Music Magazine Analysis

Mixmag, Kerrang and Q.

NME

Skyline: A skyline is used to inform the reader about which issue they have bought. This appeals to this audience because typical readers of NME like to go to gigs and will be drawn in by the Autumn Tour Special Edition.

Masthead: This masthead of NME is telling the customer what they are buying, from this they will be able to establish what the

magazine will contain.

Pull Quote: This is something that has been quoted from somewhere in the magazine which will give the customer a

rough idea of what the style of the magazine will be about. This will attract the target audience because people may like to read about Dizzee Rascal and want to follow his career.

Cover Lines: Cover Lines are a way of telling the customer while the magazine is on the shelf what the magazine will contain.

Main Article: the main article is used to get the attention from the customers. This is the main attraction of the magazine. This can be a name, activity or anything that the magazine will think the customer will be interested in.

Flash: this is a way of grabbing the customer’s attention and making it so they will take notice. This is usually on the left hand side so that the customers can see it when it is stacked on the shelves.

Main Image: this is the major way for the magazine to pull in the customers. They will look at the image and expect to see that person in a main article and to have the style of the image/front cover to be shown throughout the magazine.

NME Contents PageContents Title: the contents title will be in the same style as the front cover. This is to show continuity and to keep the audience gripped to the magazine. If it were to be erratic and to have changed then the readers may become board and less interested.

Date: this is to remind the viewer that it is a monthly issue and that they will want to buy the next one if it comes out. It also lets the customer know that they are buying the latest version of this.

Main Picture: this is a image to grip and intrigue the customer. This will draw the audience to read on and find out what the article is about.

Main Article: this is a preview of the article which may be found deeper in the magazine. This will let the customer see what it is about but will leave them wanting to know more. This will make them want to read on through the magazine to get to the article which was featured on the skyline on the previous page and now again on the contents page.

Subscription Ad: this is so the customers know how to get a regular instalment of the magazine with out paying the full price. This will make it cheaper for the company and insure a certain amount of readers each week.

Cover Lines: as there is a main article featured on the front page they must keep all the other content on the side of the page. This will mean that the reader will still look at them but will be still just as intrigued by the feature article.

NME Double Page Spread

Images: these useful images are to break up the columns or large block of text. This is used for the readers benefit. They do this because as a reader if they se lots of words on one page they will be put off from reading it. These pictures are always related and put in areas where the text is talking about this event. This makes the audience’s life easier as they don’t have to use their imagination as much and will find it more enjoyable.

Main Image: this main image is a large image which people can look at and get an idea of what the article is about. However it doesn’t contain any real information so people will want to read the article on the following pages.

Main Title: this main title will add to the information they already have from the main image and will make them want to read on. These can be questions, slogans or anything which the article will relate to.

Pull Quote: these pull quotes are used to make the reader what to read the article as it will take a really interesting part of the article and make it bold. This makes the customer want to get to that point to make sense of the quote.

KerrangMasthead: this masthead is given a very battered look. This is because the readers are reading a rock magazine which will feature very scruffy, depressing and rebellious people/band. This must be shown in the masthead to grip their target audience.

Cover Lines: these cover lines are still on the right hand side so people can see it when stacked on the shelves but they are much smaller because they are inferior to the main article which the editors feel is much more unimportant.

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Skyline: this skyline is a strange one. This is because it appears to have 2. they are separated by exclamation marks as well as colour. These are both articles which will entice the audience and will create a equal interest so they decided to make them both the skyline. Flash: this flash is a

special aspect of the magazine. This will attract the attention of the magazine and or though it is not as important as the main article it is something that the audience will be interested in and will make a special effort to look at.

Kerrang ContentsTitle: this is a small title which the viewers will look at and will know that they can read this page to find out what the magazine will contain.

Letter From the Editor: this is a letter from the editor which will let the viewer know what the magazine will contain and how she feels the magazine articles will interact the readers. This lets the readers know what articles are worth reading and what the people are like in the article.

Main Image: this main image will let the viewers know the style of the content and will set the scene for the whole magazine.

Cover lines: these cover lines will show the reader what they can expect and what the editors value as the bigger and better articles worth reading.

Kerrang Double Page Spread.

Pull Quote: this pull quote is used to draw the reader to start reading the article which will continue further on in the magazine. This will get them interested and then make them want to read the small start of the article.

Main Image: this main image gives the viewer a impression of the article. However in this case I think it has another purpose. It is there to show the scale of the small article. This will make the customer want to read on into the article because they can see it is small.

Main Article: this may be a small article which continues on a page deep inside the magazine. This gives the reader incentive to read the whole magazine or if not go to the middle to get to this article. This will leave more room for the other big articles which are in the front of the magazine.

Rock SoundMasthead: this masthead is simple but effective. This magazine is also just like that. Just behind that there is a image which makes the main image look like he has a halo. This adds to the theme of the magazine.

Cover Lines: these cover lines are very traditional and basic. This keeps the emphasis on the main image.

Pull Quote: this pull quote is very direct and lets the reader know exactly what he is feeling and will show the customer what the theme of the magazine will be and is used to attract the audience to read on about why he has said that.

Main image: this main image is very dark and mysterious. This magazine tells the reader instantly that the content will be about this man/band and will inform the audience about the nature of the magazine.

Date/Bar Code: this is a small reminder that this magazine is the latest one for sale. This is a minor aspect of the magazine cover but is vital so the customer can buy the item knowing that it is the very latest one so wont have missed anything.

Rock Sound ContentsTitle: normally in a magazine it is clearly stated where the contents is by contents in big letters somewhere. This magazine has chosen to ignore that and make it original by having a heading ‘Main Features’ this is to continue the simple and yet effective effect of the magazine.

Cover Lines: these cover lines are basic and effective giving the audience straight forward information which will make them want to read on.

Main Image: this image is also making the simple yet effective effect. It gives the reader the right amount of information to let them know what the magazine will offer and what it will include but making it just enough so they will want to read on and find out about these four men we know nothing about.

Pull Quote: this is a simple and effective way of showing the reader what the band in the picture are like and what the articles which they are in will include.

Rock Sound Double Page Spread

Main Picture: this main picture is a way of showing the viewer exactly who is who so they can identify in the text below and put a face to their personality which is portrayed.

Main Article: this main article shows exactly who is Josh from the main image and then the viewers get a example of what his personality is like. In a lot of cases like this the magazine will try to get to know these characters and will let the audience feel they are interacting with them too. This makes it a very easy read and enjoyable for the reader.

Images: as before this image is to make the viewer feel like there is less text to read. However in this case because it is more of an interview it lets the audience feel like they are getting to know these people through images as well as text.