and emotions that can extracted from the music and artists of this label, and the audience of the age group mentioned above could certainly understand the hint behind the design of the logo. Rise Records aims to appeal to a youthful audience due to the genre of music (rock/punk) that they produce through their artists; the majority of the artists signed to Rise Records are younger people, which is the usual type that would naturally appeal to a younger audience, as they feel that they can relate to them.
After looking at the logo for Rise Records, I can say that I now understand the importance of using detail to make a statement about the label. Of course, the level of detail would be dependent on the target audience, but just the tiniest amount of extra detail given can uplift the design and say a great deal about the morals and "ways" of the company. This is a really powerful and effective idea that allows the audience to connect with the label in question, and this idea is one that I will try to corporate into my own design for NuTunes Records.
Band logos:
Sleeping with Sirens
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| This logo was taken from the official Sleeping With Sirens website. |
Sleeping With Sirens are an American post-hardcore band from Orlando, Florida. The band is currently signed to Rise Records, and have been for a number of years. I have chosen to have a look at this band's logo, because I enjoy listening to their music and I think the logo has some good aspects to it.
The band's logo is fairly simple - there doesn't appear to be much going on. I like the simplicity of it, as it is sure to be easily remembered by the audience and fans; this is useful, because a memorable logo is one that is more likely to stay fresh in the mind of the audience.
A simple colour scheme of black and white has been used, which is a classic choice - the colours work really well together and contrast nicely, making the logo stand out and appeal to the eye. The font is bold, and eccentric, which could be a representation of the band and the genre of music that they produce, perhaps rock, or punk - types of music that are loud, bold, edgy. This representation is effective in terms of the audience, who are able to extract a message from the logo about the type of band Sleeping With Sirens are, and therefore can easily make a decision on whether this band is to their preference, or not. In the logo, the letter 'I' from 'Sleeping' and 'Sirens' is joined, and I think this is a clever touch, as it is showing that the band have a creative side to them, making them appear as unique to the audience.
Based on the judgement of the logo alone, I would say that Sleeping With Sirens are aiming to appeal through their music to a target audience of 16-25 year olds. The reason I think this, is due to the very basic, classic arrangement of the logo; there is a small, deliberate amount of detail shown in the logo, which I think would appeal more to an older, youthful audience who could appreciate this minimal amount of detail. Under 16 year olds would be more attracted to logos that have more going on in them, with varied colours, perhaps a small image somewhere; these are aspects that stand out and appeal more so to a younger audience as they feel as though they can interact with what they are seeing. A younger audience (15 and below) may feel as though this logo is too plain for them, and it may not appeal to them as much as it would for 16 year olds and above, who could understand the simplicity of it.
After looking at this first band logo, I can already see differences from this and record company logos The most obvious already, is the difference in detail: Rise Records have a logo that is jam-packed with detail, yet the design of the Sleeping With Sirens logo is fairly simple. This could be for a number of reasons; Sleeping With Sirens may have deliberately selected a logo like theirs because they feel that it suits the band and would appeal to their target audience. Rise Records chose for their company logo to be detailed and eye catching because these elements were required in order to make it stand out from other competitive labels. Nonetheless, I do believe that the logo for the band Sleeping With Sirens is effective in it's own way; it has a clear and clean design, is attractive to the eye, uses classic colours that can appeal to both genders, is specific to the target audience, and is a timeless design that is likely to look good on any website or other promotional means.
Paramore
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| This logo was taken from the official Paramore website. |
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band is currently signed to Fueled by Ramen recording label, and have been since April, 2005. I have chosen to analyse this logo because I know of this band, and enjoy the music that they produce through their record label. I have previously looked at Fueled by Ramen's logo, and it should be interesting to see the similarities and differences between a record company logo, and a band logo within that same company.
So, first of all, I can see that Paramore's logo is fairly simple. All that is shown, is the name of the band 'Paramore'. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the logo works really well; the way 'Paramore' is presented, looks as though it has been handwritten onto the logo. The font is bold, and eye-catching; I like this modern touch, because it shows Paramore as being young, fresh, and different to other bands. For this reason, I would say that Paramore aims to attract a youthful audience, perhaps 15-24. There's almost a sense of rebellion in this, as Paramore have taken a chance at being different with their logo, and are clearly wanting to stand out amongst other band logos - which I believe, they have achieved.
