Magazine analysis NME- front cover

This is a NME magazine cover, the target audience for NME is mid to late teens. On the front of this cover is a very famous artist called lilly allen. She is always in the public eye and often features on the front of tabloid papers and magazines, so the large photo of her on the cover will be very good for sales as she will appeal to a very large audience as shes so famous. She will appeal to both rock interested audience and people who arent into rock music. Her photo dominates whole whole cover with a mid long shot of her face, her head overlaps on top of the NME logo at the top, this shows the importance of the interview and gives the impression she is a domminant strong female. Her facial expression is plain and serious looking, this goes along with the rock/indie look that NME often portray. The plain white background matches her pale skin and gives her a gothic look. The main title that says 'LILY ALLEN TAKES ON THE WORLD' is in the style of cut out letters from a news paper, in a bold font surrounded by a black border, this gives it a emo messy look that matches what shes wearing and the facial expression shes pulling. Her red shirt is messy and lose this matches her style of her music and her lifestyle. The word choice of this shows shes very succsessfull and important so readers should read the issue and find out what shes doing and may indicate to the reader she has new plans for more music coming out.

The is a bright yellow circle pug in the bottom right hand corner, it has additional information about whats in the magazine, the information is expanded on the contense page. Across the top of the page is a bold black strip that says 'NEW MONKEYS TUNES' with a small photo of a member of the band, this is in a big bold yellow font and this will stand out to the potential byer as something else featured in the magazine and will perswade them to buy the magazine even more. The font used thoughtout the whole front cover is a bold straight font with flat lines, this gives the magazine a strong serious look and adds to masculinity of the magazine.

Double page spread-

This is the double page spread, the theme of the cut out messy style of the letters continues onto this page with the main title, giving it continuity this adds to the house style of the magazine so it can be easily recondised by the reader. The main title is slanted across the two pages in a wonky uneven look, this makes it look messy and stylish this links in with what lily is wearing. The quote they have used as the title has been cut out of what lily said to make it look more affective, this will attract the reader even more. the style of the page matches whats on the front cover showing clearly that this is the interview advertised on the front cover. The word choice of 'im just honest' engaes the reader and it sounds like the interview is aimed spesificly at them, its in a more chatty casual conforastion way rather than a formal interview.

There is a large photo of lily allen taking up the whole page, this again shows her dominance in this issue, shes leaning forward with her hands on her hips shows shes a strong female, this links in with the style of the title. Her serious expression may mean that the magazine is also serious about giving good music reviews to the customer. Her black hair stands out against the bright white background and matches the black and white font, this adds to the gruge rock look the magazine often potrays.The colloms are split into 4 small sections underneath the large title, this gives it a neat look.

The page numbers on the double page spread are small and in the bottom corners of the magzine, this doesnt ruin the look of the spread but at the same time effectively allows the reader to find what page they want. On the top right hand corner there is the NME website, this is good for the magazine as on every page it has this. This lets the reader know there is a website about the magazine, notifying fans they can view there site if they like the magazine.
Contents page

This is the contense page from the same issue, the porpous of the contense page is to show what else is on the magazine other than the main lily allen interview and it shows you what page number to find it on. The 'end of astoria' article was also mentioned on the front cover in a bright yellow pug this shows continuity, it wasn't covered as much as lily allen on the front cover so it explains more on the contense page, there is a large photo of the venue 'astoria' and this takes up most of the page this shows that this article is also very important and is a main feature.

Across the top of the contense page there is a large band that has the title 'NME THIS WEEK' this is obvious that this page will tell you what to expect in this issue, and throughout the page the colours red and black are used enthisising the house style as the title on the front page is in those colours aswell. on the far left side there is a list in a small red font of the other bands featured in this issue, this is used on every issue of NME and regular readers will look at this to see what else is featured. At the bottom of the page there is a large black box that stands out from the all white background giving additional information about a special offer saying that you will save money if you subscribe monthly to the magazine, this is effective becuase its in a large box with bold yellow and white fonts

On the right side of the page there is a long black strip that has the rest of the features and interviews in the magazine mentioned. They are in a small easy to read list that the reader can easily find as they are split up with bold black blocks with white titles in them seperating the 'interviews' from the 'reviews' etc, this helps the reader find spesificly what there looking for saving them from searching though the whole magazine.

