Contents Analysis

older NME contents - my actual preferred contents page

 Its now important after looking briefly at pivotal front covers to look at the more integral contents pages which ultimately dictate the rest of the magazine. I looked at my NME collection and then found two images of the contents, one being an older format and one newer with a more professional look however I think that the older dominates the contents and is the contents I prefer. The main image with less writing and then a main and conclusive paragraph on a key issue on topic takes over the page. The 'snapshot' feature is a catchy and inviting name linking snapshot with the idea of a brief outline of whats happening in the future and then the explicit snapshot photo which also discusses a the weeks issues.

 The other contents that NME have produced more recently appears to have a better structure and therefore a better potential understanding for the consumer of what is ahead in the magazine, and certainly the reader is more at ease with the easy to navigate contents for the NME magazine. The magazine (above) advertises the magazine with chances to get cheaper issues and in the image below there appears more adverts and chances to subscribe to the magazine, perhaps representing the change in how magazines now are available to subscribe to in long term whilst saving money. The sub headings of 'news', 'radar' 'reviews' and 'live' add to the music theme from knowing its a music magazine to actually incorporating music terminology or links into titles. The 'radar' suggests a look at up and coming bands, something highly emphasised in NME as they also run the radar tour every year around the country, something I went to at Bristol, Thekla. The 3 bands now are regular features as an established band in NME, Darwin Deez, Everything Everything and HURTS.

The latter image also shows how the NME is every week reflecting the readers ability to buy the magazine weekly and reminding them about the subscription at the left third of the page.



new NME look

 

The Q contents main focus is the extra close up on the celebrity music icon in the magazine, in this case James Blunt. This type of contents is easy to read and has big headlines with the edition of the monthly magazine as well as the date and the House style of the Q logo in the top left. The two main dividers are 'Every Month' showing it has a dedicated consumer and a regular interest as well as regular features. The other divider being just 'features' alike NME where they have almost 'a hit list' of prospective points and pages that are inside the magazine. The large photo of James Blunt is alternative to the sort of main image you would see certainly on the covers on NME again reflecting the difference in target audience and type of magazine. The contents its very eye catching yet in reality ever so basic, this means that the regular format with a new star on the contents page becomes a nice attractive feature. This Q contents is older and I will study the newer design and why that may be of benefit in todays society and ever growing music orientated world. The Q magazine has a great simplicity, moreso than the NME.Mojo has a completly different appearancein comparison to the other magazine contents pages I have studied so far. The look is certainly a vast change from the youthful and simple layout in the other two. The colour is alot more varied and with more perhaps emphasis from the publisher to include and create the MOJO retrospective appeal which the audience can connect with through the magazine, predominantly with the contents page taking centre stage. The bold 'tahoma' style font which appears to headline the magazine at the masthead appears dominant at the contents page, differing from the other two magazines. Being a monthly magazine like Q the magazine has alot to get through arguably why the magazine has a more detailed layout and certainly more text ratio than the other magazines. Although the images arent lost, there isnt a dominance in text to images. The creative, light and art domineering style covers the contents, making it inviting and completing the initial representation that the consumer buys into on the front cover.

The target audience for MOJO is completly different than the other two magazines. MOJO expects its readers to be interested in interviews and a more detailed look in the history of a star such as Bob Dylan or Michael Jackson. An Icon. Not an up and coming band from Soho like the NME. MOJO continue to acknowledge this audience at their contents page as the images appear Polaroid in appearance and very old fashioned and even a cartoon picture remonstrating one of the magazines features. A very very intriguing way to make sure the MOJO style and the technological convergence they show online, in the magazine and on the radio. That retro, classic music that will never be forgotten is rounded up and gelled together to create what simply is a compelling contents page in comparison to the more simplistic approach from Q and NME.