A classic choice of black and white colouring has been used in the logo, and this, in way, could be saying something about Paramore and the kind of music they create; the majority of bands that produce rock music are represented by darker colours in their logos, i.e. black, gray, dark blue, and this is because most people associate these colours with the genre of rock. An example of a rock band that supports this is Sleeping with Sirens, whose logo is made up of black and white colours. Black and white is a safe choice to make regarding colours - the colours work well together, and will fit nicely on any website, or poster, or magazine article, making the logo effective on the whole.
I can see a number of similarities between the Fueled by Ramen logo and Paramore's official band logo. The first, and most obvious, I think is the boldness of both logos. They also both stand out, and immediately catch the attention of the audience by use of font, layout, and simplicity. Remember, simple logos are memorable logos, and memorable logos are likely to be remembered and recognised easily. Fueled by Ramen's logo is more personal to the history of the company, whereas Paramore's logo is open to a modern interpretation. Both logos are effective in terms of suiting a particular audience, and share a similar style.
Summary
From my research so far of logos, I have discovered that the typical design of record company logos and the design of logos for individual artists, bands, and musicians are generally quite different.
Most record companies tend to stick with a professional-looking logo, because they are required to promote their label in the best possible way. But quite a few of them, I've learnt, still try to be creative and unique with their logo design, for example Fueled by Ramen, who included an iconic symbol in their logo which represented a part of their company history. Band and artist logos, on the other hand, have the freedom to be a bit more creative with their logos because they have to promote their music to the audience; their logo has to give some kind of meaning to the band/artist and the music they sell, as well as appealing to the specific target audience that they are aiming their work towards.
Creating my own logo
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| The first developed logo I have created for the brief which represents NuTunes Records. |
I believe that the logo I've created fits this criteria, due to the choices I made with the design. For instance, I chose a simple black and white colour scheme which not only is attractive to the eye, but it represents the image of 'rock and roll' (a genre of music that this label represents), and it becomes easy for the audience to identify. The simple colour scheme also will allow for the logo to easily fit onto any website, poster, magazine advertisement etc, meaning that the logo is versatile, and also timeless, as the logo can be used at any time without the need to be adjusted in any way.
I chose to use a basic font, Pompiere, which I believe is fitting for the representation of NuTunes Records: the font isn't overly bold and eccentric (like in some other designs I have seen), but it holds a sense of appeal by the elegance and style that it has. When I chose this font, I realised how smooth and sophisticated it was, and I thought that it could easily fit in with any advertisement that it appeared on, but not only this, the sophistication of it and it's ability to stand out is a good reflection of the recording label that it represents.
The reason I'd say that this logo is memorable is due to the originality of the music record symbol that I've included which follows 'Records'; the symbol is a representation of music, which is appropriate to what this recording label is about - the marketing of music recordings and music videos. The music symbol is a clear indication of this, in which the audience will be able to see when they look at the logo, and will therefore recognise, or have some sort of idea of what NuTunes Records is all about. Apart from the symbol, however, the logo does not have much else going on in it, which adds to the simplicity of it. Simplicity in a logo is vital (as identified in my previous research), and I believe that I have achieved a sense of simplicity in the design of my logo which is not too underwhelming, but instead adds to the effectiveness of the design.
I created this logo with the help of a website I discovered called postermywall.com, and one that I already knew of called picmonkey.com. The first website, postermywall.com, is an 'online Custom Poster and Photo Collage Maker', however, I have not used it for such functions and, instead, I used it for access to a particular font called 'Pompiere'. I chose the option of a solid black background to begin with, which lead to my decision of the nicely contrasting white font to go with it. After that, I simply chose the font, adjusted the size to 62, and then added in the image of the music record which would sit beside the text on the right. When I was satisfied with what I'd done, I downloaded the work, and I brought up picmonkey.com on a new tab. I opened up the work on this website and I used the cropping tool to cut down the size, then I finished off by using the sharpen tool to make the text more bold and clear.
Task 2 - investigating e-media (production companies and official band/artist websites)
Production companies
Universal Music Group
The first production company I have chosen to look at is "Universal Music Group". I think it is a good example to begin with, as this a well-known and popular music production business that many people in the public eye recognise (it is the largest American music corporation).
