Contents Page Analysis: Rocksound

The cover of Rocksound magazine that I analysed was very different to a lot of others. It was a double page spread. The left page was very focused around the main article in the magazine, with a photo of the two people it’s on with a black background, so they stand out. It then has the Main Feature page numbers on that side. The right page includes things like the Rocksound publishers information and other small facts like the different editors. It also includes an editors paragraph, and page numbers for the smaller articles in the magazine.

The main image on the left page is very effective, as it portrays the people that the magazines main article is on, and the black background really makes them stand out amongst the text and background. They also have a quote from the people that fits in with the picture in a very effective manner.

On the right hand side, the pictures are used simply as references to the bands and the pages that they are on, and then there’s also a small picture of the editor in a space suit, which goes with his small introduction paragraph. The images all blend in with the text wrapped around, which is very messy, and this possibly ties in with the audience, as it is a rock magazine, so the audience would be stereotypically perceived as quite rough and untidy.

There is quite a lot of writing, like the descriptions of the main articles, and the editors paragraph, and its all very informal, which is good for connecting with the readership that Rocksound is likely to get.

The colours used in Rocksound are very similar to that of Kerrang! magazine, which possibly says that red, white and black are very typical rock colours. The red makes the text stand out against the black and white backgrounds. This is good, because when you look at a contents page, it’s nice to be able to clearly locate the text that you want.

There is a quote from Pete Wentz, which is good because he is a pinup start for teenage girls who may be reading this magazine, and having a quote from him allows them to feel like the magazine is creating a relationship between them and their idols.

I really like the photo that is used on the left hand page, because it makes a very bold message on the article, and the lighting and background together with the image is very good at standing out and drawing readers in. I also really like the use of a live photo on the right hand page, because it includes the atmosphere of a messy live rock show which is very intense, and is likely to draw in fans of live shows as they will feel as if the magazine is a source for live news and reviews, which is very helpful for a fan. I also like the use of bad language in the picture by the editors column, as it sets the tone of a magazine as a rough magazine, but also quite humorous, which is good because it’s likely to draw readers in.

I don’t like the way that so much space is taken up by the information on the magazine itself, and its editors and photos and things, because the contents pages are meant to draw in readers, and instead of drawing in readers, it just makes the magazine look quite dull and boring. I also don’t like the lack of information under the “Exposure, Lives, Reviews, RSVP” bit in the bottom left corner of the right page, I would want it expanded so people get a deeper insight into the magazine.

Jonathan Barter