2. Music Magazine Front Cover Analysis 1
Kerrang!
Banner
Masthead
Main image
Headline
Sell lines
Features
Barcode/price/info
3. The target audience is for anyone who is interested in this
kind of music as there is no ‘age group’ for different music
tastes. It’s for people who like to catch up on new
information or competitions or even possibly just for the
posters included.
The language used by the
headline and sell lines are
effective as they are short
and get straight to the point.
For example, it says ‘ALL
NEW INTERVIEWS’ then lists
a number of different bands.
The main image used,
consisting of five band
members from different
bands, is a mid shot showing
their faces and torsos. It links
with the headline and sell
lines of having interviews and
showing some of the band
members in some of the
bands mentioned. Also, there
are close up and mid shot
images below about posters.
I think it is laid out very well,
especially having the main image
cover part of the masthead. Also
having the headline is in the
middle and is in bigger font size to
catch the attention of a possible
buyer. However, all the text on the
magazine cover is in capitals
which probably suggests all
information given in the magazine
is important and must be read.
Also, the colours are very
effective, particularly in having a
black background; this allows for
most colours on it to stand out this magazine uses bright,
attracting colours like red, yellow
and white against the black.
This is a rock magazine and can be
identified as one by the bands listed in
the sell lines and the banner at the
bottom of the cover.
The front cover also
features competitions
or offers that buyers
can win. They are laid
out effectively, e.g.
having the important
information in
‘explosive’ callouts.
4. Music Magazine front cover Analysis 2
Alternative Press
Banner
Masthead
Main image
Headline
Sell lines
5. The genre of music this magazine follows is
rock. You can tell from the bands
mentioned in the headline and sell lines.
The connotations of the masthead is
that people might already have an
idea of what type of magazine it is by
being called ‘alternative’ press.
The target audience is
anyone who likes any
different types of rock
music.
The photograph is a
mid shot of four of
the band members
of the main band
that’s being featured
in this issue. They
are dressed in shirts
and ties, which
relates back to one
of the sell lines
The front cover is very plain and has
talking about
limited information on what is inside the
semesters and extramagazine which might make the reader
curricular guides.
want to know what’s inside or at least
look at the contents page.
The headline is the name of
the main band that’s featured
and the sell lines are more
information about bands and
are in very short, casual
sentences e.g. a sick
semester.
The layout is very basic but
this also makes it effective as
it doesn’t clash too much. The
masthead and headline are in
bigger fonts to stand out. All
the text is in either a bright
pink, yellow or white which
makes it suitable against the
darker background.
6. Music Magazine Front Cover Analysis 3
Banner
Masthead
Main Image
Headline
Sell Lines
Features
Mag info e.g.
price, issue etc
Spin
7. The layout style is productive as the
focus of the magazine is the main
image (covering part of the
masthead and banner) with the
masthead to the side and the text
out of the way but still present. In
terms of style, the magazine looks
pretty plain and simple however,
this may be seen as getting to the
point and mentioning the relevant
information. The fonts used are very
basic but are in capitals - some in
italics, suggesting the information's
importance yet still not taking the
attention away from the rest of the
magazine or the main image. The
masthead is the biggest font size
used followed by the headline then
the featured article. The colour
scheme is also rather
straightforward with a grey
background; grey, white and black
text and a mostly black-clothed
main image. The exception being
the red background of the masthead
and little use of yellow around. The
great use of mono-chrome makes
any other colour stand out.
The masthead is ‘Spin’ written in capitals in white on a red
background which is eye-catching. The connotations of the
masthead could suggest the magazine ‘spins’ or ‘revolves’ the
type of music they cover, and not just base the magazine on the
main image if they’re seeing it for their first time. Or it could
connote the feeling of a music-lover when they’re reading it.
The headline doesn’t give much away
- ‘Under The Influence’. It might
make the reader wonder what
they’re talking about and read on to
find out. The sell lines relate to the
headline informing the reader what
is featured inside the magazine. ‘9
stars grill their idols’ is in bigger
writing and short and sharp; not in a
proper sentence, to catch the
readers attention, which would then
lead them to want to know who the
‘9 stars’ are.
Spin is a more mainstream oriented magazine. It covers many types
of music including heavy metal and punk bands/artists, although
they’re usually more the alternative or pop rock. Therefore this
magazine is not of any specific genre of music which is good as it
would attract a wider audience. However, this may have limited
information for a reader who only likes a particular music genre.
8. The main image is the only
use of photography on the
front cover of this magazine.
It is a mid shot, consisting of
his face and torso and he is
looking directly at the camera
which would engage the
reader more. His
clothing/image (black
hair/clothes, leather) also
seems intentional as it could
help readers identify what
kind of music the main article
is about, especially that he’s
wearing a top with the artist
Iggy Pop. This again relates to
the main article.
The banner lets the reader know
this issue is a ‘special anniversary
edition’ which might attract the
reader more. Also, it mentions a
feature of an alternative topic
which may interest a reader if the
other artists don’t appeal to
them. Other than those, there
really isn’t much else on the
magazine - its very simple.
The target audience here is a wide variety of people who listen to different genres of music as this magazine
covers a range of genres - though not all. For example, the sub genres of rock they cover is usually
alternative rock, pop rock, punk rock, indie rock and feature bands like My Chemical Romance, Green Day,
Paramore, Nine Inch Nails, The Killers, Florence and the Machine, Muse, Lana Del Rey but then also features
mainstream artists like Azealia Banks, Eminem or Skrillex which is more electro.
Although it is aimed at people with different music taste, its directed more towards teenagers to middleaged people of either gender. This is because the artists or bands are more modern and what people listen
to nowadays.
