Research planning: Websites

I have been studying three different artist's websites to see what they feature on their websites, and how they promote and relate their website design to their music. Looking at three different artist's websites will help to create my ideas and how i would design my website for the unsigned artist, this way i can see what i need to include and how i would advertise their music and keep the artist's image/theme on the page.
If we do create a website for the unsigned artist that Grace and I are making a music video to, we have researched and collected ideas which would help us to create and design the website to the visual style of the artist which we have created.

Eminem
Eminem's website is http://www.eminem.com/, this website address is a simple and easy way to remember and access the site as it simply the artists name, so it is hard to forget the website address.
In the Top Left hand corner in big, Eminem features his Brand Logo of his name with the backwards "E", this signifies that his audience are on the right website and that they know it is him due to the branding.
On the Home page Eminem has had his website designed to keep with the urban theme of the sky-scrapers, this is how Eminem has been able to promote and keep to the theme of his most recent album "Recovery", like the digi-pack design for the album the font colours are also kept white and red relating the name "Recovery" and the colours of emergency services. Also featuring on the home page are videos of behind the scene shots of "Love the way you lie" and "Not Afraid" which gives the audience and fans an insight of what Eminem does and how they film.
At the very bottom of the home page there are the logos of record companies such as "Shady" and "Goliath" this indecates the small advertismenet of the companies.
On the collumns to the right it indecates what social neworking sites (using the logos of the networks sites) you can find Eninem on for example Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.
Also featuring in the right hand collumn is a adevertisement for Eminems "HiP Hop Channel" advertising that its commercial free and is all day, seven days a week. It also says that when you sign up for it the first thirty days of the channel you get free.
At the top of the collumn you have the new song Eminem has brought out, "No Love", which has the "iTunes" button undernieth indecating where you can purchase the song online, legally.
At the Top of the Home page you can click on other pages on Eminem's website such as News, Albums, Videos, Events, Community and Store which fans can access easily is they want to look for Eminem's concert or tour dates, watch his music videos easily online, buy promotional merchandising and keep up to date with the latest news about Eminem.
You can sign up on Eminems website as a fan and recieve newsletters ect. This also helps Eminem to see how many fans he has attracted, and if he can retrieve any ideas and wants that the fans might want him to do for a next song or music video.


Kiss
Looking at Kiss's website, http://www.kissonline.com/ , their theme has been set along the heavy rock theme, as they have used the design and photographics of fire as the background continuing with the rebellish reputation the band have created for themselves. Also behind the branding of the bands name are bright rows of stage lights creating the idea of exciting, outgoing, head bopping ideas which signifies the bands songs and attitudes.
At the top there is a photo of the four members in the band on the right next to their brand name, where their audience can identify the band easily, for ressurance of the right website.
To the left collumn of the website there is a "Dr Pepper" sponser advertisement for way to find out about the tour dates which Kiss will be holding. Beneith that a small list of what social networks Kiss have joined for their fans to find and add them if so. This makes it easier for Kiss to see how many fans they have and what ideas and wants their audience might imply.
To the right of the home page there are advertisement for contests which their fans can compete in to win a guitar signed by Kiss, this is a good way to promote themselves and for their audiences to get involved with the band and entertainment.
On the Home page middle section you will find posts of fans which have taken photos of themselves dressed in the Kiss style with the face paint, youw ill also find a post about when Gene Simmons is going to be on Candian TV and other posts to do with one of the members of the bands birthday and other news updates with their audience can find.
At the top of the homepage under the bands branding and picture, there is a banner going across where you can enter different pages of the sites such as news, tours, Kiss army, letters, history, multimedia, Links and Kiss shop, this way their audience can find out what the band is up to and buy prmotional merchandise from the website. Also the fans can read about the history Kiss have had and general knowledge of the band.
On the website you can sign up to become a member of the Kiss fan, this again signifies to the band how many fans they have.






