Analysing MagazinesCover 1 - NME September 2009

Dizzee Rascal Edition

The Masthead is bold and stands out, and is located at the top of the page so it stands out and can be seem amongst other magazines on a shelf.

The main header/cover line states who the artist is on the front cover, and again is bold so it stands out to capture the customers attention.

The main image observes the rule of thirds – where all focal points are placed along the intersection points when the image is divided into 9 squares. It features Dizzee Rascal, a rap artist relevant to the Hip-hop genre that NME focuses on.

The barcode/date/issue/price are on there by law, and are there to inform the customer of the prices and date of publication so they know how much they are paying and that they’re getting the most up to date information.

The use of a pull quote draws the reader into the artist and makes them and the interview feature look interesting, again enticing people to buy it.

The background is lively and ‘urban’ so it fits in with the hip-hop genre, and appeals to the magazines target audience of young adults.

TARGET AUDIENCE OF THIS MAGAZINE

The target audience of NME are teenagers/young adults, predominantly male, aged between 16-24. They will be interested in rap/hip hop/indie music genres, with their favourite artists ranging from the likes of Kanye West and Dizzee Rascal to classic rock bands such as Oasis. As the magazine costs £2.50, it is targeting more affluent middle class teenagers, who have money to spend on music, concerts, albums, merchandise and magazines.

Red, black and white colour scheme and bold, straight fonts are masculine to appeal to the male audience.

The mise-en-scene – the background, his trainers and his chain – are all very urban and contemporary to appeal to teenagers and fit in with the hip hop genre.

More on NME ReadersStatistics of NME Readers:•MALE 69%•FEMALE 31%•AVERAGE AGE: 24•WORKING FULL TIME 52%•WORKING PART TIME 7%•STILL STUDYING 29%•AVERAGE SPENT ON CLOTHES £532 per year•Buy an average of 5 DVDs per year•Total readership spent £18million on games last year

NME READERS AGREE THAT:•They spend a lot of money on clothes – 45%•Its important to be well informed about things – 92%•Its worth paying for extra quality goods – 71%•Its important to them to look well dressed – 71%

These statistics tell us that the average NME reader takes pride in their appearance by spending money on clothes, are interested in DVDs and gaming as well as music, and they like to be kept well informed with what's going on. The magazine reflects this by including a news section, reviews of DVDs, games and concerts, and occasionally a small style section. NME has to do regular surveys such as these to meet the needs of their changing target audience.

History of NME magazineNME stands for New Music Express and was first published in 1952. It started as a newspaper then changed to a magazine during the 1980s. It changed format to meet the changing needs to its audience – they no longer wanted a newspaper but instead, a compact magazine with more images and a more modern feel. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, in 1952. In the 1970s was the best-selling British music newspaper.

NME TodayI In the present day, NME

features many different genres, mainly rock, hip hop and indie rock.

It is published weekly and some of the biggest bands in the world have graced the cover, including Oasis and Coldplay. Inside, you can expect to find several interviews, album/single/concert reviews, news and gossip, upcoming artists and a competition page, usually dedicated to winning backstage passes or concert tickets.

They also hold ‘The NME Awards’ - an awards show

held every year to celebrate the best new music of the past year. The

nominations and

eventual winners

are voted for by the

readers of the magazine.