DETAILED CLASS ANALYSIS OF MUSIC MAGAZINE ONE NME

ANALYSE THE FRONT COVER, CONTENTS PAGE AND DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD OF MAGAZINE 1 (NME DIZZEE RASCAL EDITION, SEPT 2009)

Front Cover

Main Image

Flash

Masthead

Main cover line

Pull Quote

Date/Barcode/Price

Footer

Header

Left Third

The masthead is placed on the left hand side at the top of the magazine. This is because when the magazine is on a shop shelf that is the part of the magazine you will see, so you will know what magazine it is. The masthead is included in the left third and this is where all the main information is because that is the way the reader will read the magazine. The masthead is red and white, the connotation of these colours link with a tabloid newspaper, as normally on these types of newspapers the masthead (the name of the newspaper) will be red and white. So these colours suggest news and linking to NME musical news and information you will want to know. It also suggests that the news is current and happening now, meaning it is up to date, making people want to read.

The date, barcode and the price are all small in the corner of the magazine at the bottom. This is showing key information you will need to know if you want to buy the magazine, however the way they are small and you have to look closely to find them suggests that the magazine is sold for the quality of it and the pleasure it will give to people that like music. So this shows the magazine is about the quality and not the price, so people will buy it whatever the price is because its about what’s inside.

The footer at the bottom of this front cover has a ‘+’ sign showing that with this magazine you get lots of information about new music and news about all the recent musical things that have happened. This suggests that you are getting a lot of things for the money you pay, making it worth it. In the footer there are many more names separate from the ones in the main writing showing the magazine is about lots of different artists giving more of a variety of people and making it more interesting for the audience.

The header, which is at the very top of the magazine will be almost the first thing the audience will see as it is at the top and goes into the left third which is where people start reading. The information that the header gives is an important selling point as it will be attractive to the audience as it tells you what you get extra in the magazine, maybe for a special edition for example. The NME has used the word ‘special’ connotes that the magazine is a one off and unique suggesting you can only get these things here in this magazine. Also ‘special’ suggests that their is only small availability of this magazine and once the new edition is out you wont be able to get this one again.

The main cover line is in a very large font and is spread across the page meaning it is the biggest thing on the page. This draws your attention into it, so you can see who the artist is before you buy the magazine as this artist may not appeal to you.

The Pull quote anchors the image on the front cover as it says ‘I’m spreading joy around the world’ and in the image Dizzie Rascal looks happy and joyful. He looks like he couldn't be happier and the way he has spread his arms out invites you in linking to ‘spreading joy’.

The left third of the magazine is the most important part as that is where the reader starts reading from like in a ‘C’ shape, so the publisher /editor writes all the most important information on this side so the audience definitely read it.

The main image on this front cover takes up most of the front cover but has writing on top. However you can see all of Dizzie Rascal’s face as the writing is placed around it so you as the audience are able to see the artist clearly. The body language in this image draws you in as he has spread his arms out like his is welcoming you in. Dizzie Rascal the artist in the image looks like he is almost dancing connoting having fun with music, this suggests that the magazine is also fun.

The flash makes a point about something and gives you extra key information about the magazine making the audience want to buy it even more.

Audience Who is the target audience for the NME? • The target audience for NME magazine is mainly indie/rock music lovers.

However NME does also appeal to a wider variety of people as the people that they get on the front cover vary and are not just indie/ rock artists. NME includes artists such as Jay-Z and his genre of music is not indie or rock so there is cross appeal for this magazine. Also the main target audience for this may like other artists in different genres too, so NME includes people in other genres.

How does the NME attract it’s audience? • NME attracts its audience by putting what the audience would like on

the front cover. For example a music artist that is 'now' in the music industry. The language that NME use also attracts its audience as it uses persuasive language making you buy the magazine which means you will keep buying it if it is satisfies you, which is most likely as it contains a lot of information and music news.

