Analysis of similar media texts for a music magazine

Front covers:

• The headline is the most recognisable feature of the 'KERRRANG' magazines.
• the colour scheme is dark and mysterious which matches the tag line 'resurrection of ville valo'.
• bullet pointed content. (looks like a CD track list)
• full page image which is threatening and in your face
• freebees of posters which shows the kind of target audience that would be interested in posters because of the age or musical interest.
• smaller secondary images
• fonts appropriate for theme.
• The main image is smoking showing the rebellious side which is a relatable trait of this magazine.
• tag line 'life is loud' which is catchy and sets the style of the magazine accuratly.

• for 'Q' magazine their logo is most iconic an also the most eyecatching feature of their magazine because of its colour and simplicity.
• this magazine generally uses the three colour rule using the classic, red, black, and white.
• the tag line is ' a different take on music' which gives it edge and intregue for the mystery of what they mean by this.
• main image fills the page and covers the logo as it is more important and the magazine is easily recognisable.
• does not feature freebees but does suggest a preview.
• bold subheadings with smaller print under as mini description.
• biggests artists with bigger titles.
• they have used alicia 'keys' name to relate to piano with the colours black and white in the title and  a keyboard styled tie.

In conclusion to existing front cover research:

• all front covers have a tag line
• the biggist artists featured in the magazine have preference on the cover, the biggest titles etc to increase publicity for the magazine and for themselves.
• there is always a theme which is described by the tag line.
• generally has minimalistic bold colours
• freebees and previews
• subheadings of other content
• smaller pictures of other content
• 1 edgy different appeal about it such as main image is smoking or they have played around with the font in a different way.
• 1 large main image that fills the page so you would recognise the person featured on the magazine first before the magazine when it is on the rack.

Contents pages:

• The target audience is young teen girls. This is shown through the wording of text such as ‘celeb looks’ and the people featured in the images such as 1D or miranda crosgrove (a character from a nickelodeon programme i carly, who also sings) as a role model.
•  Another aspect that clues us it is aimed at young teens is the colour scheme and the ‘top of the pops’ franchise.
• The iconography on the contents features stars and heart to show the innocence.
•  The page is divided randomly and chaotically, with overlapping images to show which ones are more important and highlighted features to draw attention into reading this specific article. 
•  There is a mini print screen of the front cover to remind readers of what attracted their attention to the magazine in the first instance.
•  The subheadings are all boxed off and the typography is squirly to match the masthead on the front cover.
• Because the target audience are so young there is minimalist writing making it easy for browsing and understanding.
• The people featured are all close to the target audience age but slightly older in order to make it aspirational to be like them.
• The magazine uses alot of abreviations to make the magazine appear cool such as 'mag', 'celeb', or using hearts instead of the word love.
• 'Top of the pops' is supposed to be a music magazine but features more information on fashion and boys as apposed to those boys relation to music.

• Much more formal layout in comparison to the top of the pops magazine. 
•   Classic two part vertical division separating image from text. 
• The content itself are all completely music related and aimed at an audience who are closely involved in music and have a passion and genuine interest in it to want to read the reviews etc.
•  The content itself are all completely music related and aimed at an audience who are closely involved in music and have a passion and genuine interest in it to want to read the reviews etc.
•  Colour theme is dull and to the point. It doesn’t have any specific relation to gender.
•  The target audience for this magazine would be people into rock music but are older than teenage because of the content being so intellectually based.
• like the kerrang front cover this contents page also used a track list layout for the contents of the magazine.
• More than half og the contents page is image because people do not want to be over whelmed by too much text.

In conclusion to my research on existing music contents pages:

·         Image dominates the page as opposed to text.

·         There is a structure some more formal than others which will depend on who the target audience is.

·         Features organised according to their genre and sometimes in relation to interest.

·         Main features highlighted.

·         Between 5 and 10 images total.

·         Planned photo shoots.

Double page spreads



NME



• The title immediatly catches your eye. Its black and white in an unconventional way, it has been presented to look as though the letters have been cut out which is edgy and creative which could reflect the artist.
• Just like allot of front covers and contents page this double oage spread uses the three colour scheme with traditional red, black and white.
• There is one main image filling out almost entirely one page this in my opinion is much more eye catchy and for people that get overwhelmed by large amounts of text it is very inviting to read.
• The person featured (Lilly Allen) is recognisable and by being featured on the right hand side it will be noticed first if the magazine is being browsed.
• the text itself is informative yet chatty and fun which suggests that is what the magazine would like their readers to be and enjoy this style of writing.
• The double page spreads text balances out between an informative music magazine and a chatty music magazine.

 

Q magazine



• Just like NME's double page spread Q magazine has used the concept of an image filling one whole page to attract attention.
• You can immendiatly tell it is a Q magazine double page spread without looking at the cover because of the large red 'L' in the stlye and colour of Q from the logo.
• The image is style and sophysticated which represents the magazine well.
• the text itself is well thoughtout and closely related to the music itself not the personal life of the singer which gives Q magazine its respect.
• Q wants its magazine to be about the writing in order to do this they do not focus on image to the extent of extravagant text and titles but an understated look and plain colours for this double page spread also consists of a black white and red colour theme, with a sepia image.
• There is nothing immodest about the image which is unlike the usual character of lady gaga which shows that its the magazine that want to show this side in everyone.

In conclusion to my double page spread anaylsis:

• the double page spreads all include minimum of one main larger image.
• the titles are bold an informative of either who its about or the mainstoryline phrased in a way to confuse and intregue the reader.
• The article must be made to fit the magazine style even if the artist featured is conventionally not linked to the style.
• The writing needs to be either informative and plentiful or to the point, fun and short.
• My image needs to show of a key characteristic of the artist featured.
• To get readers interested, must feature eye catching sections weather that is bold quotations or a powerful image.