Textual Analysis of 2 existing music magazines, (Kerrang!)

The 2 magazines i am going to analyse textually are NME and Kerrang! They are both issues from January 2011.

The cover of Kerrang! is eye -catching as it is very busy and full of text and images. It shows that the reader will be getting their moneys worth, because there is a lot going on. The mid shots of famous singers and featuring their names such as 'Paramore' and 'Linkin Park' makes the magazine feel more established. The font on the title and the number '150' is an eroded style, which suggests the magazine is aimed at an audience who may not be interested in being pristine and perfect. It also draws attention to the main article in the magazine. They use the posters as a free gift, which makes the customer feel like they're getting more for their money, and also mentioning other band names at the bottom shows who else will be featured in the magazine. Above the logo, your eyes are drawn to the phrases 'Download:20 acts added!' and 'Exclusive interviews inside'. Consumers of the magazine will be interested in the lineup of Download Festival and saying the interviews are 'exclusive' it makes the reader feel privileged.

The contents page carries on the housestyle theme to show consistency, and the contents splits up into the regular sections of the magazine. The title of the page is written in bold, and a brief summary of what the article includes is written beneath. In the In the left corner there is a note from the editor. He uses synthetic personalisation to talk directly to the reader, even though he is talking to a large number of people. Using his own signature at the bottom also makes it feel more personal. The main articles are shown largest, such as the 'Escape The Fate' interview and 'The ultimate 21st Century playlist' to draw attention to them. Midshots of 'Escape The Fate' show you what the band look like, and show their emotions in the picture. Also, in the right hand corner, there is a small advert for subscribing to Kerrang!, to try and advertise their magazine more.

The double page spread is of the recent lineup for Download Festival 2011. The eroded font carries on to the title of the page, and stands out against the dark pictures. The title suggests the festival is going to be very successful this year, and they also mention that the event is sponsored by Kerrang!, which shows they are trusted, and also advertises their name further. The large pictures clearly show who is playing at the festival. They show a variety of bands, from ones that aren't as well known like 'Black Veil Brides' to the more successful ones like 'Bullet For My Valentine' and 'Alter Bridge'. The pictures are mid shots, apart from the main image which is a 2 Shot of 'Alter Bridge' playing live to show variety on the page layout. The picture is also relevant to the article. On the right there is a thin long yellow text box, which adds extra information about rock bands. It also adds more to the page.