This document analyzes the front covers and contents pages of three music magazines: NME, Kerrang!, and Mojo. For NME, the summary discusses how the masthead is placed in the top left for readability, the main image features the band outside in natural lighting, and pull quotes are used to make readers feel like insiders. The Mojo summary notes that the masthead is layered behind the main image so loyalty is assumed, images are layered with text for visual interest, and pull quotes again provide exclusivity. For all magazines, design elements like headlines, images, colors and quotes are used to attract, inform and engage readers while representing the magazines' brands and target demographics.

1. Magazine Analysis
NME, Kerrang! And Mojo

2. NME

3. Front Cover
The masthead of the magazine is placed
at the top left hand side of the page. This
is 1) because people read from left to
right starting at the top of a page and
working their way and 2) when it’s
displayed in a shop the magazines are
usually staggered along the shelf so the
audience can still see the name of the
magazine even if half of it is covered. The main image is a photograph of the featured
band in this issue of the magazine. The image isn’t
taken in a studio but rather outside in the open
using more natural lighting. The sub-heading reads
‘from the LA boulevards to their London rehearsal
room’ and the setting of the picture shows palm
trees in the background and a clear sunny sky
which is something readers might associate with
their expectations of LA.
The band members are all dressed smartly but
casual and the looks on their faces are all relatively
serious, promoting a sense of anti-social-ness. Alex
Turner, the lead singer of the band, stands further
forward than the other band members. This could
be because out of all the members of the band he
is seen as the most familiar to the audience so
putting him further forward would make him stand
out.
Pull quote from an inside article giving the reader exclusive
information on the band. Makes the reader feel like they are part of a
club. Also ‘The press got everything wrong’ suggests that NME
themselves are not ‘the press’ and that they are more on level with
the readers and the artists in the fact they are telling them the truth.
The letters ‘AM’ in large font stand out on
the page, larger than the masthead, this is
the main headline on the cover. The letter’s
represent the initials of the artist on the
front the ‘Arctic Monkeys’ but are also the
name of the band’s new album and any
familiar readers will instantly recognise this
as the letters stand out so much, particularly
because they are white against the main
image which is predominantly dark.
This is the anchorage line and the font is
the same style and colour as the header
above it. The sizing is slightly smaller and
it is placed below the header so that the
reader’s eyes move down after catching
header to read this. The phrase ‘The Final
Chapter’ suggests something quite big
and important and that the article inside
might be one that concludes the journey
of this artist, one that fans and readers
might have been following and eager to
read the conclusion of.
Finally at the bottom, the same
font and colour again, we have
another anchorage line. This one
gives the reader an insight as to
what might be contained within
the article without giving too much
away, sparking curiosity. It tells us
enough, suggesting that the article
will cover a broad portion of the
band’s career, but not too much.
Here we have a plug. This one circled in yellow, which is
the only appearance of the colour on the cover, making it
stand out against the less harsh colours dominating the
rest of the cover. The circle almost looks as if it’s been
stamped on after the cover has been produced, giving it
a look like this is something extra NME have decided to
give the reader, again personalising the experience.

4. Double page spread
The main image is a full page image of the band before the
article even starts, this stands out and the reader will
recognise the article before they even start reading. If the
reader is just flicking through the magazine the article will
be easy to spot without having to necessarily look through
the contents.
The Headline ‘R U Ready’ referring to the band’s
single ‘R U Mine’ so anyone that is a fan of the
artist already will easily recognise the reference
but also a referral to the text speak commonly
used by the younger generation today indicating
that the target demographic is mainly teens and
young adults as the band are more youthful and
new then some of the other bands featured on
the front of NME sometimes.
Certain words highlighted in red,
vibrant and attractive colour. Links
to the magazine’s logo. Highlighted
in colour is the band being
interviewed, the writer of the article
and the photographer. Making the
credits to the article stand out so
that the reader’s don’t’ miss them .
Again white is used a lot,
keeping the magazine very
clean and minimalist. Black
writing also follows this
with only small amounts of
vibrant attractive colours
to highlight certain points
on the article. The red is a
bright and passionate
colour, its stands out on
the page and this draws
the readers eye to the
highlighted information.
The article is arranged
into columns,
conforming to the
conventions of the
magazine.