Dolby

Drew, Well done on some good analysis, you seem to be developing the skills in this area. When you look at the contents and double page spreads then you need to consider the branding and house style of the magazine and be sure to use the media terminology throughout.

Magazine analylasis NME- magazine front cover

This magazine is called NME, i have chosen to analyse two NME magazines as it was the most popular magazine that people chose in my questionnaire. The NME logo is the same in every issue, except if its a special addition or a themed issue the colour of the logo may then be changed to match that. This magazie is aimed at mid to late teens and aims to deliver a sophisticated and strong use of music and up and coming artists aswell as having a laid back fun feel that will appeal to the teen market.

The band on the front of the magazine is called The Wombats, they are a cool new english band with a indie style, this style will appeal to other teenagers who are more into the indie look and style of music other than the rock grunge style. You can tell the band are a more light hearted indie rock band by the style of the photo, they are very laid back and look like they are having fun. there facial expressions are diffrent and have a interesting style and this will stand out to potential customers. They are all doing diffrent posters, the hair pulling and the jumping arroudnd entiesises they are a fun and crazy band. There is no real focal artist and no obvious leader of the band, they are all in line with eachother athough the middle band member does give off the look of the leader.

In the centre of the page in big wonky letters is the band name 'THE WOMBATS' the colour uses are yelllow and white, this is a light fun and exciting colour that isnt serious and this matches the poses the band members are doing in the photo. This also shows the magazine NME has a vaired and a wide range of diffrent genres of music in its magazine, and this will appeal to a much wider audience instead of just featuring heavy rock bands. The sub title under the main title says 'why brittan's gone silly for the lords of the indie dance floor' the word choice of silly matches the silly poses the band members are pulling and carrys along the theme with the yellow colours and laid back feel of the front page.

On the far bottom left of the page there is a bright blue pug, giving additional information and other features the magazine has in it. The bright blue stands out and carrys on with the fun and exciting colour theme of the overall page, and this will draw the attention of potential customers who want to buy the magazine but may not be interetsed in The Wombats. The pug may perswade them to still buy the magazine as the content isnt all about The Wombats. Just above that is another pug advertising another interview with a diffrent band, it also has the same bright blue colours as the other pug. This will again appeal to people who are interetsed in diffrent bands and interviews.

At the very top of the magazine there is a bright yellow strip going across the whole length of the page, this strip has aditional information about a up and coming festival called Glastombry. The line up of the bands playing at this festival will be geatly anticipated so this big yellow band will draw the attention of readers who are planning to go. In block black capitals at the begining of the yellow strip is the word 'GLASTO' that is sland for Glastonbry, this shows the magazine is aimed at teenagers and they will understand the slang and makes the magazine look cool and down with what the teenagers would relate to.

Magazine analylasis Rocksound- front cover

This magazine is called Rocksound. The age range for this magazine is aimed at mid to late teens, this magazine is aimed to appeal to those who have a keen intrest in rock music and the culture that comes with it. It is more mature than kerrang and less mature than NME. The main title is across the top and in bold wrighting with a plain white font. this font is used in all their magazines but the colour of the font is often changed, if the issue is special addition or themed. The font they use is iconic to the magazine.

The band on the front cover is called Bring me the Horizon, they are a heavy metal rock band and are very popular with people who like the screamo style of music. The photo on the front cover keeps up with this rock image and have a violent hardcore appearance in the photo, they are holding things like, baseball bats and smashed bottles. This will appeal to the grunge fans and will intise audiences to buy the magazine. Their facial expressions are very screwed up, to give a violent and intense look, this is backed up buy the rock image the magazine uses. Their clothing is dark, and this contrasts with the dark grey background and will appeal to potential customers who like to dress in a similar way.