Contents PageMasthead/Contents

Band Index

Main Image

Drop Cap

Copy/Editorial

Subscription Box

Contents/Headings/Subheadings

The editorial gives you a brief message about the magazine and gets you started reading the magazine. The copy/editorial on this contents page addresses the reader so it make you feel more involved in the magazine and makes you want to read on to find out more of what the magazine is about and what this issue is going to involve. Also this is quite informal which would also attract the audience as it is easy to read and brings you in. This is placed in a suitcase shape box so this suggests that when you are on tour you travel a lot and that is what the issue is about.

The masthead of the contents page links in with the running theme in this magazine as red and white colours are used again like on the front cover which suggests musical news. The style of font used also links with the front cover as it is the same to make the magazine look more effective by it all matching.

Band index goes all the way down the side of the page taking up a big part of the page to show the importance of it and it shows that the artists are the most important thing in this magazine. This is also the first thing that would read as it is on the left.

The subscription box is on the first page of the magazine and some of the writing is written in bright yellow. This suggests that this is an important point as the magazine wants you to subscribe and get more magazines like this one.

The writing for the contents/headings/subheadings is red black and white which again links all the pages in the magazine together. The page numbers are in red which gives a sense or urgency to get to them pages as you go through the magazine, so you can read them pages when you get to them.

The main image looks like it has been taken on tour by another person representing tour life and showing that you are always on the road on the way to the next place where the artist is performing. So it gives the reader an insight into this

The drop cap of ‘T’ is the big letter at the start of the article which have 6 lines deep in a 3/4 column structure. This is a connotation that most magazines have/follow as it starts the magazine/an article or information.

Double Page SpreadMain Image (secondary image)

Tagline

By-line

Drop cap

The tagline ‘From tags to riches’ suggests something about the artist..It Suggests that he went from having nothing to being rich because of his music career and what it has done for him. So the tagline on this magazine explains what the rest of the article will be about (Dizzie Rascal’s career). The way the tagline is the biggest thing on the page draws attention to it. The use of big writing starts the article off and it makes sure the audience knows the topic of what this article is about.

The By- line tells you who the pictures are by and who the words were written by. This information may be useful to the reader as the writers/photographers may have done other things like this.

In the main image Dizzie Rascal is wearing bright clothes again to connote his happiness and the ‘greatness’ of life. Which is then backed up by the tagline ‘from tags to riches’ showing that his career has made him happy. Actions- He is spraying graffiti on the wall and is looking behind him suspiciously, like he shouldn’t be doing that, but he wants to be creative and do what he wants to do. This image links to him as it shows what he likes to do and what type of music he creates (bold and ‘out there’)

The drop cap of ‘Y’ is the big letter at the start of the article which have 6 lines deep in a 4 column structure. This is a connotation that most magazines have/follow as it starts the article so the reader knows that the article starts there.

The elements that connect the 3 different parts of the magazine:

• The images in the 3 different parts of the magazine link and connect the parts together, this is because on the front cover of this NME magazine and on the double page spread Dizzie Rascal is wearing bright clothing and has bright graffiti behind him showing joy and happiness and living a good life. This is linking them as they are both showing this but by using different images and slightly different costumes but having the same background, except on the double page spread Dizzie Rascal is making the background using a spray can, suggesting that is how the background could have been made.

• Also the fonts that are used throughout the three parts in the magazine are continuous as otherwise the magazine would not like professional and all the pages would not look like they was all part of one magazine.

Background History of NME• NME stands for 'New Musical Express'. This music magazine was created by

Theodore Smythson. • NME is a music journalism publication in the UK that is published every week and has

been this way since March 1952. • NME first started as a music newspaper, and soon moved towards a magazine in the

1980s. It changed from a news type print in 1998. • NME included the first ever singles chart in a British paper. The first singles chart was

included in the November 1952 edition. It wasn't long before NME became the best ever selling music magazine/paper. (1970s)

• NME made a website in 1996, meaning it is now the biggest music website, getting 7 million users per month.

• The publisher/ editor of NME is INC media and the most recent editor is Mike Williams.

• The first ever issue was published on 7th March 1952.• Some of the artists that are involved in this magazine (on the front cover etc)

involved indie artists like Pink Floyd and Noel Gallagher but also other artists from different genres like Rihanna and Jay-Z.