Logo
Firstly, I think the logo for this company is very effective; the colour scheme is good and works well, and with the contrast of black and white, it appeals to the eye. The font is in simple lettering, giving it an elegant look, and the letters are in capital, making it stand out and look bold. I think Universal have made these choices because they want to give their company a sophisticated and mature look; an idea that would certainly appeal to an audience of above 15 years. The logo is fairly basic, and therefore memorable, containing the name of the company and a simple image of the globe; the relevance of the globe could be interpreted in different ways, but I think the main reason for it being there is that it is showing Universal Music Group to be the centre of the world, in regards to the music industry. This is supported by the fact that "Universal" is positioned in the centre of the globe image on the logo. By simply looking at this logo, I would say that it aims to appeal to a target audience of 15-30 year olds, due to the simplicity and boldness of the design, which can be appreciated by an older, more mature group of people. Furthermore, the black and white colour scheme is neutral, meaning that it can appeal to both male and females; this suggests that the Universal Music Group aims to appeal to an audience of male and female.
Slogan
The Universal Music Group does not have a slogan for their production company. This could be explained by the fact that Universal doesn't feel that a slogan is needed to support their company because the logo does this just fine, but I feel that this is a shame, as slogans are useful tools that tend to stick with the audience; they are clever language devices that display creativity, as well as being memorable and recognisable; perhaps Universal thought that their particular style of business - modern, original, sophisticated - did not suit the idea of a company slogan, and that this was maybe an idea more suited to a production company that aims to appeal to a younger audience, rather than a company that appeals to a more mature audience.
Website
Here is a screen shot to show the Universal Music Group website.
I like the layout of this home page because everything is set out in a way which is simple, organised, and easy to understand, which shows that Universal have clearly thought about the needs of their target audience when considering the layout of their website, as generally people want to be able to find what they're looking for quickly and simply. I believe that the intended target audience is for male and females above the age of 15 to possibly around 30 years, purely because of the sophisticated and mature layout of the website, that I think older people would appreciate more.
The website gives an example of different artists who are signed to this production company, and it continues to change each individual artist with a link to their page; I think this is effective, because it allows to the audience to have an insight to the various artists that are represented by Universal, which I believe is useful so that the audience can easily find/follow the artists that they love. This clearly shows that Universal have thought about their target audience when considering the content of their website, as younger people would certainly appreciate this more because they can easily access the specific bands/artists/musicians that they are fans of.
Below the toolbar, it shows the latest news regarding the production company, and to the right of this, there is a small section which portrays the most up-to-date tweets from artists that are represented by Universal. Underneath this is a section called 'Videos', and there is a selection of music videos from the artists that are available to view through the website. And finally, there is a section under this which gives information about 'New Releases' of albums from the artists.
I like how Universal have included a 'News' section for all to see, because it allows the audience to be kept up to date with useful information about the company. Not only this, the audience can feel as though they have direct connection with Universal, and they can easily find out important information about the bands/artists they like without missing a thing. This is particularly important for young people, who (in general) like to be kept up to date with all gossip, or any other change of circumstances regarding various bands/artists. I also like how on the website there is the section that they call 'Artist Buzz', in which the latest tweets from the more popular artists are shown. Young people would appreciate this, because similarly to how they are being kept up to date with Universal from the news section, they are also given the opportunity to hear from the artists directly through their personal Twitter accounts, which I think they would like, because young people of his generation are all about social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter; this I believe is Universals way of trying to reach out to their target audience through the particular things that they can be associated with, i.e. social networking sites. The 'Videos' and 'New Releases' section is effective in a similar way, because by giving the links to music videos of popular artists, Universal are grabbing the attention of their youthful target audience, who are more familiar with accessing music videos and iTunes through the Internet.
Universal maintains a formal, professional style throughout each individual page. The colour scheme is mainly black or light/dark blue for text, which I think represents the company as being professional and sophisticated. I like the fact that they use these colours consistently throughout each page of the website, as it shows that Universal are again, professional and organised, which is a positive message to send to the audience.
On the whole, Universal give a good impression of their production company through their website. Their target audience is clearly for younger people who are interested in music, but they do not limit themselves with this, and give the website a sophisticated look, which shows other age groups that they are welcome to follow Universal too. Universal show that they understand the needs of their youthful target audience well, mainly through the use of social networking sites to promote their business, but not only this - they make the layout of the website simple, and understandable, so that a younger audience would be able to easily access the information that they are looking for.
Sony BMG
Sony Music is a global recorded music company that is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre. Some of the music artists representing Sony Music include Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, The Civil Wars, Justin Timberlake, Labrinth, One Direction, Selena Gomez and R. Kelly.