Florence and the Machine
On home page of Florence and the machine website, which is www.florenceandthemachine.net/, when you enter the site, automatically a music video to the right is Florence and The Machine playing "You Got the Love" so her audience and fans can immidiately listen and visually see the music video, it also shows other music videos which Florence and The Machine have made after the first music video. This has the audience involved straight away with the artists songs.
Looking on the website there is a very unique and indifferent theme to the website, which has been influenced by the style in which Florence and The Machine is dressed and comes along as. As the side labels down the side where you can click to go onto other pages of the website they have been featured on what looks like lungs made out of material, which act real by expanding as if they are breathing, this adds to her abnormality, it is also been influence by the name of one of her albums "Between two Lungs".
In the middle section at the top beneith the advertising banner, is a music player which can select what the audience wants to hear on the music video to the right of the page. Beneith that is the "Florence and the Machine" Brand logo for the audience to be able to signify if the website is the correct site. There is a Picture of Florence and the Machine below for her audience to be able to recognise her straight away.
Under the Picture of Florence and the Machine is the news and blog section in the middle, where you can see the latested updates about Florence and the Machine, this makes it easier for her audience to access the information, and for her audience to keep up to date with up coming events.
Futher down the home page, at the bottom, to the right had corner, is the record labels logo in small so people can idenitfy who she records with and also their way of advertising themselves but only slightly.
To the bottom of the right hand collumn there is a logo signifying that Florence and the Machine got voted as part of "Albums of the Year" by "Barclaycards Mercury Prize"

Research planning: CD cover design

Florence and the Machine
The front cover and the back cover of the CD have both got the same colour theme of being black as the background with white font, this creates a bold and eye catching image for the audience visually.
As you can see florence is in a noncomformist outfit on the front cover, which seem to be a kind of mixed earthy colours and shabby giving the "dog" style effect, linking with the song title, as its animalistic. This is her way of approaching a unique audience, also the outfit can seem attractive to the eye as its unsual. The pose of Florence is also very outstanding and strange which attracts her unique auidence to look at her CD cover.
On the cover "Florence and the Machine" has been written in a particular font, which as you can see is simple but slightly swirly in white font, making it vibrant on the cover. The reason for the particular font is for her fans to identify her easily and quickly when looking for her CD's, it also signifies herself, as it's part of her own brand.

Eminem

On Eminems recovery album he has linked the idea of "Recovery" on his albums as he uses this white cross on a red circle giving identification of a hospital or medical indecation.
Both the front and back cover have tall tower blocked buildings, thyis fits in with his urban theme that Eninem has created. The Glass box with a TV and sofa with Eminem on the sofa indecates what his music is going top be about, as it's about his life and how he feels isolated from the world and his struggle through his drug abuse stage.

The way in which Eminem is dressed on the front and back cover, is very urban styled, with casual trainers, jeans and a trackie type jacket, with keeps to his regular imagery of his gangster and urban dress sense. This makes things easier for his audience to recogonise him not only through his label but his style.
On the back cover the track numbers are in red and the track names are in white, this keeps to the theme of the "Recovery" cross design he uses on the front and as the CD design.
Eminem has created a Logo brand for his name, which is havaing a backwards "E" on the second "E" in his name, this makes it eaiser for his audience to identify his music in music stores and also to identify him as a person and artist.

Rihanna

Rihanna's cover for her single "Don't stop the music" has a sophiscated and mature cover to single, having a purpley grey colour fading to black.

Rihanna has been positioned posing on the front cover in a white classy dressing, making herself outstand from the dark background. The way in which she has been positioned is suggesting she has abit of attitude in a mature mannor. Her air placed over her face shows the mysteriousness of Rihanna and how not alot of poeple know about her, but her music only.

The way in which Rihannas name has been written was her branding of her name at that time, whereas it has changed to a different more edge one now.

The Name of the song title has been written in a plain simple font in white linking Rihannas colour of clothing with the title, signifying a sense of sophisicated song has been produced by Rihanna.

The CD print has been set the same as the cover without Rihanna posing and the label printed on small on the disc showing what company she recorded with, it is their way of promoting the record label. Rihannas name brand has been featured on the disc identifying that the CD has got her song on it.

The back of the CD cover has the brand and song title just like on the front and disc cover. On the back there is the songs which is featured on the disc, and the name of the remix.

there is in small print in white about the record labels names.

