Music Magazine Analysis #1

‘Q’ magazine follows the typical conventions of magazines. Featured in the top left hand corner of the splash is the masthead and although it is partly covered by the main image and a tag line, ‘196 page bumper issue’, it is still recognisable to the audience as it is from a mainstream institute and therefore well known.

The main image features Madonna, a well known pop icon around the world, which contributes to the well known vibe the magazine is giving off along with the sell line, ‘Britain’s biggest music magazine’. Part of this text is also covered and contributes to the well known attitude the magazine is portraying. As the text is cut off the editors are aware that the magazine is successful and therefore know that they are able to cover some features with images and text.

The way that Madonna is posing makes the audience feel as though, despite her hand covering part of her body, that she is in power. We get this feel due to the strong eye contact Madonna is making with the camera, and therefore the audience, and also due to the shot of the image. The shot is a medium close up, showing her expression more clearly and showing the audience Madonna’s exact facial expressions, therefore making her feel more powerful and making the audience feel intimidated.

Madonna is also dressed quite controversial, contributing to the feel of the magazine; Q concentrates on music that is quite mainstream but also has elements that are not heard of or not as well known. The image therefore connotes this as Madonna is a well known singer but she is dressed in more edgy clothes which relates to the independent elements of the magazine. The juxtaposition of old and new is also shown. 'Q' includes musical stars that are both old and new and this is also shown through the main image as Madonna is quite an old pop icon but she is wearing clothes that a younger person would wear.

The cover lines on the magazine are all featured in the top right hand side of the splash. They include 'Rolling Stones, at the movies' and 'Arctic Monkeys, in a pub.' This helps the audience feel more involved with the magazine as the things that the stars are doing are everyday things such as, going to the movies and going to the pub. Featured as another cover line is, placed under the bar code, a feature titled 'The 50 Best British Albums As Voted By You', which also contributes to the element of audience involvement especially as the word 'you' is in bold.

The target audience for 'Q' magazine spreads across a wide range due to the magazine featuring both new and old music. 'Q' magazine targets peoples aged predominantly 20-35 and of a male gender due to the bands featured being more masculine such as 'Rolling Stones' 'Kaiser Chiefs' and 'Arctic Monkeys'. However 'Q' also features bands and artists who appeal to females such as 'Girls Aloud' and the cover star 'Madonna'.

Placed directly underneath the cover lines is the bar code, price, date and website. The price of 'Q' magazine is stated as £3.90 which tells us that the audience have to be quite wealthy to be able to afford the magazine. This also shows that the magazine is popular and has earned the ability to become an expensive magazine with the reassurance that people will still buy it.

A banner runs across the bottom third of the magazine's splash which advertises a free 70 page special honouring the most influential women in music. This assists the urge the audience have to buy the magazine because, as 'Q' magazine is already quite expensive the audience feel as though they are getting a bargain with the magazine. The cover line also lists off some of the women included in the special, such as Debbie Harry, Goldfrapp and Courtney love as well as 'lots more'. This makes the audience want to read on as the cover is giving the right amount of information away while still leaving the reader wanting more.

The institute of 'Q magazine' is 'Q'. It has it's own magazine and website and the main purpose of the magazine is to make money. As 'Q's key purpose is to make money the content is affected. Running throughout 'Q' are adverts and features relating to the target audience such as gig advertisments and band interviews.