First analysis of front cover

1. ANALYSIS OF A MUSIC
MAGAZINE

2. INTRODUCTION TO
THE MAGAZINE
NME (New Musical Express) is a Rock/ Indie/ Alternative music magazine,
founded in 1952. It began as a music newspaper, including greats such as Elvis
Presley and Roy Orbison, then in the 1980s developed into a magazine. NME is
published by IPC Media; the editor is Mike Williams and the publisher is Ellie
Miles. In 1996, an online version of NME was created, with over 7 million people
using it each month.

3. TARGET
AUDIENCE
NME’s target audience consists of well educated fans of current music artists and bands.
The average age an NME reader is 25, however the magazine targets mostly those from
17- 30. Most of the audience are predominantly male at figures around 73%. The target
audience of NME magazine is young, modern and trendy; and like to engage in popular
rock/ indie and alternative music of 21st century. The audience are enthusiasts of new
entertainment, therefore this magazine fits to their lifestyle.

4. HOUSE STYLE/
LAYOUT The house style of this front cover uses a
monochrome background and central
image, with bright fonts and colours
placed over the top to give it a large
contrast, and make the features stand
out to the target audience. The central
image is almost always placed in the
centre, slightly to the right, allowing text
and secondary images to be placed
around it.

5. MASTHEAD
NME uses a dominant masthead, always placed in the top left corner
of the magazine. The bold, formal letters connote a modern sense,
attracting the target audience of modern, youthful readers. The bold
font also helps to allow the magazine to stand out, making it easily
recognisable in shops. The Masthead is almost always in red font,
following the brand identity that has reoccurred through the issues.

6. CENTRAL
IMAGE
The central image covers most of the page
and is situated behind the splash and
coverlines. The monochrome effect
conveys a sense of sophistication and
subtle formality, contrasting with the
bright fonts placed over the top. The
music artist used for the front cover is
recognisable, therefore attracts the target
audience. The character on the front cover
is looking directly at the audience, which
connotes a dominant feeling, and also this
engages the readers with the magazine.

7. COVERLINES
The coverlines of the magazine are placed to the
right of the central image. These are quotes from
well known artists who interest the target
audience, therefore including these on the front
cover may want to make the readers read as it
enables them to know their favourite musicians on
a more personal level.

8. SPLASH
The splash is situated in the middle of the
front cover, placed over the central image.
This shows the target audience the main
story featured in the magazine. The name
of the artist uses a different colour,
therefore the contrast between the rest of
the text attracts the target audience more.

9. PUFF
Practically all front covers of magazines include a puff.
The chance to win something, or obtain ‘freebies’
implores the target audience to pick up the magazine,
as the prizes within music magazines are often music
concert tickets. As the target audience are those who
spend part of their income on seeing favourite music
artists, the chance to gain tickets for free is very
appealing.

10. MODE OF
ADDRESS NME communicates to its target
audience in a medium register. It
uses both aspects of formality and
informality to obtain the readers
attention. Within the front cover,
slang and taboo are not included,
which could imply the magazine is
for a more mature audience (late
teens- early 30’s).