Logo
The logo is clear and straight to the point, giving a fair representation of the company. From taking just one glance at the logo, you can see what it is representing: Sony Music. This makes the logo effective because it allows to audience to quickly identify the company. The logo is fairly simple, including just the name of the company and what seems to be a painted red curve in the centre. I like the use of capital lettering in "SONY MUSIC" because it makes a quick statement; the letters are bold and stand out, suggesting that Sony Music is bold and stands out from other music companies. The painted red curve is unique - I like the vibrant red colouring of it and it contrasts well with the white background; this is effective because not only does it give the logo an 'edge', but it appeals to the eye, causing a person's attention to be drawn towards it. I like how the red curve looks as though it has been painted onto the logo, because this displays a creative side to Sony Music; not many music companies take this same approach to their logo design, and tend to go for a design that is plain, simple, and straight to the point. Using the idea of a splash of paint allows the audience to indulge in their creative side too, as the design is open to interpretation, and this means that the audience can take whatever view they wish in regards to the logo. In a way, this says something about the intended audience of Sony Music; perhaps Sony is aiming to appeal to an youthful audience with their logo design, an audience that can appreciate the creative approach that they have taken with their logo, and an audience that this type of style would appeal to. This type of audience (15-24 year olds) would be fun, lively, and easily entertained.
The vividness of the red curve in comparison to the standard white background could be a representation of how Sony Music is different to other music companies (Sony Music being the fresh, vibrant red colour and other music companies being the plain, standard white background).
The logo can be easily recognised as it uses the same font that is used for all of Sony products, meaning that more people will be likely to remember the logo by associating it with products they have already seen.
Overall, I think the logo is good. It is simple, yet unique, which makes it memorable and therefore recognisable. The unique features of the design i.e. the dashing red curve, contribute towards making the logo timeless, which basically means that the logo will not need to be adapted because the design is so striking.
Slogan
Unlike Universal Music Group, Sony do have a company slogan. Their slogan is 'make.believe', which is used across all of Sony's products. Sony actually gave an explanation through an image to what their company slogan means, and it was this:
Website
Website link: www.sonymusic.com
On this website, there are many links which lead to different pages, and there is a lot going on all across the page. The logo for Sony Music is displayed at the top left corner for all to see. Sony's website provides links to different pages such as the homepage, featured artists, facts and figures, executives, labels, international, news, careers and a contact page. Beside this, it also gives a brief example of who the artists are that are signed up to this music production company, with a link to their page. Underneath this, it gives a description of the production company, as well as some of the good points about their business. Below this, it displays the latest news regarding the production company, and on the right hand side, it gives a selection of the US record labels that they are responsible for. Finally, the website shows the latest tweets.
The website is presented as formal and professional, and everything fits into place. The pages aren't crowded, but there is enough information to fill the space. Sony do not overwhelm you with information - they give the audience a choice of what they would like to view by using links to other places. The layout is organised, and simple; the audience would be able to navigate their way through the pages easily because everything is set out so that you can see it clearly. The links that are presented at the top allows the audience to see exactly where each section of information is, and this makes it simple for them, so that they can find the information they need without spending a lot of time looking for it. This shows that Sony have clearly thought about the needs of the audience, who would presumably appreciate being able to navigate with ease through the website.
Sony have made themselves recognisable by putting their company logo at the top of the page, and many people will be able to see the logo and identify the website as belonging to Sony straight away. This is useful, and makes things clear to the audience. Sony have been consistent throughout the website with font; all links are displayed in a red colour, and the main, important bits of information and all headings are displayed in capital letters. I like how they have kept this house style; by putting the links in red, they stand out to the audience, and it also makes the website colourful and vibrant. Similarly, by making important information bold in capital letters, the audience is made aware of the stuff that matters, i.e. the headings, and information in the news section.