5. Contents
The masthead of the page is not ‘contents’ it
is named something interesting and quirky,
giving the magazine a more informal feel to
it and appealing to the younger audience.
This makes the reader feel more
comfortable and relaxed in their reading
experience.
It also includes
the date of the
issue so that it
is easy for the
reader to
identify the
issue.
Then we have secondary images of other
artists which engage the reader and
means they might see the image of an
artist they like before they read all of the
contents in the magazine and it allows
them to jump straight to it, visualising the
information on the page. Also more
obscure images will draw the reader’s
eye as they will look at the image and
then read the headline because they will
wonder what the image means.
The main headlines are scattered around the page and
the rest of the magazine content is listed at the bottom so
that the reader can find anything through the magazine
easily, however these articles don’t take spotlight on the
feature.
The use of pull quotes from the articles in
the magazine intrigue the reader and make
them want to read on, also make them feel
like they’re getting an exclusive preview at
the content before even getting to the
article, just like the quotes on the front page.
The main image and article of the magazine
placed in the center and takes up the most
space. This means it is the first thing the
reader will see and look at, making sure that
theydon’t miss the spotlight feature of the
issue. Also it gives more information on this
content as than it does about the other
articles as this is the main feature of the
issue.

6. MOJO

7. Front Cover
Using a plug to offer a free CD to the readers
makes them feel like they being given
something a little more than they’re paying
for, makes them feel more exclusive. This
also reflects on the audience and their social
class status.
The mast head is layered behind the
main image on the page. You can’t
really see the name fully but this
suggests that the magazines readership
is loyal and will follow the magazine,
already knowing it by the look of the
cover and not necessarily need to see
the name.
The main Image is layered behind and on top
of text, blending in with the contents of the
cover instead of just sitting behind it. The
image is infront of the masthead suggesting
that this is what the publisher wants the
reader to look at most to attract them to
purchasing the magazine. The header is still
placed firmly behind the rest of the text on
the page though, cut of by the header that
obviously refers to the main image. This link
will be made by the reader quickly, the
biggest image to the biggest piece of text
The main headline being in grey means it
is following the colour scheme of the
cover. It is the largest piece of text on the
cover next to the masthead, making it
stand out more and means it is the first
thing the reader will see. It is also in a
very bold font and is places in the center
of the page reaching either side, drawing
the reader’s eye.
A list of kickers and cover lines down either side of the bottom
half of the magazine. The kickers I grey, stating an artist and the
cover lines in red stating information on these aforementioned
artists. This gives the reader the impression that they are getting
a lot in the magazine and makes them want to read on to find
out more about the features of the issue, thus persuading them
more to buy it.
Pull quote from inside the magazine give
the reader a sense of exclusivity and
special treatment. Like they are personally
given that little bit extra by the magazine,
putting it on a more personal level with
the reader. It also makes them want to
read the rest of the magazine to discover
the context of tis quote.
Then we have a selling line promoting other artists and features in
the magazine, giving the reader further reason to purchase the
magazine and attempting to persuade them more to do so. Also the
use of secondary images visualises these other features and are also
placed there in the hope they will catch the reader’s eye in their
failure to read the entire cover due to possible disinterest in the
main feature. Use of a banner promoting additional
interviews. Again, this persuades the
reader to purchase the magazine and acts
like proof to the amount of content within
the magazine.
Barcode, date of publication, issue number and price are kept very
small and down in a corner the reader’s eye won’t be drawn to. This
tells us something about the audience as keeping the price small
means that they do not want it to stand out, suggesting that price
could be an issue with the social status of the audience.

