This document analyzes the front covers of two professional music magazines, NME and Q. It discusses several key elements of the magazine covers including the masthead, main coverline, coverlines, image, price/barcode, and buzzwords. The masthead identifies the magazine brand. The main coverline prominently features the title of the main article, in this case about the Foo Fighters for NME and Paolo Nutini for Q. Smaller coverlines provide information on additional articles. The central image is usually related to the main feature to draw in readers. Price and issue details are included in the barcode. Buzzwords are meant to provoke emotion and encourage readers to learn more.

1. THIS PRESENTATION IS
FOR THE ANALYSIS OF A
PROFESSIONAL MUSIC
MAGAZINE FRONT
COVER

2. Masthead
Masthead: The NME and Q
masthead is symbolic in a way.
When readers see that
logo/Masthead they know exactly
what they’re getting into. Also the
NME masthead in most issues like
this stands out from the rest of the
page. For example the NME
masthead has a red area with white
writing and almost all of the rest of
the page is white this makes the
masthead hugely stand out. The Q
masthead is also very similar.

3. Main Coverline
Main Coverline: The main coverline
is essentially the title of the
magazine it has the name of the
main feature in this article. Here as
the main feature of this article to
the left is the Foo Fighters, the
name Foo Fighters is written along
the page showing that this is the
main feature. The font the text has
been put in is very unusual as it
looks like it has been written by the
band member with his pen. The way
this main coverline has been made is
very clever as the main coverline
says that it’s the “Foo Fighters
Takeover” and as it looks like it has
been draw on it seem like the Foo
Fighters really have take over this
issue of the magazine. The Main
Feature/ Main Coverline of the
magazine to the right is clearly
Paolo Nutini. You can recognise this
by the fact that the writing use for
that text is different the rest of the
pages writing.

4. Coverlines
Coverline: The coverlines are a
smaller size to the main coverline
and is used to give some
information about some of the other
features inside the magazine. Here
as you can see the coverlines are to
one side out the way of the main
image so they don’t take any focus
off the image. In the Q magazine to
the right you notice that
underneath the coverlines there is
text, this is a sub-coverline.

5. Image
Image: The main image here is an
image of band members [The Foo
Fights] this is the big draw for the
target audience of the magazine.
When people see the front cover of
the magazine and see an image of
the Foo Fighters in the middle and
supposing they are a fan it will grab
their attention which is the whole
point of having the main image to
get the attention of the right people
for the magazine. The main image is
usually an image of the main
feature; here for example it is The
Foo Fighters so readers know the
main feature of the magazine is
going to be about them. The Q
magazine does practically the same
thing it shows a main image of Paolo
Nutini also drawing in his target
audience and also, like the NME
magazine, shows you what the main
feature will be about.

6. Extra
Price/Barcode: The barcode has a
few pieces of info on it for example
it has the price written on it, the
issue number and the date the
magazine was published/released.
Buzzwords: all magazines have words meant to
cause some sort of emotion the ‘buzzwords’
here there are buzzwords such as ‘F**King
Crazy’ words like this grab readers and
encourage them to want to read on. Another
example is one the Q magazine ‘I’m on a
Quest’.