Analysing front cover

1. NME
I am interested in creating a
music magazine for AS
media studies. The first
magazine front cover I am
going to analyse is NEW
MUSICAL EXPRESS, best
known as NME.
NME belongs to the
company IPC media along
with other magazines such
as, shooting times, chat and
fate. The magazine uncut is
another music magazine
within the IPC media
company.

2. NME magazine overview:
Audience:
Company: IPC media (Time
inc.)
Editor: Krissi Murison
Frequency: Weekly
Circulation: 56,284
Readership: 411,000
Country: United Kingdom
First Issue: 7th March 1952
From looking at this front cover of this NME magazine, I would
assume that it has a target audience of well-educated fans of bands
and new music. They will enjoy reading about the wider subjects
such as films. From the front cover I also assume that the audience
will be mostly male readership, predominantly from the UK. They will
be interested in a wide range of subjects including film and fashion.
The front cover also suggests that the audience will be dedicated
music fans and will be a regular buyer of this magazine.
http://www.nme.com/mediapack/pdf/nme_media_information_full.pdf
This link shows the Demographic statistics and detailed information
about NME’s target audience. This link is to NME magazine’s media
pack.

3. I have found out the following information of the audience, on
NME:
• The average age is 25
• The magazine targets men ages 17-30
• They are predominantly male with 73%
• 73% belong to the social grade ABC1
• The majority of NME readers enjoy new entertainment
• Well educated – 34% working full time, 18% working part
time, 26% full time students
• The readers of this magazine are very modern, young and trendy
who, enjoy films and technology.
• Dedicated to the magazine
Audience Demographics:
• Age: 25
• Gender: Male
• Employment: Full time job
• Geographic's: Lives in the U.K

4. Who are the core audience?
• Predominantly males ages between 17-30 years, who are well
educated with a high disposable income. The audience have a
passion for music, films and are very technology savvy.
Information about attitudes/ values/ lifestyle of audience:
• The audience spend their high disposable income on their passion
to music; they will buy concert tickets and even instruments in
which they will have been influenced to buy. They will also buy the
latest technology and film tickets etc. The audience are enthusiasts
of new entertainment and therefore it will be apart of their
lifestyle.
Why would this audience be attractive to advertisers?
• NME readers depend highly on this magazine because it has in-
depth knowledge on music, film, technology and fashion due to
the weekly frequency of the magazine. Therefore, the audience
will trust the brands advertised within the magazine, promoting
the products well. Due to their high educated fans, the
recommendation amongst their peers will be more respected.

5. Codes, conventions and
mode of address
• The front cover of the magazine attracts its
audience with the conventions and codes. By
analysing this magazine I will see how the
audience is addressed using the codes and
conventions.

6. Masthead
• NME magazine uses the convention of using a dominate masthead
in the top left hand corner. The masthead is bold white
letters, which creates the sense that the magazine is
dominating, which will attract consumers. It is also modern looking
which will attract its audience of modern, trendy males. This also
emphasises the idea of brand loyalty. This is because the masthead
itself is focusing on its audience. The convention also makes it
easier for the audience to establish the magazine as we read from
left to right. The font used is bold and stands out from the
background due to the contrast in colours used. This will therefore
stand out to the audience amongst shops. The font is modern text
which reflects its target audience of young, trendy males. It could
also attract new readers to the magazine due to the ‘attention
grabbing’ masthead.

7. Image
The dominant image covers the whole page
and is behind all the headlines. The image is
a mid-shot. The performers are dressed in
black and look serious. This will attract
dedicated music fans for this magazine. The
band shown is well-known and will appeal
to the target audience. The image is a way
to show contemporary music which reflects
the whole magazine of NME. The fact that
the image is high with contrast; due to the
lighting used, which is light contrasts with
the dark clothes in which the band is
wearing. This reinforces the idea of
contemporary music and will therefore
attract more attention to the rest of the
magazine. The band is looking in to the
camera which gives a dominating feel to the
magazine front cover, which will attract its
predominantly male audience. It will also
make the audience feel more engaged
within the magazine.

8. Strap-lines
The main headline is situated in the middle of the
magazine. It shows the audience the main story featured
in it. The pink and white colours used together act as
complimentary and work well together, which will attract
the young trendy audience. The main headline has a “pull
quote” included in with it which will act as anchorage for
the target audience. The headline will appeal to its target
audience due to the fact that the band mentioned is well-
known and will appeal to the young, well-educated
audience. The headline, “so what’s next for Britain’s new
favourite band?” is a question which will draw the
attention of the audience. They will be intrigued of what
the answer will be and therefore, purchase the magazine.
The band’s name has been expanded within the rest of
the writing to attract the audience first. It is also been
used within a different colour, which makes it stand out
of the page. The band name contrasts with the
surrounding writing and further attracting the audience’s
attention.

9. • The other headlines are very clear to read which acts a
boost. They overlap the image and are dominating.
The headlines are placed all around the magazine
cover. This acts as a convenience for the customers
due to the fact that the headlines read from left to
right. The headlines all follow the house style of the
magazine following the same colour scheme used
from the colour palette; pink and white. This creates a
sense of simplicity through the way the magazine front
cover has been set out. A few of the headlines have
used “PULL QUOTES”. These draw the audience’s
attention into reading the rest of the magazine, they
give an insight into the contents of the magazine. The
lexis used within the strap-lines will appeal to the
audience, and potentially pull new audience into
reading the contemporary magazine. Lexis such as
‘FESTIVAL’ will appeal to the audience as the audience
enjoy music festivals and are dedicated to music. The
bands stated in the strap-lines will appeal to the
audience due to their contemporary style.
Therefore, they will be attracted to the magazine.

10. Other
• The plus column will instantly appeal
to its target audience as the bands
mentioned will be of the genre in
which the audience are dedicated
to. The audience enjoy new
entertainment and this magazine
suggests that they provide this with
new bands etc.

11. Representation of social
class:
• From the front cover, I will consider the issues from analysing the
headlines and conventions of this magazine front cover. Some
words used such as ‘riot’ and ‘rock and roll’ can show that this
magazine is represented for males. The use of the festival on the
front cover, illustrates that dedicated readers to music will be
attracted to this magazine. The way that the magazine has been
positioned is in a sophisticated manner suggesting that a well-
educated audience will read the magazine. The magazine front
cover has also been created in a modern trendy way which will
appeal to its young trendy audience. The magazine follows a house
style with the use of the colours of pink and white, creating an
identity for the magazine. The way that the masthead has been
abbreviated suggests that the customers are loyal to the magazine
and also the other way around. It engages the audience by trusting
them, while also creating identity for the magazine.