8. Double Page Spread
The main image takes up one
half of the double page
spread and is of the artist that
the article is about. The
image is in black and white to
fit with the rest of the article
and blends well with the
black background. This image
is an indirect image of the
artist in action. This gives the
reader the feeling that they
are experiencing something
with more action than if the
main image was a studio
shot.
The use of a pull quote
from the article used as a
headline. This makes the
reader wonder what the
quote is about and intrigues
them to read the article to
find out.
Using very natural dull colours, very subtle, don’t stand out too
much. The only other colour apart from black and white is a light
mustardy yellow used to highlight certain parts of information
throughout the article, for example it is used to make one line of
the title stand out.
Anchorage on the page to
give the reader the basic
information they need to
understand the context of
the article before they start
reading it. Certain
information highlighted in
the light mustard colour to
make it stand out from the
rest of the text and catch
the reader’s eye.
The main text isn’t arranged into
columns as in most music magazines
but instead organised into a single
column, although the layout of this
article is very centered and the
singular column fits with this style
more than multiple columns would.
The use of a drop capital
emphasizes the beginning
of the article, making it
clear that this is the start
and making an impact on
the reader.
Selling line or banner at the top of the
page to give the reader an impression the
feature before they read. Tells the reader
what category this feature falls under.

9. Contents
The masthead from the cover is repeated
at the top of the contents page. This time
not as large but the use of the bold font
and white makes the title stand out
against the darker background. The
masthead is clearer here than on the front
cover as there is no image covering it.
The tagline underneath the masthead
reads ‘London, Memphis, Toryglen’ and
this promotes a multinational image for
the magazine which is more attractive to
readers than a singular nationality and
they will feel like they are getting a wider
range of music coverage from various
places in the world.
This tagline is also an indication to a
respectable reputation for the magazine
and makes it seem more prestigious to the
readers.
The date of the issues publication and the issue
number is placed at the top to inform readers that
might read the magazine regularly which issue this is.
Some readers might collect the magazine and this will
help them to identify the issue
Each point on the contents is followed by
a brief description of the article or what
the page contains allowing the reader to
skim the page and understand what each
page contains without having to look
through each page individually.
The main feature is set apart from the
rest of the contents, the reader might be
particularly interested in this feature of
the magazine as the cover is what they
would first see before reading the rest of
the magazine and this might be what
attracted them to buy the magazine. This
allows the reader to skip straight to this
feature without trawling through the rest
of the magazine first.
The use of a pull quote from the article featuring the woman in the main image on the contents
page attracts the reader to this feature as it makes them wonder what the quote could mean and in
what context it is being said, persuading them to read the article or feature and find out more, and
therefore read more of the magazine.
The main image is the only image on the
page and this keeps the page very
uncluttered and minimalist, this is a
contrast to the example cover I used but
minimalism has become a popular style
among media products in the last few
years. The red hair of the artist pictured
ties in with the colour scheme and the
dark clothes make her stand out on the
page, being one of the first things to catch
the readers eye.
This brings us on to the colour scheme
which uses a simple colour scheme with
a darker background. Apart from the red
font colour the colours are very muted
and in some ways dull but this only
makes the red stand out more. The only
other colour used is white and on the
grey background this makes the
highlighted red areas stand out more and
makes them jump at the readers eyes
more than if they were a duller colour,
say black, instead.

