A-level NEA Check and Mark Scheme
- Mastering Media
- Mar 25
- 5 min read
2026 Eduqas A Level Media Studies NEA
For the 2026 Eduqas A Level Media Studies NEA, Brief 4: Music Marketing requires you to create a cross-media production for a new artist or band in a popular genre, such as pop. This production must consist of two interrelated products: an original music video and a functioning website.
Industry and Audience Context
Record Label: You must create the production for a record label that is a division of one of the ‘Big Three’ (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, or Warner Music Group).
Target Audience: The campaign must specifically target ‘Generation Z’ (typically those born between 1997 and 2012).
Artist Creation: You must "invent" a new artist or band; while you use an existing song, the persona and all promotional materials must be your own creation.
Task 1: The Music Video (Audio-Visual)
The primary task is to produce an original music video with a length of 3 minutes to 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Song Selection: You may use an existing song, but it must not have an existing official music video. Lyric videos, fan videos, or live performances do not count as official videos.
Performance Elements: The video must include lip-synced performance footage (rehearsal or live) to establish the artist's identity.
Narrative and Structure: There must be a clear structure with an element of narrative (e.g., enigma or conflict) that visually interprets the lyrics.
Locations and Technical Skills: You must use two or more filming locations appropriate to the genre and a wide range of camera shots, angles, and movements.
Graphics: The video must include graphics depicting the fictional artist/band name and the track title.
Task 2(a): The Website (Online)
You must create a new, functioning website consisting of two pages. While you can use web design software or templates, you are responsible for the original design and all content.
Homepage Requirements:
Artist/band name and an original biography.
A menu bar with links (non-working links for social media are permitted) and one working link to the second page.
Main and supporting original images to establish the artist's brand.
Second Page Options: You must choose either an ‘In the studio’ page (detailing the recording process) or a ‘My/Our hometown’ page (explaining how their origin influences their music).
Embedded Material: One of the pages must feature 30–45 seconds of original audio or audio-visual material, such as a studio or hometown tour. This must include dialogue or narration; it cannot be just footage set to music.
Written Content: The website should include approximately 200 words of promotional text in total.
Core Production Requirements
Originality: All images, footage, and text must be devised and created by you. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate material is strictly prohibited.
Avoiding Repetition: You must not use exactly the same images or text across both the music video and the website. For instance, "stills" from the music video cannot be used as photos on the website.
Theoretical Framework: Your work will be assessed on how well you apply the media theoretical framework, particularly in constructing representations of at least one social group.
Statement of Aims: You must submit a compulsory Statement of Aims and Intentions (approx. 500 words) explaining how you intended to use media language and representations to target your audience.
The assessment for the Brief 4: Music Marketing production is worth a total of 60 marks (30% of the A Level). To achieve the highest marks, you must apply the media theoretical framework to create a cohesive campaign for a new artist signed to a "Big Three" subsidiary, specifically targeting a Generation Z audience.The following grid outlines how your music video and website will be assessed across three specific categories
Column 1: Statement of Aims and Intentions (10 Marks)
This 500-word document must explain how you intend to use media language and representation to target your audience.
Band | Criteria Linked to Music Marketing |
Band 5 (9–10 Marks) | Excellent, highly detailed plan that clearly responds to the pop music brief. It must outline a coherent concept for how the music video and website will interrelate to build the artist's brand for a Gen Z audience. You must use highly appropriate subject-specific terminology to explain your intended use of pop codes and conventions. |
Band 3 (5–6 Marks) | Satisfactory statement that targets the audience through a straightforward concept. It demonstrates a plan for generally appropriate pop codes, though the links between the video and website may be less sophisticated. |
Band 1 (1–2 Marks) | Minimal statement with little sense of how to target Gen Z or reflect the "Big Three" industry context. Shows few, if any, links between the two products. |
Column 2: Realisation of the Brief (20 Marks)
This category evaluates how well you followed the specific technical instructions of the music marketing brief.
Band | Criteria Linked to Music Marketing |
Band 5 (17–20 Marks) | Excellent realisation of the brief. The music video (3:00–3:30) and two-page website are coherently interrelated (e.g., the visual style of the video matches the web design). Consistently engages the Gen Z audience through a highly appropriate mode of address. All task requirements (lip-syncing, 2+ locations, 200 words of web text, 30–45s original embedded media) are fully met. |
Band 3 (9–12 Marks) | Satisfactory realisation where the products are reasonably well linked but some details may be missing. The mode of address is generally appropriate for the target audience but may not be sustained. |
Band 1 (1–4 Marks) | Minimal realisation with few links between the video and website. Likely to be incomplete or substantially under the required length (e.g., a video much shorter than 3 minutes). |
Column 3: Media Language and Representation (30 Marks)
This is the most heavily weighted section, focusing on your creative and technical ability to communicate meaning.
Band | Criteria Linked to Music Marketing |
Band 5 (25–30 Marks) | Excellent, sustained use of media language to communicate complex meanings (e.g., using intertextuality or a thorough control of connotations to establish a pop star's persona). The music video must feature a highly effective narrative that interprets the lyrics, while the website demonstrates a professional, original design. You must construct insightful, appropriate representations of at least one social group. |
Band 3 (13–18 Marks) | Satisfactory use of media language to communicate meanings in a straightforward way. There is some control of connotations and a satisfactory narrative or design that constructs generally appropriate representations. |
Band 1 (1–6 Marks) | Minimal use of media language providing limited meanings or representations. Demonstrates limited control over the narrative in the video or the design of the website. |
Critical Assessment Hurdles
Originality Rule: If you use non-original footage, images, or text (including AI-generated content), you cannot be awarded marks above Band 1 for the production.
Repetition Rule: You must not repeat exactly the same images or text between the music video and the website. For example, using a screen capture (still) from your video on your homepage is prohibited; you should take separate promotional photos.
Length Penalties: Work that is significantly under the length requirements is "self-penalising". If the music video exceeds 3 minutes and 30 seconds, the moderator will stop marking at that point.
Template Use: While you may use web design software/templates, over-reliance on a pre-existing template without original layout and design will result in a lower mark
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