Magazine Front Cover Analysis

The front cover of this magazine does follow general layout conventions of a standard magazine cover as the main image takes up most of the frame and it stands out the most as the first thing you see. The front cover looks similar to other NME magazines in its design as the masthead is placed in the top left corner and the main sell line is placed in the centre of the magazine. This design is featured in most NME magazines and shows the brand identity of it. This particular front cover is unique compared to other NME magazines as the image is in black and white which is unusual and the background is the artist in a pub/restaurant. This is different because in most NME magazines the artist in the main image is usually on a blank background to make them the main focus.

The masthead is in bold display font to attract the audience to the magazine. It is used this way in every NME magazine. It has been put in the colour red as it reflects the idea of passion and the Indie Rock genre as in most Indie Rock magazines the colour red is dominant. The masthead is in uppercase and is in a large font size to present the name of the magazine so that it stands out and the audience recognise it easily when they are purchasing it. The name of the magazine suggests the element of danger as it is ‘NME’ but it sounds as if you are saying the word ‘enemy’. This will appeal to the target audience because they like Indie Rock music and it resembles the edgy tone of the genre. The word ‘enemy’ relates to Indie Rock as it seems dark and negative and most Indie Rock music is edgy and negative as well.

The name of the magazine ‘NME’ stands for ‘New Musical Express’ and this reveals that the magazine focuses on current Indie Rock songs and artists and uses the magazine to promote them. The acronym also sounds quite modern and is more likely to appeal to a cool, male, Indie Rock fan as it seems more memorable than the entire term.

Indie Rock artist ‘Jake Bugg’ is in the main image on the magazine and he is shown as serious yet relaxed as his facial expression presents him as serious but his body language shows him as relaxed as he is in a bar and is holding a drink. It will help to draw in the audience as they presented the artist in a way that would help the audience identify with

him as he is dressed in a casual costume and his hair is slightly messy and uncombed. The main image is shown in black and white which reflects the Indie Rock genre as it is not usually seen as being colourful and happy but dark and sombre. This influences the readership’s musical preferences as they may not like music that is playful and fun but that is quite serious so they would see the image and want to read this magazine. The main image is a medium-shot as it shows him from the waist-up. The image is also in shallow focus as only Bugg is in focus and the background is blurred out. This makes it look more professional and puts more of our attention on the main artist.

The feature article photographs add the appeal to the front cover as they show another famous Indie Rock artist and the readership will see this and want to buy the magazine to find out how they feature in it. They also appeal to the sell-line they relate to as it previews what is going to be included in the article on that particular artist.

Sell-lines used on the front cover of the magazine are used to draw the audience in to buy the magazine as one of them says that there are “exclusive shots” inside the magazine of a famous artist. This gives the readership the impression that the pictures will only be in this magazine and none other which helps persuade them to buy the magazine to see them. Also as it quotes one of the celebrities featured in the magazine where they say “I was happier when I was drunk”, it makes the readership want to find out why and what happened to him so they purchase the magazine. The mode of address of the NME magazine is quite relaxed and casual but it is effective when used in the sell-lines such as where it says “0% alcohol, 100% for real” to describe Jake Bugg. This is effective as by saying 100% it gives the impression that he is completely genuine in his personality and his music.

The content of the main sell-line would appeal to the target audience because if they didn’t know why he was the ‘enemy of The X Factor’ then they would want to read the article/interview more to find out why he is. Jake Bugg would appeal to the target audience because he is a popular Indie Rock artist and the audience would most likely be fans of his music. The main image links to the sell-line as it shows Bugg with instruments behind him and the sell-line says how he is ‘hitting’ America with Noel Gallagher which implies that they are performing around America.

A variety of sell-lines are presented in different colours depending on the colour scheme of the magazine which is red, yellow, black and white. They are laid out on the front cover specifically as the sell-lines relating to the artist in the main image ‘Jake Bugg’ are put in the centre of the magazine and will be the ones that the audience read first, whereas the other sell-lines are placed on the far right hand side which the audience will read last. The magazine uses these colours as they are conventional with the Indie Rock genre and also they stand out on the front cover of a magazine and are easy to read. The skyline about Kurt Cobain tells us that the target audience would be interested in this because they want to know more about his past life as well as his present life.

The layout of the front cover is practically the same in every issue of NME magazine as the masthead is placed in the top left hand corner on every issue and the name of the artist that is in the main image is the largest piece of text on the front cover which is done to emphasize that they are the main focus in the issue of NME magazine. The only font used on the front cover is ‘sans serif’ and it is used because it is simple and shows a friendly feel that will engage the audience to read the magazine. Most of the text is in bold to make the magazine seem quite edgy and it gains the attention of the target audience.

The fact that the main image of the front cover is in black and white is effective when relating to the target audience as it gives off the feeling of seriousness. Plus, the colour scheme of the text is effective as it stands out and draws the audience in. I think the magazine will be successful in drawing in its target audience as it uses well known Indie Rock artists (Jake Bugg, Nirvana) on the cover and the audience (who listen to Indie Rock music) will recognise them and want to buy the magazine to see how they feature in it.