Kerrang! analysis

Kerrang! magazine was first published on 6th June 1981, where it became one of the most popular ‘rock’ music magazine. It was initially supposed to be devoted to British heavy metal and hard rock acts. As of right now, Kerrang! magazine covers a wide range of alternative, metal, and punk music. This is because music genres are expanding, and they want to appeal to as many people as possible. In terms of how much it’s changed over the years, it’s only changed the type of music it features so it entices a wider range of people. By early 2000s, it became the best-selling British music magazine. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, and then changed to fortnightly, but in 1987 it became a weekly magazine. 87% of Kerrang! readers by the magazine every week. The target audience would be anyone from as young as 13/14 to young adults (the median age, who read the magazine, is 22). When it was first published, it was focused at mainly adults, and older people. But as it developed, it began targeting teenagers. I think this is what made it such a popular magazine. The style of the magazine is using bright colours to attract people’s attention, but then also pairing it with darker colours to appeal more to the alternative scene. Kerrang! magazine has many different multiplatform aspects such as a website, a radio station, a tour, an award show, and a TV channel. The website is a big part of Kerrang! because it allows readers to read about things which aren’t always published in the magazine itself. The website hosts an online shop, podcasts, message board, and TV and radio segments. In 2001, Kerrang! launched its own online forum, which takes up most of the traffic.

Due to the fact that Kerrang! is a multi-platform company, it receives a large audience because it appeals to a range of people. For example, people who don’t listen to the radio can still read the magazine or the website, and vice versa.