Magazine cover analyse

Analysis of KERRANG coverThe masthead of this magazine is well known and iconic and stands out with the bold font, it is also written inCapitals which can be associated with shouting, which fits in with the rock and roll culture. The use of onomatopia can be associated with the sounds heard in a rock track or when a guitar is strummed . The cracks in the masthead can be associated with the reckless behaviour of some iconic rock idols

The band ‘Green Day’ is anchored to the main image and written in bold white writing similar to the masthead because they feature in the main image but also because they are such a well known rock band.

All the cover lines are written in bold edgy fonts which complies with the rock stereotype

Slang words are used on the cover ‘WTF’ to relate to the young target audience who may read the magazine.

Short snappy texts are used for cover lines

Header is used to show other features that appear in the magazine, the yellow and white font is effective against the black background helping it stand out to readers.

The main image features green day band member Billie Joe who is a recognisable face to anyone who listens to rock music, is it a medium long shot which shows his guitar and his out fit which is dark which goes with the stereotype of rock

The barcode shows the price of the magazine, which is reasonable of a rock magazine

Featured pictures of other relevant artist show the readers what else is on offer within the magazine, but doesn't distract attention form the main image

A plug is used to make the cover look crowded showing all the content

The colours yellow, white, and black are used because the are dark and deep and can be related to stereotype of rock but also keeping it looking professional and simple

Pull lines to attract readers

The website shows the magazine is up to date with technology expanding its potential audience

Analysis of ROCK SOUND coverThe main image features the well known band paramore with female lead singer Hayley Williams at the front as she is the most recognisable member of the band, as well as attracting paramore fans , female fans will be drawn to the cover as Hayley is a successful woman singer who they may look up too. Her posture and facial expression are confident as she poses in front of the other male band members which goes against the stereotype that men are the dominant gender

‘PARAMORE’is anchored to the main image and looks as though its written in graphitti which goes with the reckless stereotype of rock. Along with this is cover lines tell us about the band. The use of a Tag ‘special and Revealed…’ is used to entice readers , making them feel they wouldn't get this in any other magazine

The website is featured beside the barcode to relate to readers who are up to date with technology

The header features' all other things available to readers, it is positioned in the top left to attract the readers eye,

Slang words such as ‘ EPIC’ are used to relate to the younger target audience who may understand

Positioned in the ears of the magazine is a promotion in a black circle, telling readers they can ‘WIN YOUR BAND OPENING’ which can be seen on store shelves,

The magazine only uses a minimal amount of house colours keeping it looking professional and simple .

The masthead for ROCK SOUND uses a thick bold font, which is recognisable from a distance, but also individual to the magazine, the main image slightly cover a letter in the masthead , but readers would still be able to identify the magazine

Smaller images are used to show the readers other bands that may feature without distracting from the main image

The use of sell lines help describe the magazine so readers have an insight in to what people think of it, but also what its about

The background they have chosen is simplistic therefore not attracting attention away from the band memebers and cover lines, but also helping the font colours stand out

Analysis of SPIN cover

The house colours which in this case are red, white and black, keep the magazine looking professional but also keeping to the dark stereotypical colours of rock.

Direct address from chemical romance band member Gerard way makes the reader feel as though he is looking straight at them

The masthead for spin uses two contrasting colours, red and white to enhance the words. It is also placed to the left of the magazine so on a shelf it can be seen by readers.

The use of grey for cover lines, makes the masthead stand out making the ‘SPIN’ logo even more recognisable

In the main image Gerard is wearing a leather jacket which is stereotypical clothing for rock stars.

Serif font is used though out the cover, showing it to be a professional style magazine,

The use of tag lines are used such as ‘SPECIAL’ are used to entice the readers in to buying the magazine for the special edition that’s available

The cover line anchored to the main image is written in the same font as the masthead. Implying to readers this is a main story

The price of the magazine is shown by the barcode, at 4.99 this may seem expensive for a magazine but clearly the target audience is willing to pay this price.

The main image slightly covers the masthead, however the magazine has such a recognisable logo that readers don’t need to see the full masthead

Without revealing who the ‘stars’ are it gives a sense of mystery and that to find out they must buy the magazine

The rock star used for the main image may attract female readers as he is seen as a attractive member of the band

Analysis of KERRANG content page

Here they have used small pictures of the pages within the magazine to give the audience an idea of what's inside, therefore intriguing them but making it small enough so it does take attention away from the main image .