10. Kerrang!

11. Front Cover
Using a selling line to mention two bands that are
following similar paths, use of very dominant verbs
like ‘take’ and ‘terrify’ like these artists are actually
on some sort of crusade. This makes the reader feel
like they are getting additional content.
The masthead is very big across the top.
Using a very blocky, strong font and the
white on black making it stand out in
contrast. Cracks spider webbing through
the font make it seem very explosive. Fits
with its genre of rock and surrounding sub
genre’s. The masthead makes an impact on
the page, the only thing standing out more
being the main image.
The main image is in the forefront of the cover.
Standing out over the masthead and filling the
center of the page. This is one of the first thing
the reader’s eye is drawn to and leads them to
question what about this artist the magazine is
covering.
The main headline is another thing that
stands out. We have the name of the artist/
band being featured in big white font
outlined in black splashed across the page,
almost the same size as the masthead. This
is something that stands out on the page
and draws the reader’s eye so that they
assume it will be associated with the main
image too.
Another plug, within a circle, almost stamped
onto the page, claiming the magazine is the
UK’s biggest festival guide. Again in a bold font,
fitting with this very harsh, stand out image the
magazine has, this intrigues the reader to
possibly discover what these festivals are.
Kickers and cover lines promote the other
features of the magazine incase the reader is
not attracted by the main feature. The kickers
listing the artist and cover lines giving the
reader minimal information on the features to
intrigue them.
Again another plug to show the reader that this
particular issue contains poster’s, offering
extras that can be of use to the reader outside
the magazine, also referred to as a ‘poster
special’ so if the magazine usually contains
posters its showing that this time it something
even more. This again reflects on the audiences
social status as the magazine is offering a lot of
freebies which is something that makes the
reader think they are getting more for their
money.
Use of a menu strip
to list other band/
artists featured in
the magazine. Again
This gives the reader the impression that they are getting more than
they are paying for which is what a lot of the components of this
cover are suggesting, this says something about the target audience,
that they are young and do not necessarily have a lot of spendable
income.
Using a plug to offer the reader freebies to
make them feel like they are getting more
for their money, reflecting on the social
status of the target audience.
Using a buzz word such as ‘Exclusive!’
makes the reader feel more involved, like
they are being told this information first,
before anyone else, and like it is only for
them
Use of a pull quote from within the
magazine to intrigue the reader and make
them want to read more and therefore buy
the magazine.
The use of the sub image visualises the selling
line and attracts the readers eye to it more
than if it wasn’t there.
Use of a buzz word to
give the reader the
impression they are
getting more than they
are paying for or that the
magazine is giving them
additional content,
making them feel more
involved

12. Double Page Spread
Using a Puff -‘World
Exclusive’ makes the
article seem more
important. The fact that
it says ‘world’ suggests
to the reader that this is
an international
exclusive not just
something national or
local. Followed by the
word exclusive makes
the reader feel like
they’re part of the club.
Like the magazine is
offering this personally
to them and this
involves them more and
engages them in the
article.
The main Image shows an action shot of the artist. This article
is referring to them making their music and this conveys the
sense that the magazine was in on them making their music,
instead of taking them from their work they observed them at
it. This also says a lot about the audience of the magazine. They
are very interested in the music and not the glamour and
showbiz of it all. They don’t take interest in the artist’s fashion
or personal life, its all about the music.
The use of sub images to add to this documentary style article. Showing
that they are in the middle of creating their music like they do everyday.
This gives the reader a sense that they are seeing something not many
people get to see, again an exclusivity thing and also making it seem more
personal than if the images on the the page were from as studio shoot.
The headline is a pull quote from the interview.
The band mentioning their own name. stating
who the interview is about and again making it
more personal as it feels as if the artist is
speaking directly to the reader, making them feel
more involved.
A factfile containing extra information on the
band’s new tracks, this intrigues the reader and
gives them the impression they are gleaning
information that other fans do not have. Agai
making them feel like the magazine is offering the
something not everybody gets.
In following with the
rest of the magazines
colour scheme, the
double page spread
uses red, black and
white, using the red
to highlight certain
areas to make them
stand out.

13. Shows images of previous or articles
within this issue of the magazine.
Allows the reader to have a sneak
preview of that’s to come.
Contents
The main image on the page
followed by the name of the artist
and the page the feature of this
artist is on. Obviously a larger story
as there is not descriptive text just
the name of the artist. Showing that
larger artists featured do not need as
much introduction or description.
Listing the titles of the articles, the
more exciting or important ones
highlighted in black and written in
yellow bold font.
Again using this blocky, sharp, bold
font to make certain things stand
out.
Plug to promote
magazine subscription,
offering extras and
exclusives to the reader if
they subscribe.
Small column feature from an artist
that is possibly regularly featured in
the magazine. New artist each week?
Yet another exclusivity thing.