The recored label logos feature at the left hand bottom corner of the back cover shwoing where she recored her song.

Research planning: Branding

Rihanna:
Rihanna has recently branded created a new brand and star image to herself. She has gone from being "innocent, young, good girl" to a "rebellious, wips and chains bad girl". This distinctive branding has made her look ultimately different to other artists around the world.
As you can see to the right the album cover for "Rated R" Rihanna has created a bold identity logo which is a "R" which looks like it has been carved in giving the "rebellious" image, as you can see to the left. This brand name logo for herself features on all her recent and up coming album/single covers now, so people can identify her straight away.
I also think the dark make-up, metal rings and metal accessories on her arm and hand which cover half her face shows the kind of "metal, bad girl" effect to her, which will also maybe attract new audiences who usually won't listen to her music.

This new star image of branding that Rihanna has created is also showing she is introducing a new style of music which she has moved onto, and being recognised as fiesty and dissident.
Rihanna's image is all about looking like a rebel and standing out from the other artists, which this new image has succeeded. All her outfits are now rebellious themed, as to the right the outfit Rihanna is wearing in the Eminem video "Love the way you Lie" she is wearing leather jacket, gloves and boots, with a black top and shorts, a chain round her neck and her excessively bright red hair, this sums up her new rebellious look. The flames in the background also give her the "bad girl" look even more to suggest her new image to the Rihanna's and Eminem's audience.

Research planning: Having a niche?

Blink 182

Niche Market- is where you are focusing on specific ways to attract a certain audience, this can range from design of a music cover to the artists/bands apparance.

Blink 182 is a band which are quite unique. They reached out to a particular audience who like rock type music and are in the heavy tattooing type of culture.
To begin with they started gigging in local areas until they became more popular and then they started to venture out of their local areas to other places, this is where they got noticed when they started gigging in other places, and then they signed onto Universal Music Group.
The way they dressed in their grudgey type of clothing, flat-caps and tattoos all over their bodies, their image helped to attract their audience, it also gives them a distinct "niche" to themselves. They also do promotion wrist bands with "Blink 182" on them which their particular audience they attract where alot of, which helps them to reach out to their audience.
This has shown me that when it comes to creating a music video, to give a distinct niche I'll need to have the album cover which stands out to a particular audience, and also the image of the band/artist will have to dress iappropiately to attract the right audience as well as the music.

Research planning: The online revolution

Online revolution is a good way for artist and bands to promote themselves to their global auidences.

Pixie lott:

Pixie Lott is an artist who has a online website where she can keep her auidence updated with all the latest news, song and ablums which she will be releasing. Looking on her website www.pixielott.com I have seen that her fans write posts onto a wall where she can see what her auidences think and like about her, which helps her for the future as she can see how she can entertain her audiences to her full potential.
On her website you can find out when she is playing on tours and what events she will be attending, you can also buy promotion items online which Pixie Lott on t-shirts. You can look up her music and her videos on her website, you can also read about the singer on her website and how she has been discovered.
This is alot easier for her audiences to find out about what Pixie Lott is doing, also it's a good way to directly communicate with her Audience as in modern day life today alot of people are using the internet rather than buying magazines or going to record shops to buy their music, whereas now they can download her tunes from online such as "iTunes".

Immortal Technique:

Immortal technique is a artist who does not have a website, but does have other sources of online broadcasting, such as he is signed onto MySpace where his fans can listen to his music.
Although Immortal Technique has not got a website He is quite well known, not globally although in some way He is, as He is a American Rapper who has somehow managed to become known in the UK. This is mostly trhough " word of mouth " that people would have heard of him.
Immortal Technique had one of his songs featured in a film called "BAADASSSSS" Where people who watched the films could hear his music and research his music on websites such as MySpace. Also this was a good way to attract the audience he wanted to attract, as it was a certain genre of film that his music was used in, this gave the audience which watched the film the chance to listen to the his music as they wouldn't watch the film unless they liked that certain genre of film which also features a certain genre of music to go with the film. I think that was a good and interesting way to attract his audience without having his own offical website.
Immortal Technique also featured on some magazine covers such as "URB" which is a music magazine, he promoted himself on this magazine by being the front cover, attracting his "gangster and criminal type" audience easily. As they would be likely to read these types of magazines and certainly be drawn to read about him as he was on the front cover