By following the magazine masthead on to the contents it constantly reminds the reader of what magazine it is.

The main image is of famous band member slash, who would be recognisable to any rock genre listener. He is wearing sunglasses, therefore giving a sense of mystery.

The house colours of the magazine are also carried on throughout the contents page.

The date and issue number is shown, which can be helpful to any readers that may collect the magazine, but also employing the magazine is successful enough to have so many issues.

The use of yellow font on a black background help the writing stand out, implying the content has some importance. But also connotes the colours of danger and show that can be related to the attitudes of stereotypical rock stars

By having a small note from the editor it gives the readers a more personal touch allowing them to hear from the producers of the magazine themselves.

Writing within shapes s used to draw readers attention , by implying the content inside is important or interesting

Cracks in the masthead connotes the edginess of rock. But also using the black and yellow help it stand out from the black background

The magazine includes small snippets of information which can be easily read but also give the reader an idea of each article

The magazine offers the magazine to be delivered to your door, therefore furthering the convenience the magazine offers

The overlapping of the images suggested the magazine is busy and packed

Analysis of SPIN contents pageThe spin logo is carried on onto the content page to remind the reader of the magazine but to also make it more recognisable and memorable

A small quote from the article is used to give the reader an Idea of what the articles about but to also grab their attention, this is a common feature of a contents page

They use a continues font showing the magazine to be professional and consistent. Which breaks the usually conventions of rock magazines .

The date and edition is shown below the logo, to remind readers this is a monthly magazine , hoping to encourage them to buy it regularly

The main image shows well known band ‘the strokes’ sat in a group in what looks to be a run down area, showing the band to be down to earth, the fact that even with fame they still choose to go to places like this. Therefore making a connection with the readers

The outfits worn by the band are stereotypical of rock bands, with their leather jackets. Certain member's are wearing sunglasses which connotes a sense of mystery

The use of one image makes the magazine simplistic which helps focus on the main image of the band, enthuses the importance of their feature in the magazine

One of the band members within the main image is laughing implying that rock is a fun exciting genre. Therefore reaching out to ‘wannabe ‘rock stars

Boxes around cover lines help attract attention to it, but also shows it has some sort of importance

By using ‘big names’ which are relevant to the genre such as ‘the kills’ attract readers attention as they be aware of these bands and therefore more likely to buy the magazine

Analysis of Rock Sound contents page

The content shown includes: interviews, reviews and news about the bands relevant to this sub genre, this relates to the young readers who want to be up to date with the latest bands.

The main image on this contents page is of well known rock band GREEN DAY which helps show the genre of rock

Within the main image Billie Joe the main band member is looking directly in to the camera which shows confidence but also helps build a relationship with the reader making the magazine more personal

The left hand of the content page contains cover lines, that may only contain one word which are easy to read therefore catching the readers attention

Rock sound only uses house colours red, black and white which are individual to the magazine but also seen as stereotypical colours for the genre

The selling line is shown on the content page to remind the readers what the magazine is about. Using the word ‘attitude’ goes with the stereotype that rock stars can be seen as reckless and anarchists

By following the magazine masthead on to the contents it constantly reminds the reader of what magazine it is.

The date of the edition is shown to remind the readers this is a monthly magazine , hoping to encourage them to buy it regularly

The contents page includes various other pictures that are included in the magazine , implying there is a lot included in the magazine

A small quote from the article is used to give the reader an idea of what the articles contains without boring them with too much information

The rating in stars in the bottom left hand corner shows the readers the rating this magazine has received, this being a high rating means people may be more likely to buy it.

The overlapping of the images makes the content looked cramped and busy, which could be reflective on the content of the magazine

Analysis of double page

The first letter of the article is in bold and a different colour to the text, this is a common convention of a double page spread, as it stands out from the rest of the text. Secondly the columns are split on to three, this is to help break up the information making it easy to read, but also keeping it neat.

The main image is an action shot where a band is tackling down someone dressed as a bunny, the aggressive behaviour is stereotypical of the genre of music they play.

The main image shows a female band member on top of the bunny, this goes against the stereotype of woman to be passive and against violence. Instead showing her as powerful, which could attract females readers

The headline for this double page uses a bold font written in white on a red background therefore making it stand out but also using colours that could represent pain and blood, which links to the main image

Beside the main image they use a small quote from the article, this does not only allow for easy reading but encourages them to read on to see what the articles about.