Sony have a huge range of artists that are signed up to their company - young, old, male, female, individual artists/bands, and a selection of musical genres... And all of this information about the artists is presented on the website. This makes me think that Sony are aiming to attract an audience who like a range of music genres, widening their target market. I've noticed that most the artists presented on the site are fairly young, which suggests to me that their target audience are also of a youth age - Sony have accustomed to this by using bright colours in their design of the site, interactions of social media and news from artists which a younger audience would appreciate so that they can be kept 'up-to-date'. Also, after looking at their website, I would say that Sony aims to appeal to an audience of 16-30 year olds, male and female. This is because, the website has a mature, sophisticated style, but has aspects of it that will appeal to the older, youthful generation. One of main aspects is the use of social networking sites, i.e. Twitter, which Sony have incorporated into their website to show the audience what their artists are getting up to in their lives. Social media is mostly associated with younger people, as oppose to the older generation who were not brought up around the technology that the younger generation were, and they might not necessarily understand the symbolism behind social networking references. Using social media is Sony's way of appealing to young people, as this would create a common ground between them both, and this way, Sony are able to directly communicate information about their company through social networking sites to young people.
Overall, I have learnt from looking at Sony's logo, brand message, and company website that it is important to find a common ground with the target audience. This enables you to connect with the audience through perhaps things that they enjoy, i.e. social networking sites, or even things that they are familiar with, like Facebook. By doing this, you will automatically stand out to the audience and catch their attention, instead of presenting them with information that will bore them, and cause them to switch off, and lose interest with what is being shown to them. Sony has also taught me that it is important to maintain a house style, i.e. with font, colour, text size, and page layout. If these aspects are not kept consistent, your company will be made to look unprofessional, unorganised, and the audience will be unimpressed with what they see. A production company is supposed to be a formal, professional business to be relied on by their audience to provide updates, music, and a positive spirit of the industry.
Summary
After evaluating production company websites, I now have a better idea of how a website linked to the music industry should look, and the different ways it can connect and appeal to a specific target audience. I have made comparisons between the two websites that I evaluated above:
Universal taught me that a production company website should look professional through the content and layout, yet still look appealing, by use of font, colour, and how the information is presented. By doing this, the production company can maintain a professional and sophisticated image, which is essential for any production company who must sustain a professional outlook at all times. A website that looks professional, is a website that is impressive to an audience.
Sony has taught me that it is important to find a common ground with the target audience, which allows you to connect with them directly through things that they can be associated with. For example, Sony used social media as a way to interact with a younger audience, by including a section on the main page of the website about Twitter, and the latest tweets of some of their most popular artists. This would have automatically caught the audiences attention, and drawn them into the website, as social media is something that they understand and enjoy. I will consider using this technique when thinking about creating my own website for NuTunes.
Universal and Sony differ with their font, and house style colours on their websites; for example, Sony predominantly use the colour red for all links, whereas Universal use the colour blue. This shows a contrast between the two production companies, and also shows that are they are two completely different types of business. I think being different is important, as you realistically want your production company to stand out from some of the more competitive ones, i.e. Syco, Sony BMG, Universal, Underground, so that you can keep the audience interested with what you have to offer that is different to anything they've seen before. If all production companies were the same, there would be nothing to separate them, and the audience would be confused as to which production company suits them best. A production company must have a USP (unique selling point), so something that makes them different from all of the other companies. It is these differences that make the company unique, original, and it is these individual differences that appeal to the many different target audiences.
Band/artist official websites
Paramore website
This is a screenshot of Paramore's official band website. Paramore is an American rock band, and I feel as though the presentation of their website reflects this genre of music. A dark colour palette has been used, which is typical of rock artists who tend to stick to darker colours as this is what represents them best to their audience and fans. The design of the site is fairly basic, though it has many sections for the viewer to look at to keep them occupied when visiting the website, such as social media interactions (a live Twitter feed from the band) and blog posts. The use of social media allows the band to connect and appeal to youth fans who are more familiar with technology and use social media in their everyday lives - this is something I will consider using when creating my own site. I feel as though the site represents the band well; the original band logo is shown at the top of the page which allows the audience to identify Paramore, and the personality of the band is portrayed through photographs of them together, having fun with each other. I can see that there is an ongoing theme of black, white and turquoise which is effective because it gives this band a sense of indentity and individuality amongst similar artists. When I create my website for the e-media platform, I will consider using a dark colour palette and a precise colour theme, i.e. black and red/blue/white, as I've learnt from my example of Paramore's website that it is important to have defining qualities to separate artists from others; it also displays personality and a coherent design.Task 3 - investigating print
For this next part of my research, I will be looking at a range of print material that is in relation to the music industry, i.e. tour promotional posters, magazine adverts and press releases to see what they usually include. I will be commenting on the different features that I see which are included in print material, as well as choices in layout, font, text, and images, all with reference to appropriate examples. This research is imperative - as I have chosen the print platform, which means that I will need to have a basic understanding of how print material is typically presented to an audience so I can incorporate this into my own work.