Research planning: Target Audience

Britney Spears:
I researched Britneys Spears methods of promotion on the official website www.britneyspears.com. I found that britney has created and released a application which can be downloaded onto the iPhone or iPod Touch, this is easy for her target audiences to access and download the application where her audience can keep up-to-date with all the latest news about Britney and your able to hear preveiws of the her music and even pretend to take photos with her. Although it is a good way of promoting Britneys music it also may be limited to some of her target audiences who do not own one of the devices, so they are not able to download the app.
You can listen to Britneys music on www.myspace.com aswell where you can listen to some of her songs before buying her album or single, if makes it easy for her target audiences to access her music easily.
Britney has featured lots of items to promote herself and her music to her audience, as she has released several perfumes, a charm bracelet which has circus features from her album "Circus".
These are good ways of promoting herself and her music as it grabs her target audience which is mainly young girls, she has done this very well as she has made her promotion items to be major girl accessories like her perfumes, braclets and clothing which young girls are drawn to.
Britney became very successful as she became a role model for young girls and her music was extremely popular to her global audience.








Take That:
I looked at the way "Take That" have promoted themselves and their music to the public. I found on the website www.takethat.com a "Take That" beach ball which is something really different to come across, and a good way to promote themselves dure to the fact it's summer and people would be either going to the beach or on holiday where they can use the beach ball. They also sell clothing such as t-shirts and sweatshirts.
"Take that" did their own red nose, for the charity event "Red nose day" this helped with their popularity as they involved themselves in a charity case showing their kindness which gave them global awarness, esspecially as the money went to charity aswell. They had tea-towels designed and mugs which are useful in everyday life, they also have made an irish flag mug with the "Take That" logo.
"Take That" also are signed up on Twitter and myspace where their audiences which is mainly women can access and keep up-to-date with the latest news of "Take That" and hear previews of their music. These are good ways of promoting themselves as their fans who are more middle aged women can buy their promotion items which are aimed at them for example the tea-towel.
They became very successful as their music was brillant but also they became UK hotties where women adored them for their bodies and looks aswell as their music.


Eminem:
I have visted the eminems offical website, www.eminem.com, and saw they way he promoted himself and his music to the public.
Eminem has used one of the most popular ways of self promotion by posting his music videos onto the website and even "behind the scene shots" of the videos, where his audience are able to access the music quickly and easily but also be able to see what they do in eminems videos aswell, giving them a closer view of what happens.
Eminem has features himself onto social sites like facebook, so he is able to keep them up-to-date on his news and also to collect as many fans as possible, he also is on myspace where you can listen to some of songs from his albums and to give your view on the songs which helps Eminem with his public feedback.
There is a advertisement on Eminems website at the bottom where it says about eminem having a "Uncensored Hip-Hop channel commercial free" where you can click on it and subscribe a free trail, this is a good and new way of promoting his music and himself out to his global audiences.
There is a online store on Eminems website where he does clothing such as t-shirts, and hoodies. You can also see which albums are out on the website and up coming events.
Eminem has become successful as approaches his audience which would be teenage boys in the way they would expect to be approached, as he has sold clothing which they would wear which are in similar style in what he would wear due to his influence of dress sense.





I think researching the above different ways of promotion idea i think the most successful ways of reaching their auidences directly is the websites where they can listen to previews or full music videos on their offical websites which shows they want to make their audiences aware of their new releases. I also think making clothing and accessories also help to promote themselves as their fans will be influenced by their dress senses or their attitudes and releasing items which they know are similar and relevant to the artist it will persuade their auidences to buy and support them.
I am not sure if the application for the iPhone and iPod touch is not very successful which Britney spears has created, as it's limited to some of her audiences who don't have the devices, but it would be successful for her fans to download who have the devices.