The cover doesn't say the bands name, this suggests their importance and how successful the band are and that the writers are assuming their readers will know who they are. Instead the cover says 'WE PREDICT A RIOT' this helps with the hardcore image and will appeal to mid late teens who like the band. The font of the main headline is like smashed glass, this connects with smashing things up and violence, and the expressions on the band members faces express this. Underneath that in a crooked wonky style it has other important bands that fans of Bring me the horizon might also like, and therefore persuade them to buy the magazine even more. The title is positioned arround the band members faces and merges well into the photo being carefull not to take the customers eye away from the actual band members. The magin title is also right next to the main band member, this will draw the potential customers eye to his face and the title first there fore making the use of that position very succsessfull.

On the far left side there is a list of other features in the magazine in a plain white font. This stands out against the dark background and suggests that its important as well. This gives the magazine a sophisticated look as well as a rock look.

Magazine analysis NME- magazine front cover

This magazine is called NME, the age range of this magazine is aimed at late teens. This magazine is in a more mature style compared to others like Kerrang. The logo is in the top left hand corner and its bright red block capital letters with a thin white border around it. This stands out to possible customers as it is very bold up against the black background. This font also gives off a mature look and feel as it is a smart straight font, this will appeal to the late teens. NME is pronounced 'enemy' this is a angry strong word that suggests hatred and masculinity, this gives of a rock theme but at the same time keeps it looking mature so it wont put off any older teens from buying the magazine. NME stands for New Musical Express, this shows that it specialises in new upcoming artists and is more about the music and is serious about what it features rather than focusing on the grunge lifestyle like other magazines do.

On the front of this issue is a band called Paramore, there are five members of the band and the lead singer is a girl. The girl is standing at the front with the rest of the members of the band behind her, this shows she is the lead singer and the main person in the band. The band members are wearing black clothing, this keeps up with the theme of the magazine being a rock music related and gives it a dark feel. Their clothing also stands up well against the bright white background and their pale skin. In the center of the front cover their is a large font word that says 'PARAMORE' in capital letters, this is larger than all the other fonts and shows the magazine is going to be about that band. This will also draw potential customers to buy the magazine as it draws your attention to the cover straight away. The colour of the word Paramore is bright pink, this may be because the lead singer of the band is a girl and would therefore appeal to male and female readers. The bright pink font also matches the lead singers pink lipstick shes wearing. This ties the two together well and helps them to both stand out. The expressions on the band members faces are plain and emotionless this may suggest that they are a mature band and are serious about music and so is the magazine.

All the fonts on the front of the magazine are in straight smart lines, this makes the magazine look mature and would appeal to the late teen audience. The additional information around the main title is in a slightly smaller font to the main 'Paramore' title and is in a simple white font, this entisizes the importance of the band name, and draws even more attention to the band members. In the top right hand corner their is a plain circle white pug that gives additional information about what is inside this issue, its advertising to the buyers that another band called 'Mumford and sons' is also featured in the magazine, this will apeal to customers that aren't great fans of paramore and may be interested in reading other things in the magazine that aren't paramore related. The other additional information on the left side is in a plain small white font, with no coloured circle and border around it. The white font shows up against the black background, this shows that is also important information but not as important as the main subject.

Double page spread-

This is the double page spread that is the feature of this issue of NME. The spread continues the same pink theme from the front cover this gives it continuity, the main title of the article is black witch continues the heavy rock serious theme from the front cover but with a bright pink strip that comes down to male up the 'I' and the 'L' of the word smile. This brings in the colour that matches the lead singers lips and the fact that the lead singer is female, therefor bringing in the femmenine colour to match this. The word choice of 'SMILE' is informal and casual so it means the reader can relate to the article more as its less like a formal intervirew and more like a conforsation people can relate to. The title takes up half of the page and is in a big bold font, this stands out to the reader and will appeal to both male and female due to the the diffrent colour use of pink and black.

