Jude White
AS Level Media Studies
Background Research
Q Magazine Analysis
I decided to analyse ‘Q’ magazine, as whilst not all issues relate to my chosen genre, I can still learn a lot about front page design etc. Q is a monthly publication, and therefore it has a vastly better quality of print than Kerrang! etc. The magazine costs £3.99 per issue, and like Kerrang! it is published by the Bauer Media Group. Q’s net circulation is 88,420, according to its media info pack. This means that at £3.99 an issue, with only one issue a month, Q’s revenue is £352,795 a month. Q’s readership is around 473,000. The Bauer group describes the ideal Q reader as a 29-year old man, heavily into ‘proper’ music such as Britpop, with no family responsibility and a disposable income to spend on himself and himself alone. He is a heavy music consumer, purchasing up to 6 albums per month, and is very tach-savvy. He religiously attends festivals, and is very passionate about music, which relates to Kerrang! and also to my magazine. His other interests are not detrimentally affected by this music, however, and these interests are films, gaming, sport, TV and comedy.
Front Page Analysis
Q magazine is titled as such as it connotes the cue at the beginning of a record. This does not limit the magazine to a particular genre of music, and this is apparent to buyers, whereas magazines such as Kerrang! have a very clear genre emphasis, which is designed to be obvious to buyers. The Q masthead is different to that of Kerrang! as it is positioned in the upper left corner, and the Q is written in a serif font, which suggests an element of refinement not explicitly suggested by magazines such as Kerrang!, but also implies that the magazine goes back a long way, or perhaps that older music is also included inside. This white Q resides in a red box, and the red is a vibrant, bright one to draw attention to the title. Ultimately the logo is simple and easily recognizable, and never changes regardless of the cover image.
The main image on the cover is of Aphex Twin, half his face obscured by a scary mask. This is due to the haunting nature of his music. However, the half of his face we can see looks friendly, smiling and looking out at the reader. He looks as if ready for a casual conversation, which implies this kind of openness to the interview inside. This tells us that we will learn some personal or interesting information about him. He does not look particularly made up, and his beard is scruffy, against a fairly casual, open persona.
There are very few other images on the cover, in fact the only other images on the cover at all are three special edition covers, one of which is this one. This is an interesting concept I could use in my magazine, to increase sales. At the top of each of these covers is an offer, ‘Free music for 60 days!’ This is an example of a special offer, used to draw in customers by making them feel like they are getting better value for money. Interestingly, each of these covers are for the same issue of the magazine, designed to reach out to different people with different interests. Both articles included on the other versions are included as cover lines here, just less prominently than Aphex Twin.
The cover lines all promote interviews, and interestingly aside from the main article there are only three of them. The cover of ‘Q’ is minimalistic, possibly to create a sense that anything could be inside, and that you may find something you like. Two of these cover lines are the main stories from the other limited edition covers, and one appears as a small cover line on all three, about an up and coming band.
The language used on the cover of Q helps it to stand out and appear attractive to potential buyers. A cover line speaks of ‘that album,’ which leads potential buyers to question what album, the answer to which can only be found inside the magazine. A band is referred to as ‘Heroes,’ an exaggerated statement designed to make potential buyers question its use and read inside. Aphex twin is called a ‘Genius,’ another example of this. The main cover line also says that Aphex Twin is ‘unmasked’ inside, which connotes a more personal interview, where fans might learn something new about his personal life. The magazine makes a point of reminding us that this review is ‘Exclusive,’ which suggests this magazine offers something that other magazines don’t.
This cover shares its minimalism and facially-orientated images with Mojo, but is extremely different from a specialist magazine such as Kerrang!. Q has a more refined feel to it overall, due to its more consistent house style and minimalist layout, which does not bombard the reader with article upon article.
The typefaces used besides the masthead are all sans-serif, bold fonts. This gives the magazine a modern feel, and helps the articles stand out and fill the fairly minimalistic cover page. The bold also gives the lines a sense of importance. A ribbon graphic is used above ‘Aphex Twin,’ to connote importance over the other cover lines, which hare marked with a simple red line as a divider. Only three colours are used, red, silver and white, and both red and silver are used to highlight words for emphasis, such as ‘Free Music.’ Interestingly, ‘Aphex Twin’ is written in white so as not to be overpowering.
Inside the magazine, there are 139 pages, plus a back cover page. Of these, 27 pages are advertisements, some of which are for various concert tickets, some being for Sonos speakers (positioned tactfully near the Aphex Twin article), and one for aftershave, amongst various music-themed merchandise. Inside the magazine, there are several types of article. The most popular by far are interviews with artists, but the magazine also contains a mail page, a 20-page history of Kate bush and reviews of albums. There is also a column page where fans can write in and share their stories. Free posters of bands are also included in the magazine. There are seventeen double-page spreads inside the magazine, almost all of which are interviews. There are some pages inside which could be considered advertorials, such as a buyers' guide page, and a 'Q' supported Google Play trial advert. The emphasis seems, however, to be on blatant concert adverts. The magazine uses a lot of red and black, and thus maintains something of a grounded house style. It also does this through its repeated use of fairly informal language, and crisp, modern-looking graphics, including the 'Q' masthead. This modern, universal style does not limit the magazine to one type of music, and appeals to a wide audience. Given that the ideal reader of 'Q' is a 29-year old man, the modern, crisp style would likely appeal to them more than a vintage one, for example.