Magazine Research

Kerrang!

Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper. Named after the onomatopoeic word that derives from the sound made when playing a power chord on a distorted electric guitar, Kerrang! was initially devoted to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the rise of hard rock acts. In the early 2000s it became the best-selling British music newspaper.

The Kerrang! average reader age is 22.

 

Kerrang! loves music, especially rock. Kerrang! is considered by its readers to be an integral part of the scene rather than just a commentator. Kerrang! readers are the heaviest music consumers purchasing over 6 albums per month on average (53% more than the national average) and 8 times more likely to spend over £200 a year on albums. The readers are also 5.5 times more likely to attend a rock gig.

Stories:

Generally same font used

Capital letters make stories stand out and easy to read

Black and Red font on a white background

White font on Blue splat for ‘Rocks Biggest Gig Guide!’

 

Magazine Name:

Capital letters Rugged font Exclamation mark Red font on a

white background Only slightly

overlapped so magazine name is still recognisable

Image:

Props (headphones associated with music)

Eye contact 

Q

Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology. Q was first published by the EMAP media group in October 1986, setting itself apart from much of the other music press with monthly production and higher standards of photography and printing. In the early years, the magazine was sub-titled "The modern guide to music and more". Originally it was to be called Cue (as in the sense of cueing a record, ready to play), but the name was changed so that it wouldn't be mistaken for a snooker magazine. Another reason, cited in Q's 200th edition, is that a single-letter title would be more prominent on newsstands. In January 2008 EMAP sold its consumer magazine titles, including Q, to the Bauer Media Group.

Magazine Name:

Top left corner One letter White font on

Red

Stories:

Varying fonts Mainly Black

and Red font Some Gold font Various sizes of

font

Magazine design:

Grey and White fade

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a magazine published every two weeks that focuses on politics and popular culture. In 1967, Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco, California, by Jann Wenner – who is still the magazine's chief editor – and music critic, Ralph J. Gleason.

Rolling Stone was known for its musical coverage and for political reporting by the enigmatic and controversial gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson. In the 1990s, the magazine changed its format to appeal to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music. This led to criticism that the magazine was emphasizing style over substance.

Magazine Name:

Red, White and Black theme

Classic font Some overlap but

the name is still recognisable

Magazine Design:

White background

Image:

Eye contact

Stories:

Same font used, difference in sizes but the colour only varies between grey and black

NME

New Musical Express, popularly known by the acronym NME, created by Theodore Ingham, is a UK weekly pop/rock music journalism publication, published since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s and 90s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, in 14 November 1952 edition. In the 1970s it became the best-selling British music newspaper. During the period 1972 to 1976, it was particularly associated with gonzo journalism (self-involved reporting), then became closely associated with punk rock through the writing of Tony Parsons.

An online version of NME, NME.com, was launched in 1996. It is now the world's biggest standalone music site, with over 7 million users per month. As of 16 August 2012, the magazine's circulation was measured as 23,924 (declining).

Magazine Name:

Red, White and Black theme

Bold font Small amount of

overlap

Magazine Design:

Red background Same fonts used,

only variations in colour and font size

Majority of the font on the left side

Stories:

Small images to accompany the stories

Variations of font colour and size draw attention to the stories

Image:

Eye contact Not overlapping any

text

Magazine NamesRed and white seems to be a common colour theme in the logos of music magazines as shown in the Kerrang!, NME, Q and Rolling Stone.

Kerrang! has quite a rugged font which correlates with the type of rock music presented in the magazine. Kerrang! is also known as the onomatopoeic sound made by a guitar. The font is in capital letters and there is an exclamation mark point for some extra emphasis.

NME again uses red and white but with a black outline which emphasises the letters. The font used is bold and distinguishable which will draw your attention. NME stands for ‘New Musical Express’.

Q is another with red and white theme. This is my least favourite of the logos, it is not very distinguishable and doesn’t draw attention.

Rolling Stone has a distinguishable and retro type of font. The black shadow effect emphasis the title.