The first page has the whole page taken up by the lead singer, the only thing on that page is the photo of her, this shows she is the domminant lead singer of the band and links in with the use of pink and the female domminance in the band. This large full page photo shows the importance of the interview and the magazine has given it big colourfull photos to help show this. The wrighting is simply laid out with 4 easy to read colloms that are made around the main title, this gives the page a neat and well laid out look. The text layout is similar to other issues of nme, the large text dominating the page then the colloms underneith the title. this adds to the house style of the magazine and makes it firmilliar to the readers and matches the overall branding of NME.

On the bottom right hand corner of the page of the spread in a small pinkfont there is the page number this colour matches the colour useage of the spread so this doesnt impose on the style and colour use of the spread in any way but at the same time allows the reader to navigate what page they want to view.

Mrs D

You have made a good start with your analysis Drew. However, some of it is very descriptive of content rather than analytical of c and cs. You look at colour well. Use your shot terminology to hepl you analyse images and look at layout. You need to explore how the front cover advertises the mag.

Magazine analylasis Kerrang- magazine front cover

This magazine is called Kerrang, the age range the magazine is aimed at is early and late teens. the style the front cover in shows this well. The font is large and accross the top, its in a rough black font this shows anger and gives it a hardcore feel. this may represent how some teenagers see their style and genre of music they like. This gives the front cover a grungy serious look that may apeal to people who listen to this genre of music.

On the front of the magazine is a band called Avenged Sevenfold, the photo of the two men dominates most of the front cover and is overlaps the logo strip at the top, this suggests their importance over everything else on the page. Their expressions are reletively plain with no real emotion coming though, this may fit in with the theme of the magazine being serious and gothic. Their clothes are plain and black, this may be becuase it doesnt clash with anything else on the page. The plain black clothes also match the logo and overall style of the cover, the title of the band showing what what the main feature of this issue is, is on their black tshirts. The font is a similar rugged look as the main title. The font colour is white and stands up against the black t-shirts and therefor is easy to the customer to see what this issue is about.

On the far left side there is a strip of photos and well known artists with a pug box on the top in a bright yellow saying 'Free inside, glow in the dark stickers' this stands out alot against the rest of the page as it is bright yellow. As most of the other features on the page are dark colours it really shows up and will intise readers to buy the magazine becuase of the free stickers that come with the issue, the stickers will appeal to slightly younger teens and therefore widens the magazines market audience. In a similar style too the strip on the left that shows the free stickers, their is a strip in yellow at the bottom advertising posters and saying its a Halloween special adition, the boarder is in bright yellow, and this contrasts with the rest of the dark cover and stands out advertising to the customer that there is free posters in this halloween special addition. Yellow isnt a femminine or a masculine colour that will apeal to both sexes.

At the very bottom of the page their is several other bands squashed in to a bright red box with a big white square saying 'PLUS!' this shows its additional information of what is in this issue. The box is in bright red this will stand out against the yellow and the black. Red is quite a masculine colour that is often asociated with blood and anger. This colour will appeal to the genre of the music featured in the magazine and the overall style of the front cover. The colour red will also stand out to the grunge rock image that most customers will be interested in.

Double page spread

the double page spread is the related interview featured on the front cover of the magazine, this issue of KERRANG is a halloween special so everything is gothic gorey theme to it. This spread is a copying the style of a popular tv show called 'Dexter' the first page of the spread is the man from the band alkaline trio in clear plastic overalls with blood allover it, and on his face and hands. Hes holding a giant axe with blood allover the end, his facial expression is a serious slightly mad, creepy looking expression, this will add to the scary theme of the spread. This matches the halloween gothic look this issue is trying to potray. The background of the two pages is a large photo of the scene the man is standing in. its got white sheets allover the walls with blood splatters everywhere. This is a very gorey scene that would appeal to the gothic style of music most readers of this magazine enjoy.