Sleeping With Sirens Promotional Tour Poster
This is a promotional tour poster for the American post-hardcore band ''Sleeping With Sirens''. This type of print material can feature in a music magazine such as Q, or Kerrang, where advertisements of bands/tours/albums are highly supported and will often appear inside. You could also expect to find this kind of print material at venues where the band are going to perform, for example, the O2 Academy in Birmingham. Venues often use posters such as this one to advertise upcoming bands/artists that are going to perform there as a way to encourage those who visit to purchase tickets. This would ensure that sales are successful, that the audience are aware of these upcoming concerts, and ultimately that the turn-out to the events are good.
I have noticed that at the top of this poster, the name of the band is presented in big, bold, red letters which immediately stand out from the rest of the information shown. This is effective, as the audience will be able to recognise what/who the poster is advertising straight away. The colour selection is important here; by using the colour red in the title, it makes the information stand out massively, and the connotations of this colour are passion, anger, love, aggression, etc, which could be a representation of some of the qualities of this band. The house style colour of this poster is red, white, and black; I think this was a sensible choice, as these colours work well with each other, and it makes the poster looks professional and appealing to the eye. The poster includes a photograph of the band underneath the title, and this is effective as the audience will quickly be able to recognise the band when they see the poster, or for those who do not know the band, it allows them to see what they look like and therefore be able to make some sort of quick judgement on whether this looks like the kind of band that they would enjoy listening to, and/or supporting. Beneath the photo of the band is the name of the tour, along with dates of the shows and the venues in which they are being held. There is also key information about where the audience can purchase tickets for the shows. I like how this has been included on the poster because it is straight to the point, and has all of the relevant information that is important to the audience displayed clearly. There are also a number of logos which represent different record labels and production companies that are responsible for the band, for example the logo for Rise Records (located at the bottom right) which is the record label that has this band signed to them. I think this is effective because it gives extra information to the audience about the roots of this band, and the companies that are associated with them; this is especially important to those in the audience who might like to seek out extra information about the band through these references given; the band's official website is also stated in bold, capital letters at the bottom of the poster, which I find effective for similar reasons.
On the whole, I think this is a clean poster design. I like the open use of the colour red, as it makes certain bits of information stand out on the poster as it is eye-catching. A good example I can think of this is the name of the band which is presented in big, bold red letters, as well as the names of the venues that they will be making appearances at on their tour; I suppose this is important for getting the main points of information across to the audience, whose attention will be immediately turned towards the bits in red. This poster looks like the typical sort you would see being advertised in venues, along with other posters for different bands; however, I don't see it, myself, featuring as a regular magazine advert due to the white background that is uses, which wouldn't typically fit in with the standard dark house-style colours that are kept in most magazines that advertise bands who follow this particular genre of music.
On the whole, I think this is a clean poster design. I like the open use of the colour red, as it makes certain bits of information stand out on the poster as it is eye-catching. A good example I can think of this is the name of the band which is presented in big, bold red letters, as well as the names of the venues that they will be making appearances at on their tour; I suppose this is important for getting the main points of information across to the audience, whose attention will be immediately turned towards the bits in red. This poster looks like the typical sort you would see being advertised in venues, along with other posters for different bands; however, I don't see it, myself, featuring as a regular magazine advert due to the white background that is uses, which wouldn't typically fit in with the standard dark house-style colours that are kept in most magazines that advertise bands who follow this particular genre of music.