Bellow the Headline there is a little information about the article and the band, the red font is placed on a black background to help the information stand out, the bands name is also written in a completely different colour to show the importance of the band to the article

Within the article they have put certain words in a different colour, e.g ‘To date’ this tands out to readers lets them know that the information in the article is about what the band is doing now, making them want to read it

Below the columns they sum up in pictures what the Rolo tomassi are made of, they appeals to the younger target audience who may be less concerned with reading but also adds an element of humour

The outfits worn by the band are casual, which helps the readers relate to them, therefore making them feel more involved

Analysis of double pageThe main image of kaytie storey takes up most of the double page spread, showing to the readers how important and popular she is as an artist. It also shows woman in a positive way as she is a successful artist featured in a popular artist

the main image shows the female artist looking into the camera, this could make the audience feel more involved as they would feel as if she's looking at them

Alliteration is used in the headline to make it catchy which makes it memorable to readers

Her stance and facial expressions make her appear powerful and seductive which goes against the stereotype of woman. This could attract both female and male readers who may look up to her, or be attracted to her

By using the word ‘armed’ it could be associated with weapons, implying she has power and control over what she's doing. Which goes with the reckless stereotype of rock. But also challenges the stereotype of woman to be vulnerable

Her clothing is stereotypical of the rock sub genre, as she is wearing a leather jacket and lots of jewellery which makes her look glamorous and feminine

The headline is written in black bold font, which contrasts with the grey background, but also matches the outfit of the artist which helps readers make a connection between the main image and the article

The use of pink font can be associated with the femininity of the artist, but also to stand out from other content

the article is split into 2 different columns which makes it easier to read but at the same time makes it appealing to the eye keeping up the professional look

They have highlighted section of the article that may appeal to the reader, this appeals to the younger target audience who may not want to read long articles

Analysis of double pageThe headline uses a grungy rugged kind of font, which can be related sub genre of the band. Which therefore appeals to the audience of rock lovers.

The headline is similar to that of the masthead of rock sound, This therefore keeps a running theme throughout the magazine

‘two’s company’ is a play on words as it relates two the two band members who are each others company.The use of direct adress makes the readers feel more involved, but also adds to the scary/horror genre they are trying to portray

The bold red colour of the headline makes it stand out but also adds to the theme of the page which shows the genre of grunge

The main image takes up most of the page along with the name of the band, this because people into this genre will recognise their name or faces and want to read the articles

This double page spread automatically connotes the genre of Grunge, which therefore appeals to the readers who like this genre of music, the three house colours of red, black and white are those that would be associated with the dark/deep genre of grunge.

In the main image on of the band members, is turned to the side, with hair covering his face, this divulges a sense of mystery

A quotation from the article is placed in the centre which makes easy reading for the target audience, but also shows the stereotypical rebellious attitude of the band by using swear words in the quote

The quotation from the article is put on a white background making it stand out so its eye catching to readers, but also the rugged rough edging can be related to the grunge sub genre

The pale white faces of the band members contrasts with the black background, but go with the horror/grunge style of their music. Portraying the individuality of the band members

The main article is broken up into columns making it easy to read, they have also put in bold significant parts of the article so readers can pick up on it

BAUER MEDIA

• Bauer Media is a multinational media company founded in 1875 by the BAUER family which circulates over 38 million magazines on a weekly basis. Bauer media has been responsible for big names such as: KERRANG, Q, and MOJO.

• Headquartered in Germany, BAUER operates worldwide providing many countries with a variety of different genre magazines

I think BAUER media would be an appropriate publisher for my magazine, as it caters to a range of readers that may be interested in my genre of magazine, for example KERRANG is a similar sub genre and has become the worlds biggest selling rock magazine. Therefore the advertisement and reputation of the publisher will encourage readers to buy my magazine as they will be aware of the success of current magazinesHowever a problem with using BAUER media as my publisher would be that their could be a risk of cutting sales of mother music magazine or my magazine not getting enough sales because magazines such as ‘KERRANG’ are also published by this producer.

KERRANGI have chosen to do Rock as my sub-genre. A popular magazine that specialises in this sub genre is ‘KERRANG!’

• KERRANG is a UK based magazine that is dedicated to rock music. It was published by Bauer media group in 1981. where is specialised in the new wave of British heavy metal and the more recent rise of hard rock.

• After the first launch with AC/DCs Angus Young on the front cover the magazine was released fortnightly but demand for the Rock magazine grew, and in 1987 they published the magazine weekly

• Over the years KARRANG grew in popularity as they followed the new musical trends that emerged over the years such as thrash magazine, and grunge.

