Analysis Of A Music Magazine Cover

Another piece of research I did was an analysis of an actual music magazine cover. Kerrang! is one of the most popular music magazines in the country, and so a front cover for their magazine is expected to have most, if not all conventions of a music magazine cover. By analysing it, I am able to see why conventions are used and apply them to my own front cover when I start to design it.

The magazine that I am analysing is a music magazine that puts a focus on rock music. The front cover has the names of various rock bands and artists. Some of them have quotes – “I’m thankful to be alive” telling us that there will be an interview, or at least an article with some comments from the person in question. The anchorage text ‘Scorching Australian Tour Report’ is an indication that there will also be an article on those bands and their performances in the magazine.

The target audience of Kerrang! Magazine is young people aged 16-24. The magazine targets both males and females, but leans more towards males. Their interests would obviously include rock music or just one particular rock artist.

The model in the central image is using an indirect mode of address. He has glasses on to hide his eyes from the audience, but his head is turned up and away from us anyway. This suggests that he is supposed to be too busy playing the guitar to look at the audience, and that he is enjoying himself. The shot type used also reflects on this. A midshot is used, which points more focus on his pose. The pose is clearly him ‘rocking out’, which means that the shot is drawing attention to the fact that he is performing and most likely enjoying himself too.

The model is Jared Leto, who is a member of the band 30 Seconds to Mars. They are a famous rock band, and the magazine focuses on rock music, so it’s only appropriate that a rock artist is featured on the front cover. The anchorage text lists his band, among others as one of those being covered in a report, which tells us that the group is still active. Altogether, we get the impression that Jared is busy playing his songs alongside his other band members.

A general stereotype of rock fans is that they often wear the colour black, dressing like ‘emos’. The artists featured on the cover certainly dress in that manner and wear that style of makeup, which reflects well on that community. The outgoing fans are also catered to with the reports of tours promised in the magazine and a guide to gigs.

There are many buzz words used to draw in any potential buyers. ‘WIN’ in capital letters is an eye-catcher to people scanning over the cover because of the chance of a reader winning a prize. The word ‘FREE’ also a similar effect, since it implies that anybody that buys the magazine will get a bonus item.

The masthead uses a stylised font that makes it look like the text has been smashed. This creates a look of disorder and chaos, which is a theme often reflected in rock music. Since the magazine mainly covers rock music, this is appropriate and does a good job of telling the audience of the magazine’s theme right from the start. Kerrang is the sound made when a power chord is played on an electric guitar, one of the most commonly used instruments in rock music. Therefore any person familiar with the genre would recognise the sound when they read it in their head and know that the magazine was one about rock music. The bold font also makes the title look ‘loud’, just like with rock music.

The puffs suggest the magazine will feature several interviews from famous artists. The pull quotes alongside the names of artists give this idea to potential readers. From that, we know that the magazine aims to attract people that are interested in finding out more about their favourite artists and bands. Even the puffs that aren’t covering interviews imply that they will cover aspects of the artists’ personal lives. ‘Back to where it all began...’ underneath the Foo Fighters, for example, tells us that the article featuring them will explore parts of their past.

Red, black, white and yellow are the colours used for the cover. Red is a colour of violence and aggression, and rock music tends to sound quite aggressive, so it matches the theme of the magazine. The black and white contrast against each other, which makes the text stand out and look bold. Yellow is also a strong and bold colour which stands out against black or white.

The competitions and posters offered on the front cover are a means of attracting potential buyers, as free gifts are always a bonus to people. The feature of a famous artist as the cover model and main image also draws in people that like that artist. The other pictures of various other rock artists hold the same effect, acting as graphic features. The skyline, claiming that the magazine contains ‘The UK’s biggest gig guide’ will also attract outgoing readers that are looking for a concert to go to.