1. Research Sophie Thompson

2. Music Magazine Analysis 1 In this issue of Q, the masthead is large and simple. It creates an instantly recognisable title. The colour red stands out against the fairly dull colours of the rest of the cover. The tag-line: ‘Life inside rock’s new royalty’. The word ‘royalty’ links to the image: the men are well-dressed and looking important. The colour gold used for the headline also symbolises royalty. The words ‘life inside’ draw the reader in and suggest that Q has an exclusive look at the band, something that no other magazine can offer. There is only one headline of this issue: ‘Kasabian’, this shows that this is the main feature of the entire issue. It also creates a very simple and mature-looking front page. The image of Kasabian takes up the entire page, again showing that they are the main feature of the issue. The colours are fairly dark and it is shadowed around the edges. The men are in the foreground (partially covering the Q masthead) and the shot is a low-angled one, showing their importance, and why the readers should pay attention to them. The font used for ‘Kasabian’ is strong and bold. Capitals draw the reader’s attention. The Q is a slightly more curved font and is more friendly and sophisticated.

3. Music Magazine Analysis 2 It states that it is The Shadow Puppets ‘first major review’, which is a hook, to attract potential readers. The callout of a quote from Alex Turner saying “I was worried the Monkeys would think I’d had an affair”, acts as a tease for the reader to want to read the rest of the article. The use of a quote also makes the article seem more personal. The tone of the text, for example in “Pretty. Odd? Pretty. Ace?” is casual and friendly. This links with the audience, who are usually older teens. The image is of the two artists, with their names underneath. The picture makes them seem mysterious, which creates a sense of anticipation for the reader to find out about their band. Their picture makes them seem iconic. Across the top of the cover, there is a brightly coloured ‘Studio News’ strap line. It mimics the ‘news just in’ on news channels. The cover is very busy with lots of articles, making it seem like it is packed full of articles and is good value for money. The masthead for NME is bold and links with the colour-scheme for the rest of the magazine. The colours are bold red which is attention-grabbing.

4. Music Magazine Analysis 3 The overall style of this magazine is clearly targeted towards older people – shown through the sophisticated and clear font and darker colours. The image takes up the whole background of the magazine, it is a famous and well-known painting of Mozart, so would attract people familiar with this image. These people would be the target audience for the magazine. The masthead of this magazine is white, in contrast to the dark colours, making it stand out. It is in a clear and simple font, contributing to the overall simple yet effective impression of this magazine. Another small image in the bottom, left corner shows that there are other features included in the magazine. There are quite a lot of articles shown on the front page, suggesting that the magazine is packed full of articles and is value for money. On the right hand side of the magazine there is a list of music composers featured in the article; this is a common feature of music magazines. The title at the top ‘the world’s best-selling classical music magazine’ attracts attention and entices the reader to buy the magazine, as it suggests that it is the best. At the very top corner, where the reader automatically looks first, is the well-known BBC logo. As a trusted company, the reader would be more likely to trust the magazine.

5. Music Magazine Analysis 4 The image for this magazine cover is a famous artist, immediately attracting the attention of readers interested in this genre of music or fans of Eminem. The image is placed in the foreground, bringing his strong stance to attention. The linked title to the picture includes a call-out quote that grabs attention, “I literally almost died”. The name of the rapper is also in a large, bold font to draw attention. The mast-head of the magazine is bold and continues the colour scheme of the magazine, red and black. These colours connotation danger and strength, which link with the main article about Eminem’s dangerous lifestyle. There are a few other articles spaced around the cover, which draws more attention to the key article, but also suggests there is a lot included. The overall effect of the cover is tough and strong, shown through Eminem’s stance and body language, and the fonts and colours used.

6. Music Magazine Analysis 5 The image for this magazine cover is right at the foreground, almost completely obscuring the masthead. The image is of the band who are being interviewed as the key article, and are identified by their name in a large, bold font. The style of the image links to the subtitle, “The world’s most dangerous band”. The band are dressed in black and seem to be holding weapons and looking threatening. This look may appeal to their target audience. The masthead is almost completely covered by the key image, showing it has little importance. The words could only be recognised by someone familiar with the magazine. On the right hand side, there is a list of bands featured, similar to that used by the BBC Music magazine. There are also two sub-images which are more casually styled. It is clear that however the pictures are represented is showing the style of the band. These images are titled with an eye-catching heading of ‘free’.Which suggests that the reader is getting more for their money. The ‘plus’ at the bottom also suggests that you are getting more for your money and is a common feature used by magazines. I used this for my student magazine.

7. Music Magazine Analysis 6 The image for this magazine cover is probably more appealing to females. The colour scheme of this cover is simple and uses the same colours throughout the page – white and black. The image continues this colour scheme. The image is of the main article of the magazine, as shown by his name being the largest title on the page. The masthead of the magazine is in the iconic font, continuing the colour scheme. The curly font Is slightly retro but also friendly and casual. As with a few of the other magazines I analysed, on the right there is a list of bands that are featured. This shows that the magazine is packed and worth the money. It is not a busy front cover, which makes it overall look simple yet effective.

8. Music Magazine Analysis 7 The colour scheme for this magazine is eye-catching and bright. The yellow connotates happiness and instantly attracts attention. The white header stands out against the yellow. The masthead is bold and large, together with the colour it stands out and draws attention so the reader remembers or recognises the name. The image is striking, as his eyes are staring at the reader and drawing them in. It is a mid-head shot so his face fills the centre of the page. He is identified by his name, which is large and yellow. As with other magazines, it lists other articles on the side. If a reader likes a particular band listed it could catch their eye and they may be more interested in buying the magazine. There is a break in the colour scheme as the name ‘Adele’ is in red. This draws attention to this other famous artist, as it is the second key article.

9. Music Magazine Analysis 8 This magazine has a different look to the others I have shown, and does not quite follow conventional magazine covers. Instead of an artist on the cover, it has a record. The articles are shown in the centre of the record, which gives the magazine a unique and unusual look. The featured article is in a bigger and bolder font, which means it is read first by a person browsing the magazine. The title also causes some interest – “How to release your music” involves all audiences as it does not specify a particular taste. The masthead of the magazine is large and bold. The white stands out against the pink image and the font is futuristic, which is linked to the title of the magazine. The tagline describes the type of magazine it is and what is included. At the top, there is a strip across, showing some features and free items. By having free items, the reader feels like they are getting more for their money . The image is pink, which is quite feminine, but also contributes to the overall modern feel of the magazine.