The document analyzes the covers of three music magazines - Mixmag, Kerrang, and Q - in terms of their target audiences, genres, visual design elements, and use of typography. Mixmag targets young adults aged 20-35 and focuses on genres like dance, drum and bass, dubstep and trance. Kerrang targets teenagers and young adults aged 14-25 and features rock, punk and emo genres. Q has a broader target audience over age 18 and covers various genres including classic and alternative rock. All three magazines utilize stylistic elements like prominent mastheads, bright cover lines, model credits and lead articles to attract readers and emphasize their musical focuses.

1. Target Audience and Genre:
Mixmag is aimed mainly at young adults
around 20 years old up to around 35, the
genre of the magazine is
disco/urban/drum bass/hard dance/
electro/ dubstep/ trance.
Main Image:
The front cover of this issue from June
2013 emphasizes the genre due to the
photograph being of the well-known
electronic-music duo Disclosure. The
animation effect is their logo, but it also
suggests that their music is synthesized
music.
Model credit:
The model credit “Disclosure” allows the
audience who may be unsure as to who
the main image is of aware of who the
main stories in this issue will be about.
Also, it being central will draw the
attention of the audience towards it,
especially due to it being capitalized harsh
font and as they're also isn't a lot of white
font anywhere else on the front cover.
Masthead:
The masthead of the magazine is “Mixmag”,
although the main image over-laps part of the
word, it still strongly stands out due to the
bright red font, also Mixmag emphasizes the
genre of the magazine, as “mix” is usually
referred to the tracks that DJs make and is
commonly associated with the dance music/DJ
culture. Mixmag is also written in serif which
makes it gentler on the eyes and makes it seem
like more of an informal magazine.
The Gutenberg Design Principle:
The primary optical area is taken up by the
masthead; this is done as it is the main place
which the audience will look at first. Then the
main cover line is in the middle, as this is
direction in which the audience will look as
their reading will gravitate towards the
terminal area and then to the weak fallow area
which has some smaller cover lines.
Colours/Typefaces/House style:
The magazine seems to have a specific style
and sticks with the same three colors of black,
red and white. Also, sans serif fonts give a
degree of casualness and sophistication.
Cover lines:
There are numerous cover lines on the front page, they're all
grouped together in specific categories, such as ones to do
with Ibiza, and there’s one on what you could win and then
one on other articles in the magazine. Cover lines such as
“Daft Punk” are iconic to the genre, therefore attract the
genre.

2. Target Audience and genre:
Kerrang is aimed towards teenagers/young
adults, most likely in the age range of 14-25
years old. The genre of the magazine is mainly
rock, however it does feature punk and emo.
Main image:
The genre is made evident with the main
photograph choice being of Andy from Black
Veil Brides, who are a popular hard rock/shock
rock band. He is dressed quite dark looking with
black rash make up, which would attract an
audience of people who enjoy this look, which
stereotypically is seen as emos/moshers/those
into hard music.
Model credit:
The model credit is a big font in comparison to
the other cover lines. “Black Veil Brides” links it
to the lead article and the neon yellow font
contrasting with the black highlighting makes it
easy to see and read. It also usually refers to the
main image, therefore informs the audience
who/what the main image is about.
Lead Article:
The lead article is “Black Veil Brides: Is Andy the
New God of Rock”, this part is in the biggest
font used on the cover and is also in bright
colours with a highlighting; this therefore draws
attention to it. It would draw the attention of
Black Veil Brides fans and also those who enjoy
rock music as they will be intrigued in seeing
who is being referred to as the “God of Rock”.
Masthead:
The mast head on Kerrang is an onomatopoeia
as it is linked to the sound of which a guitar
makes, which fits with the genre of the magazine
as it is rock. Also the font is capitalised and has
use of an explanation mark which also links with
the genre as it as if they are screaming Kerrang
and the music that is referred to in the magazine
is quite screamo. The effect of the font used for
the masthead also looks like it has been
smashed, which could link with rock music being
so loud that is smashed things, stereotypically
windows
Colours/Typefaces/House style:
The main colours in this issue are white, black
and yellow, these colours are also apparent in
most of the issues, especially the block white
mast head, however this sometimes varies to
black. The bright colours allow the magazine to
stand out a lot more and draws attention.
Coverlines:
The cover lines used are all lay out the same, with a block black
highlighting, and capitalized writing in yellow and white, the black
highlighting makes the writing a lot easier to read as it stands out.
Also the yellow, black and white colors are a theme throughout
the magazine cover.
Banners/Flashes/badges:
There are lots of badges used, highlighting the
text which makes it easier to read and stand out
a lot more, as there are a lot of bright colours
used on the magazine, so this black highlighting
makes separates each part. It also allows more
room for more cover lines.

3. Target Audience and genre:
Q is a music magazine which does not
specifically have a genre due to it being
mainly focused on new releases and
upcoming artists. It mainly seems to focus
on classic rock, and new alternative rock.
Its target audience would 18+’s due to the
wide range of music it covers.
Masthead:
The mast head is a play-on-words as the
magazine is named Q which interlinks with
musical cues. It is very prominent on the page
on a block red background and stands out with
the use of white font.
Main Image:
The main image is one of the Arctic
Monkeys who are an indie rock band,
which would attract an audience who like
the band. The mise en scene of the
photograph emphasizes the genre because
of the use of dark colors used and the
costume of the band members.
Model credit:
The model credit links in with the main
image; it informs people who may have not
known who was on the main image, who
the band are, especially for a younger
audience who is discovering new bands.
The writing is big and takes up most of the
weak fallow area which isn’t always the
main place of interest of the reader; by
placing the text here it draws the attention
to that area.
Lead Article:
The lead article is “How broken hands,
competing haircuts and strange voyeurism
helped make their best record yet”, this is
in bold white font in the weak fallow area,
the text stands out more than the other
coverlines and more attention will be paid
to this as it is under the model credit.
Colours/Typefaces/House style:
The house style of Q places the masthead in the
same position each issue, this makes it more
recognisable to the audience as this will strike
them first when looking for the magazine.
The barcode:
The barcode is placed in the terminal area,
which is the last place which people may look,
this is strategically placed here, knowing that its
the last place of interest, therefore by the time
the audience look to see the price of the
magazine, they have already been sold by the
main image and cover lines. Also, having the
model credit in the weak fallow area draws the
reader’s attention to a place not usually looked
at.