The 1975 Promotional Tour Poster
This is another example of a promotional tour poster. This time, however, it is focused on the band 'The 1975', promoting their self-named debut tour. I have chosen this poster in particular to focus on because it is very different to the last poster I looked at, in terms of choices in house-style colour, content and layout. The only colours used in this poster are black and white (unlike the previous poster which used red as well); the poster has a pure black background, and all of the text is presented in white. I personally think that this is a good choice for a house-style, as black and white work well together, and also, this is a style that is attractive to the eye and could easily appeal to a wider audience. This particular style in layout is quite simple, but easy for the audience to read and understand without anything to disturb/lose concentration of the main focus of the poster: to provide information about The 1975's tour. The title is at the top, in big, bold letters (in a much bigger font that any of the other text), and it follows the house style by using the colour white. I've noticed that the title uses the official font that this band uses frequently, i.e. for albums, merchandise, in magazines etc, which I think is effective, as it maintains consistency, and it allows the audience to identify the band straight away. It also gives this poster some sort of official status, as when the audience recognises the font used in the title, (if they're fans or know of this band) they will automatically know that the information given is reliable and genuine.; I've noticed in my research that an official logo also helps to do this. I like the simplicity and originality of this poster, I feel like it's straight to the point and presents all of the important information in a clear and logical way which is easy for the audience to understand. The only downside to this poster, is that because no photo of the band has been included, some of the audience (who perhaps do not know The 1975 that well) could get confused and therefore, probably won't be willing to buy tickets. However, if there was a photo of the band, the audience might be able to recognise them by their faces, or if they do not know them, they could make a judgement by the appearance of this band on whether or not they seem like the sort who they would enjoy listening to (as some people make judgements on appearance). As usual, at the bottom end of the poster there are details included about where the audience can purchase there tickets for the shows listed; this is good because the audience will know how to go about buying tickets quickly and simply without having to find out this information elsewhere. All in all, this promotional poster follows the basic structure of print material which is similar to this, and although different, it holds a sense of originality which I think will be very popular amongst the audience. When it comes to creating my own print pieces, I will bare these techniques in mind.
Press Release for The Strokes
This is an example of a press release. I have chosen to look at something like this because it might be something that I'm interested in creating myself when I come to starting my practical work. From what I've learnt about press releases for bands on the internet, they are usually sent to writers or journalists at magazines and newspapers to announce a new album, tour, or other news in the band's life. Press releases bring exposure to musical groups, and they can help to make them more well known in the public eye.
This double-page press release for the band ''The Strokes''; on the page on the left, it announces the release of this band's album and gives some information about the band in general, for example where they are from and the release date of the album. On the page on the right, there is a track list of the album and a few subheadings such as 'highlights' (of the album); 'Angles' campaign to include'; 'the top 10 sales markets'; and the 'top 10 index markets'. Along with this, there is a few examples of other albums to purchase.
I think the layout and content of this press release is effective; I like how the name of the band has been presented as the main title at the top of each page, it has purposely been put in a bigger font than the rest of the text to make it stand out as being important, which allows our focus to be immediately drawn to The Strokes. I also like how a photo of the band has been included, because it allows the audience to see what the band members look like, which helps, especially if we haven't been introduced to this band before, so that we can easily identify them in the future. Including a section of text to give extra information about the band is a good idea; it would give the writer/journalist some ideas about the band, and some things that they could write about to promote them. Furthermore, I have noticed that the house-style colours for this material are predominantly black and white; there is a plain black background and all text is in white, which is exactly the same as the print material I analysed above (The 1975 promotional poster). This is an effective house style to use, as the colours work well together, and help to create material that is attractive and appealing to an audience. This press release includes relevant information about the band, which helps to persuade the audience to find out more about them and, if they like what they read, they could possibly even go on to purchase their album. The information on the right-hand side is also relevant; a full track list of the album is given, which is helpful for those who might not want to physically go out and buy the album, but perhaps would prefer to download the songs instead. This way, they can make a note of the songs and then go on to download them at a later time that is suitable to them. I also like how this particular press release includes a 'highlights' section, which identifies the achievements of the band; by including this information, the audience can take notice of what this band has accomplished, so it's more likely that after reading this press release, they will be impressed with what they see and will be encouraged to go and purchase the album.
On the whole, I think this press release is pretty successful; the content provides useful information to the audience, and the layout and house style colours are effective and would be appealing to an audience. When it comes to creating my own print material for the practical task, I might consider creating a press release similar to this (but obviously in a different style) because I feel that this is a good example to base my own design on due to the way it 'speaks' to its audience.
Conclusion
Based on my research, to summarise, I think that the logo I have created matches the criteria of being simple, appropriate, versatile, timeless, memorable and professional which makes it effective on the whole. I created my logo for NuTunes with the intention of it fitting in well in my print and E-Media work and I believe the choices I made with the final design reflects this. I have decided for the E-Media task that the website I create will follow a specific house style which fits a youth audience. The site will be appropriate to fit its purpose and will show coherence and consistency with my print material. For the print task, I will create three promotional pieces which fit the requirements of appealing to a youth audience which follows a certain style that is conventional. For both my website and print material, I will carefully assess the design and structure as well as colours and font choice, ensuring that a particular level of consistency is maintained throughout.
