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Q Magazine - Front Page Analysis

 

  • The name of the magazine I will be analysing is Q which is a magazine that focuses primarily on popular music; it was created as the founders believed there was a gap in the market for older music buyers.

  • Each issue of the magazine costs £3.99 which isn’t too much based on the target group it is sold at who will be able to afford the price, especially as the issues are released on a monthly basis.

  • It has a circulation of 52,781 which is considerably higher than Kerrangs’ circulation of 37,603 in June 2013.

  • The title ‘Q’ was originally decided as ‘Cue’ in reference to the cue to start a record and making the music ready to play, however due to fears over being mistaken for a snooker magazine the title was changed to ‘Q’.

 

  • The title logo is very simple, yet very effective; there is a large red box in the top left-hand corner of the page with the letter Q inside coloured white. The colouring allows the magazine masthead to stand out meaning when on a magazine stand potential buyers will be drawn to it. This simple design reflects on the style of music it features as the popular music isn’t over the top like other genres of music for example, heavy metal.

  • There is a strapline on the front cover which states ‘Free Music For 60 Days!’. This refers to an advertisement on page 132 of the magazine informing readers that by visiting their website (www.qthemusic.com) a free trial for google plays’ music streaming service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • The main image on the front cover is of the music artist Aphex Twin holding a mask which slightly resembles him, whilst he stands behind it. One eye is showing from behind the mask, staring directly into the camera as he moves out from behind the mask, this is to do with his comeback into the music industry after a disappearance of 13 years. Additionally, the mask is rather disturbing, reflecting on his music videos which are equally creepy and dark, especially the music video for his 1997 song ‘Come to Daddy’ and his 1999 song ‘Windowlicker’. Despite the odd music style of Aphex Twin (Richard D James), the cover relates to the target audience as older music fans will remember this musician as well as the two acts featured on the other editions of this issue of Q. The whole theme of making a comeback means there will be musicians who were popular in the past and are returning, therefore becoming popular with a new generation of music fans, as well as the older fans.

  • The only other images featured on the cover are alternative versions of the September edition of the magazine, as there are three featured artists, each of which are making a comeback to the music industry. These artists are; Aphex Twin, Kate Bush and U2.

  • On the front cover there is mention of a number of articles included within the magazine, there is a 22-page celebration of Kate Bush (one of the artists making a comeback), the ‘inside story of U2’ covering their disappearance from the music scene and sudden appearance, as well as a reference to Alt-J, a newer band in comparison to the other artists, who have gained increased popularity and success with each album they have released. Finally the primary cover line is an ‘Exclusive Interview!’ with Aphex Twin, who features as the subject of the cover photo. By stating that the interview is an ‘Exclusive’, the magazine becomes more appealing to potential buyers as they feel they will be getting something that is unavailable in other music magazines.

  • The fonts used on the cover, as well as the colour of these fonts, give a fresh feel to the magazine and keep in touch with the simplistic masthead, it is easy to read yet engaging due to the varied sizing of the font. In comparison to other genre music magazines which have more cluttered covers and different fonts with fraying of the letters for example, this magazine looks modern and fits well with these modern popular artists. Q magazine also manages to look sophisticated which is appealing to the older music fans it sells to. One of the features used to engage readers is the addition of exclamation marks, showing the importance or excitement of the article and creating a desire within the buyer to read these engaging articles.

  • Kerrang has a very different approach to the fonts used and the overall layout of its front cover, which is very loud and bold giving the magazine an attitude, this idea compliments the particular style of music it relates to. The whole design of the Kerrang magazines screams rock, with its cluttered cover lines and varied colourings and fonts. However NME has a similar approach to design as Q, with a simple layout and ordered cover lines, the fonts are easy to read and does not overpower the reader. Giving a relaxed feeling, this reflects well on music featured within the magazine. 

     

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