This document compares the house styles of three music magazines: Kerrang!, NME, and Q. It summarizes the common elements across their cover designs, including placement of the masthead, use of coverlines, inclusion of quotes and posters, and color schemes. While the magazines each have distinct visual identities, all three aim to prominently feature eye-catching artist images and entice readers with coverlines, quotes, and promotional offers.

1. Masthead: The masthead for NME is
always in the same position,. NME always
links the masthead to the
Anchor/Coverline. As you can see in this
case two are white masthead with a white
anchor, compared to the Rihanna issue
the masthead is pink and so is the
anchor.
Main image: The main image always
crosses the boarder. The main image on
NME is of just one main person as this is
what the issue is about. Normally it is a
shot that looks like the artist is looking at
the audience
Main Coverline/Anchor: The main Coverlines: The cover lines on all these
coverline and anchor overlap the NME issues are at the sides of the main
main cover image. This is always in page.
a strong bold sans serif font.
Quotes: All of these NME issues contain
Barcode: The barcode for each of quotes from the artist on the front.
these magazines is on the front
cover in either corner of the The colour scheme for NME masthead
magazine. are colours that represent the artist (E.g
Rihanna issue) or plain white. The house
Banner & Posters: Only one of style colour scheme are plain coloured
these NME magazine shows that it backgrounds, often a dark or light
contains posters. background in order the make the artist
pop out and because of the genre this
magazine is. This magazine is a mix of
indie.
NME template skeleton – House style

2. Masthead: Kerrang! Masthead is situated behind
the cover image, it is also either black with a
white background or white with a black
background. It has a cracked look like shattered
glass.
Main image: The masthead on all three of these
Kerrang! magazines are behind the image,
people instantly recognise the magazine and
therefore do not need to see the full kerrang!
Logo as they can still read it behind plus they
know that this is the house style for the kerrang!
magazine. The image is also always a midshot
that is looking directly at the audience.
Main Coverline/Anchor: The main
anchor on all these front covers are
overlapping the cover image. They
are promoting the main article inside The colour scheme for Kerrang! is
and in two of the cases these are the dark, this is because the genre is more
artists on the front cover. rock than any other genre and dark
colours are generically related to rock.
Banner & Posters: All of these Kerrang!’s masthead is always cracked
issues of Kerrang! contain free that is either black or white, never any
posters along with banners. other colour, this relates back to the
generic conventions of a rock genre.
Barcode: The barcode for each of
these issues is situated on the front
in the same corner of kerrang!
KERRANG! template skeleton – House style

3. Masthead: Q masthead is just of white Q with
a red background, this very rarely ever
changed. The position of the Q is always in the
left corner, same size every time. This is so it
is instantly recognisable to the audience.
Main Coverline/Anchor: The main coverline
for Q is normally always in a black or white
colour that is placed over the top of the image
halfway down the page.
Icons: All of these Q magazines use little
icons to highlight certain features within the
magazine.
Main image: Q magazine nearly Barcode: The barcode is always
always use a full body shot/long shot. bottom left of the magazine out of the
On all of these issues of Q magazine way in the corner
the artists are looking directly down Q’s colour scheme is nearly always the
the lens and making eye contact with same with only a few colour variations.
the audience. Q is an all-round music magazine but
Coverlines: All Q magazines have mainly contains pop, hip-hop and rap.
coverlines, these are always to the From these magazines you can see that
either or both sides of the image. The they keep to the same style each time,
image is placed in front of the this is one of the things that makes Q
coverline and therefore may cover recognisable to the audience. Q could
part of the image. stay a neutral colour as it does contain
more than one genre and therefore
needs to try not to follow any key
Q template skeleton – House style convections for other genres.

4. Main Coverline/Anchor: Kerrang! And NME both
use anchors to entice the reader plus this is also a
main coverline. Q on the other hand does not use
this technique in this issue.
Banner & Posters: Kerrang! Is the only one out
these three that offer free posters as the other two
do not.
Icons & Quotes: Kerrang! and Q both use little
icons to show what the content is and are
sometimes are promoting little competitions ,
NME’s issue does not offer this. All of the
magazines contain quotes on the cover page from
the artist/s on the front.
Main image: Kerrangs! cover image is of
Masthead: KERRANG! Is wrote like Hayley Williams punching towards the
shattered glass, KERRANG! Is also the audience with the name Paramore wrote
sound that is made when plugging in a on her hand. In contrast to this, NME has
guitar and this relates to the genre of a close up of Florence Welch and in
magazine as this is more of a rock genre contrast with NME, Q has a long shot with
compared to Q which I more pop. Q 3 different artists on the cover. What all of
magazine has just a simple Q which is these music magazines have in common
always in a red square as the masthead, is that al of the artists are looking at the
however this is also the logo for Q audience to engage them.
magazine. The Q is instantly recognisable
by the audience. NME however are the Coverlines: Q and NME both have
only music magazine to variate the coverlines on these issue, however,
colours of the NME logo/masthead. Kerrang! does not. Both NME and Q have
MNE’s masthead is the same colour as their coverlines at the sides of the cover
the coverlines. image although it may still over lap.
Comparing template skeletons – House style