• The target audience for this magazine is people interested in the sub-genre of rock either male or female.

MOJO

• MOJO• MOJO is a Alternative rock magazine that was

published in 1993 by EMAP, but then later taken over by BAUER magazine.

• The monthly magazine focuses on the classic rock genre, by having iconic artists such as Bob Dylan and john Lennon, they focus they on the reckless, heavy metal artists that would be featured in magazines such as KARRANG. Targeting more towards the classic rock lovers, who are passionate about the sub-genre

Q magazine

• Q magazine is a popular music magazine that was first published in 1986 by EMAP but then later taken over by BAUER.

• The monthly magazine offers reviews and rating on: albums, festivals and films

• The magazine is up to date with all popular artists and their music

• More recently in 2008 Q launched a radio station to focus on the popular music genre

Similar magazines• Rock sound

ROCK SOUND has inspired my chosen sub genre as it features similar artists and music that I hope to include in my magazine. Although this magazine focuses more on the heavy metal rock, mine will take a different approach and go more alternative rock based bands. But still including some of the heavy rock bands to appeal to a wider target audience. ROCK SOUND tends to use a different colour font each week, making it appear original, where as mine will keep the same colour masthead each week, allowing the readers to recognise the masthead which therefore will make my magazine more memorable I feel that the edgy boisterous fonts and images tend to edge more towards a male target audience whereas mine will cater for both sexes, I will do this by including bands with both male and female artists and articles that appeal to both sexes

SPIN MAGAZINE

SPIN magazine has been an inspiration for my magazine as it features bands of a similar genre such as my chemical romance, paramore and green day. Out of all the magazines I have looked at SPIN is what I would like to base my magazine on as it features more alternative rock rather grunge or heavy model, which is a main feature of other rock magazines,Spin keeps consistent font which is a feature id like to include in mine, as well as this the colour schemes and layout does not overpower the main image, but instead keeps the magazine looking professional and stylish.Another feature of SPIN that appeals to me is that the magazine features a variety of bands that appeal to a wider target audience, it does not only focus on certain stereotypical rock bands. This is something I would like my magazine to include.I like how distinctive the SPIN logo is which makes it memorable to readers, this is something I will look into when designing my masthead.A common trait of spin magazine is that they use mid/long shots as their main images where as I will experiment with using close ups as my main images Overall I feel that SPIN uses many techniques such as direct address, a variety of house colours which make the magazine so successful.

Target audience• Age range-16-25• Gender-Male and female• Sub genre-Alternative Rock• Class-Middle class or working class• Jobs-creative jobs, or still In education• Sexuality- All types• Bands they may be interested in:• My chemical romance• BLINK182• Paramore• Greenday• Foo fighters

My target audience have unique taste in clothing, with aspects of the rock stereotype

Question ideas• What magazine would you be most likely to buy? KERRANG, ROCK SOUND, SPIN, Q, ROLLING

STONES(quantitative)

• How often would you buy a music magazine? DAILY, WEEKLY, FORTNIGHT, MONTHLY, NEVER(quantitative)

• What would you be willing to pay for a music magazine? 50p-99p, £1.00-£1.99, £2.00-£2.99, £3.00-£3.99, £4.00-£4.99, £5.00+(quantitative)

• How often would you like a music magazine to be released? WEEKLY, DAILY, MONTHLY, FORTNIGHTLY(quantitative)

• In your opinion what appeals to you most about music magazines? (quantitative)

• What genre of music do you like the most? (quantitative) • In your opinion what do you like to see featured in a music magazine? (Qualitative)

• What bands would you like to feature in a music magazine? (Qualitative)

Research in to history of genre• Rock originated in the united states in the 1950’s, it was first associated with a form of

dance , and a word that connoted sex in some songs. Rock is said to have started by the combination of other genres of music such as: Jazz, blues and R&B.

• Since the 50s rock has become incredibly popular genre of music with the influence of rock and alternative rock bands such as: the beetles, ACDC, rolling stones, and black Sabbath and the more the more recent bands such as: foo fighters, green day and Paramore

• Many new sub-genres of music have come about which originate from rock such as:• Grunge• Screamo• Heavy metal• Alternative rock

Possible names and bands for my magazine

Names

SLAM

MOSHPIT

ENVY

MAYHEM

RAMPAGE

FRENZY

TERMOIL

Possible bands to feature in my magazine