Music Magazine Analysis

Aidan Jervis

NME Front Cover

Left Third

Masthead

Skyline

Main Image

Lead Article

Cover Lines

Flash

The masthead for this magazine is consistent with all NME magazines. The masthead with its striking red, bold, uppercase, sans-serif font is an assertive message to their readers to buy it. This continued style throughout all of NME’s literature reinforces their brand identity, making them immediately recognisable to the readers and potential buyers. The masthead is also in keeping with the conventions of magazines by being located in the left third.

The left third is key as it is the part of the magazine visible to customers when placed on a newsagent’s shelf. The left third also contains a flash. The flash works much like the skyline, giving the reader of view of what’s inside. However the flash is located in the left third and just below the masthead. This suggests that it has real importance and therefore carries an interesting story or feature, one which would appeal to potential readers.

The skyline of this front cover gives the reader a brief view of what the issues main feature is. In this case it is reviews for the Reading and Leeds festivals, something which NME strongly support, therefore assuming their readers will to. It is used to attract the potential readers and words like “exclusive” are often used to entice them further.

The main image and lead article relate. The image connotes a ‘rock star’ lifestyle ; drunken nights out and expensive champagne. This is something which many of the NME readers would aspire to become thus making the image attractive to them. It also suggests to the audience that The Libertines are successful. As well as the success the image connotes a friendship between the two of them (something which previously may have not been so strong), this is reinforced by the inclusion of the lexis “united” in the article title.

Some magazine front covers feature cover lines. Cover lines are just another way of advertising some of the features in the magazine. It may be important to include cover lines as they help to promote the lead article or main features.

The image led contents page gives the reader a brief overview on what each feature is about. It of course includes the page number making it easier for the reader to navigate through the magazine. The images included are ones which are relevant to the article. This makes it even clearer to the reader what each article is about, if it wasn’t already. The main image in the middle connotes a very lively, fun and intense atmosphere, something which NME know will excite their audience. There is also different font styles in use, this helps to distinguish between each article and make it clearer to the audience. NME have also included a small advert which they have put in a red box. This helps it to stand out thus making it easier to advertise. Lastly they have chosen to include a ‘Plus’ section. This gives the audience a very brief view of some of the lesser articles in the issue.

The double page spread continues with the same style as the contents page. It uses mainly black font with the colour red for the number and bold for the artists name. The design helps the reader to navigate and understand the article without having to necessarily read the whole thing. At a glance it’s easy to see who the artists featured are. It is important for the magazine to engage the reader so to have a simple, easier to understand design helps to do this. There a few images included which help to promote some of the artists mentioned. The style of the images are there to help the audience, who its assumed were not there, understand what the intensity of the gig might have been like. They also help to support the NME’s review of those gig’s.

Q Front Cover

Left Third

Masthead

Skyline

Main Image

Lead Article

Cover Lines

Pull Quote

As with the majority of magazines the masthead for Q is prominently featured. Also, like the NME masthead, Q has a very distinctive design, in keeping with their brand identity, something which I feel they are very proud of, and the status they have built up as the number one music magazine. At a glance this logo immediately connotes to the potential buyer exactly what it is i.e. most people would know what to expect from this magazine without having to pick it up and read it.

The main image is of the lead artist from Muse, Matt Bellamy, he’s holding a guitar and has appeared to have cracked the Q masthead. This connotes to the reader that he is ‘smashing it’, in the sense that they are doing particularly well at this time. I don’t believe there is much anger or aggression present, if any at all, as his face appears to be relatively calm. The artists dress is in keeping with the overall style of the front cover with the use of black and red.

The pull quote on the front cover also helps to anchor the image. I do feel however, that they are being sarcastic and using a play on words to show how Bellamy is far from what this image may initially suggest. “I bought 50 tins of beans and an axe...”, this quote is used to suggest how Bellamy’s idea of “out of control” is to buy 50 tins of beans whereas the usual ‘rock star’ assumptions would be 50 cans of lager, for example.

The colours used for this front cover are relatively simple. They have used a main background colour of grey which allows them to then have white text over that. The dark background colour also allows for the red to stand out becoming even more obvious. This helps to highlight specific areas and make them aware to the audience, such as parts of the cover lines but mainly the masthead.

The left third of this front cover contains the masthead and the lead article along with other features with this edition. The lead article is in large capitals highlighting the importance of it.

This contents page is very image led which helps to engage the reader. Q use these images to encourage the reader to read on and as an addition to the small description about each article. The main image used connotes a very glamorous lifestyle with the use of the patent jacket and sunglasses. The left hand side of this contents pages outlines some of the main features in the magazine. These are included to advertise to the reader briefly why they should turn to each article and read it.Q, cleverly, often use a double page spread for their contents page. The contents page has enormous value to advertisers as it’s to be the second most viewed after the front cover. Business will see it very valuable to be placed near to the contents page, and will be willing to pay large sums of money. With Q printing 2 contents pages, this will mean that they can in affect double their revenue from offering advertising near to these pages.

This double page spread features a large image and two medium ones. The main image connotes a very enjoyable and lively atmosphere to the reader. It’s important for Q to give the reader a great insight into the concert as it’s assumed they were not present, and what better way to engage the reader than to include eye catching images. The two medium images are of the group alongside each other. This has immediate and obvious connotations that they have a close relationship and that is something which comes across to the audience during their performance, thus making their performance notably better and more professionally sounding. This semantic field of friendly/family relationship is reinforced through the use of such lexis as “share” and “everyone.”

2nd NME Front Cover

This final magazine front cover also comes from NME. This front cover is particularly interesting as NME have chosen to stray from their usual colour choice. The fact that they have chosen to do this immediately suggests to the reader and potential buyer that this is not your average copy of NME and a special or limited edition version. This will encourage the fans of NME to purchase it as they wouldn’t want to miss this unique opportunity to own a one off copy.The front cover is, of course, dominated by the image of Jimi Hendrix. The cover lines in the top right are also related to the image and main article as they’re about ‘The Greatest Guitarist Alive Today’. The style of text used in the background is as if done with a paintbrush. This connotes to the audience and suggests that JimiHendrix was an artist in his field. Something which many people would agree with.

The contents page has reverted back to the old style which everyone is familiar with from NME. It once again is dominated by images which help to support the relevant articles. Not only that but it helps to keep the reader engaged and encourages them to read on. This page, along with the front cover, my be one that’s viewed by potential buyers so it is important for NME to make it stimulating and appealing to the eye. Moreover the articles feature pull quotes which further help to promote them. The font style and colour remains the same as with all NME contents pages, this helps to support the identity of the magazine and make it recognisable to readers.

This double page spread from NME is the article advertised on the front cover. It has adopted the same purple style that can be seen on the front. This helps to create a link between the two making it easier for the audience to locate the article. The image has an almost ghostly feel to it with Hendrix blending into the background. The denotative meaning is of course that Jimi Hendrix passed away a long time ago but it does however connote to the reader that he’s very much alive still. This view is reinforced by the quote on the top of the pages “I’ve been dead a long time”, suggesting it is something he has said recently. The style and way this quote has been presented to the audience is as if it has appeared from the smoke of his cigarette, thus making it that even more magical and artistic, much like the text from the front cover. The purple background, I feel, has an obvious link the ‘Purple Haze’, one of Hendrix’s most famous songs.