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Initial Music Magazine Case StudyKerrang! MagazineAnalysing; Background information Front Cover Contents Page Magazine Article Target Audience Media Platforms

Initial Music Magazine Case Study

Kerrang!- Background information

• Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group.

•Kerrang took over from Sounds magazine but continued to be a metal and punk rock magazine. AC/DC was the first band to appear on

Kerrang front cover.

• The original owner was United Newspapers who then sold it to EMAP in 1991. However, in 2008 EMAP sold the magazine to the current

owner Bauer Media Group. The current editor of Kerrang magazine is Nichola Browne.

• Kerrang has a magazine, a radio station, weekly podcasts, merchandise, a website and a music channel.

•During 1980's and 1990's the magazine included heavy metal and rock acts such as Bon Jovi, Metallica, Venom and Motley Crue.

However, the magazine later discarded these bands and did not have them on the magazine anymore. Instead they chose grunge

acts like Nirvana as they rose to fame. The magazine is often criticized that the magazine changes when a new or different music

trend becomes popular or "In fashion"

Initial Music Magazine Case StudyKerrang!- Front Cover

The magazine includes 7 posters that the readers can get for

free. This draws in an audience who feel like they are getting more than just a magazine

read.

The Kerrang title is covered by the main artists head. The magazine is confident of its brands name and

the audience are also familiar with the brand, this means that even

though the title is slightly covered, the audience will still know what magazine they are picking up.

The artist “Young guns” is a famous, young, UK band that readers will

recognise. The magazine gives the readers a chance to take part in competitions to

win things. This will attract readers more not only for the music that’s in the magazine, but so they can also take part in these competitions to win things that relates

to music which the readers will enjoy.

The magazine has lots of extra features to the

magazine so the readers can win things.

The magazine is messy and has a lot of things on one

page. It is very “In-your-face” which relates to the genre of music the magazine portrays

which is rock music itself.

The colour scheme of red, yellow and grey are contrasting colours that clash. However, like rock music which is crazy and

loud. This reflects the colour choices chosen

by the magazine.

The mid shot of Gustav Wood, the lead singer of the band

Young Guns, is appealing to the audience for both genders of

the readers. It can be appealing for people who find him

appealing but also for people who will recognise him straight away from the music he does.

Initial Music Magazine Case StudyKerrang!- Contents Page The contents page is

shown on the right hand side of the page. It has subheadings of

what is included in the magazine with the

page numbers located next to each subheading.

The colour scheme on the page is bright

yellow and black, like the colours of warning

signs which is eye-catching and stands

out at the reader. This makes it easier to read and more appealing.

There is a letter from the editor, which tells the audience what is

going to be in the magazine. This makes

the magazine feel more personal for the

reader.

The images are of artists, bands and

events that the magazine have articles about in the magazine. The images are more appealing than just

lots of text. This not only makes the

contents page look better but it gives the readers a chance to

find what they want to read about quickly by looking at an image,

without having to read a lot of text.

Initial Music Magazine Case StudyKerrang!- Magazine Article

The masthead, "THIS TIME IS NOW" is big and bold, especially

the word "NOW" because of the bright

yellow, which is shown also on the front cover

of another Kerrang! magazine. These

colours against the black background

stand out and catch the readers attention.

There is a comment from one of the band members on the image, which is like a taster for what the

article includes. This gets the reader to want more and will carry on reading the full article on the next

page.

The band "Architects" have one whole page which is just an image

of them taken specifically for the

article. This can appeal to the reader as it will

attract the readers who know the band and will want to see what the article is

about.

The article is put into columns, which

makes it easy to ready and makes it look like a formal

newspaper article.

The colour of the magazine article is used to keep the

audience interested in the article. The yellow

is used to highlight important things that the magazine would want the audience to most read, while the white used over the black background is used to make the writing stand out which means the

reader is more likely to stop and read the

article as the brightness would

attract the audience to it.

Kerrang!- Target Audience

Kerrang magazine is a UK based magazine devoted to Rock music published by Bauer Media Group

It is clear that Kerrang is aimed at a young audience through the use of fonts, layouts and presentation. It is aimed at the youth and the lifestyles they have. It has a up-to-date, modern and a down-to-earth feel.

The magazine includes adverts that appeal to the young audience by using adverts that relate to their

interests. These are advertisements of HMV, play.com, Xbox, alternative clothing and concert

tickets.

Kerrang aims more at the male audience. The target audience would appeal to the hard rock content and metal iconic male bands on the front covers pulling

faces. Female audiences are attracted however through the free posters and the male rock artists

and also interviews.

The edgy, underground and individualistic style appeals to rock readers and draws them in, this is a

crucial element of any successful magazine. Key words on the front cover that also make the target

audience evident is the words “free” “win” and “sex” which appeal to the younger audience of 16-20.

These get the target audience to catch the magazines attention and to buy the magazine.

Kerrang uses these words on lots of their covers.

Initial Music Magazine Case Study

Companies that own magazines get their magazines known and purchased through media products such as radio, internet and TV. For example, Kerrang magazine has their paper back magazine which is sold in shops but also has a Kerrang radio channel and Kerrang music channels on Sky and Virgin. They also, like most of the magazines have a website with news, subscriptions and articles from the magazine itself. Most of these are free to use, apart from the magazine itself. The internet websites of the magazines give their audience and daily readers to keep up to date with the latest gigs and festivals and new album releases. They can check up on these things everywhere they go as these can be accessed through phones, iPods, computers and laptops.

Most households have at least a TV with Sky or Virgin where they can watch music channels, in this example Kerrang. Or they will have a laptop which they can use the magazines website to keep up to date or also a phone. These are all completely free which would appeal to their target audience very much.

The Official Kerrang website is dark, grungy and gothic. This reflect the type of music that they promote and include in their magazine.

The website has a banner which is at the top of the website that instantly draws attention to the competition and the things the readers can win.

Kerrang!- Magazine Across Other Media Platforms

Kerrang has two main columns on the front of the magazine which are called “News” and “Access All Areas” this gives the readers an easy shortcut to what they want to look at and read.

Initial Music Magazine Case Study