The title is a crumbling splatterd style font thats slanted across the man with the axe and the word 'BLOOD' is in a bright red colour, this colour matches the blood splatters allover the walls and gives the article continuity. The text is on the far right second side of the spread in a small black font, this doesnt ruin the effect of the white background. The questions that are being asked in the interview are in bright red matching the bloody look the spread is going for, half way though the interview in a big font the quote "it would take a lot for me to KILL someone' this quote has been taken out of what he has said as it links in with the murder scene in the photo. The word kill is bigger than the rest of the quote and is in a bold red font with blood splatters.

Contents Page

the contents page is the page the reader of the magazine uses to navigate arround the magazine efficently. It shows the page numbers of the features in a easy to read layout. As this issue of KERRANG is a halloween themed issue the main photo across the top is of a man from a band called 'cancer bats' he is wearing sceleton style face paint with a sceleton outfit. This fits in with the halloween theme with the idea of people dressing up on that day. Half way across the page is a black strip that has the KERRANG logo and has 'this week' next to it in a bright yellow font. The yellow will stand out against the balack and white colours on the page, they have used the collour yellow as its not conciderd a femmenine or a masculine colour so it will appeal to both sexes.

Underneith the half way strip seperating the large photo from the text is four small colloms with the list of page numbers and the articles that are on that page. The main articles are shown with a small image and a larger title to show they are the main focal points of this issue of the magazine. This is a efficent way for the reader to navigate arround the magazine, most KERRANG magazines have this same style, so it will be easily reconisable to regular byers and adds to the overall house style and branding connected to the magazine.

on the bottom left hand side in a small collom of its own is a message from the Editor of the magazine. It has a plain passport sized photo of her and underneith she gives a beif summary of whats in this issue and how they made it. This will make regular buyers of the magazine feel more involved and more personal with the magazine and may make them want to buy the magazine more in the future. Underneith her thankyou and summary is her signature, this again makes the issue seem more personal and special then if she didnt do that.

Questionnaire Analysis

To find out, what audience i should aim my magazine at and what i should feature in it i created a questionnaire that will enable me to gather all the information i need in order to make the perfect magazine for the preferred age group. I made 40 copies of the questionnaire and handed them out to people around the sixth form, friends and family in order to try and get a even result with as many different age groups as i could find. I then counted up the results and made pie chart to show in a simple way what i found out, doing this now shows me how i should make my magazine.

8)

NME was the most popular closely followed by Rocksound and Kerrang, i will look at the style and what these magazines use and try and do my magazine in a similar way as these are the most popular.

7)

Most people buying music magazines buy is monthly, i would aim my magazine to be sold monthly as well therefore the customer may expect better content and more features as its monthly.

6)

The results show that most people would pay £2.50 to £3.00 this shows that the buyer is expecting the price to be reasonable and still have good content. The paper quality could be reduced slightly in order to have the price reduced and kept reasonable.

5)

Most of the Females i surveyed are aged 14 to 17 therefore i will aim my magazine at that age group.

4)

The majority of males i asked are 14 to 17 therefore my target audience for my magazine will be 14 to 17.

3)

The majority of people asked said they read music magazines, this is help full as i can concentrate on the music my age group enjoy and feature similar genres and artists they would listen to.


2)

Most people i asked were ages 14 to 17, this is help full as this is also my age group and helps me to create the magazine that my age group would be interested in as i understand what my friends and people my age would want and expect.

1)

The majority of people i asked were female, purely because the females were more interested in taking part in the questionnaire and giving there opinion.

Questionnaire

Magazine Questionnaire

1) what is your gender?
Male
Female

2) How old are you?
11-12 years
14-17 years
18-21 years
22-25 years
26-29 years
30+ years

3) Do you read music magazines?
yes
no

4) If yes what magazines do you read?



5) How often do you buy music magazines?
Daily
Weekly
A few times a week
Monthy
Yearly
Never

6) What attracts you to particluar genre of magazines?



7) How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?

£2.00-£2.50 £2.50-£3.00 £3.50-£4.00 £4.00-£10.00+

Timetable