Analysing Music Magazines

Front Covers

MastheadThe masthead is in black and is within the top third. It stands out as it is bold and is clear to read as it is against a pink background. However part of the masthead has been covered by the picture of Katy Perry. This is conventional as it is a well known magazine therefore everyone will know it is Billboard and it also portrays to the audience that the person is important. However it would not be conventional to cover your masthead if it was your first issue.

Main ImageThe picture of Katy Perry makes the audience want to read the magazine as young adult girls and teenagers look up to her as she inspires them and also is seen as a fashion icon. Katy Perry has been framed in a long shot so that we can see most of her outfit.

Cover linesThe cover lines are located on the left third because it would be easy to read when they are stacked on the shelves therefore the reader will still know what the magazine contain. The cover lines are in yellow are short powerful statements that get straight to the point.

StraplinesThe straplines give the reader more information about the cover line . It makes it clear to the reader what the magazine is about. Also the font size is quite small but the colour is bold as it is in black and the capital letters still make it clear to read.

Main coverlineIt is telling the audience who the front cover is about . It is the second largest font after the masthead as it is important. The black writing makes it stand out and a different font has been used compared to all the other text. Also when people see ‘ Katy Perry’ they may be more intrigued to buy the magazine as they may see her a s a role model.

PugThe pug is simple as it fits in with the front covers house style however the slanted writing and the orange circle around it makes it stand out and looks aesthetically pleasing.

Date

MastheadThe masthead is in bright blue and is located in the top third therefore it stands out to the audience. It is conventional for Vibe to have there masthead covered by their main image as it a well known magazine. The font size is large and the font is bold therefore it gets the readers attention.

Cover linesThe cover lines on Vibe magazine let the audience know what artist will feature within the magazine as well as any music events. The cover lines are located on the right hand side of the third because the main cover line is on the left hand side as when the magazine is stacked you can only see the left third. The cover lines are in bold font and are in the colours blue, pink and black. This makes it easier to separates the different cover lines as well as making them stand out from the background.

Main imageThe main image is a medium close up of Kanye West. Rappers and teenage boys may inspire to be like him as he is a famous artist and is also seen as a fashion icon therefore more people will buy the magazine. The photo is in the centre of the page which portrays Kayne’s confidence as he as a fierce look on his face.

Main cover lineThe main cover line links in with the main image showing how this months issue revolves around Kanye West. Also the main cover line fits in with the housestyle of the front cover as the colour is pink and in capital letters. However the font size is the second largest as it is the second most important text after the masthead. Also the main cover line indicates that this music magazine is generally focused on rap music.

HeaderThe header gives the reader more information about the magazine. This header makes the reader more intrigue because the word ‘Secrets’ have been used therefore more people would buy the magazine as they would want to know the secret.

DateThis is conventional as all magazines have a date.

FooterThe email address is located at the bottom left so that the readers can engage further with the magazine and see what else they have to say

PugThe pug is simple as it quite small and the text is in is black and white. However the way the words fit together into a square makes it more interesting so that it still stands out.

Cover linesMost of the cover lines are located on the left third. The size varies from larger fonts to smaller fonts which makes it more atheistically pleasing as it doesn't look as plain. The text is in white which stands out as it is against her red hair. The cover lines let the readers know what the magazine contains from about gigs that are going on to about different artists. The text is informal as words like ‘bastard’ and ‘heroin hookers’ are used. This makes the magazine more suitable for its target audience as young people would use this kind of language.

PugThe pug is bold as it is blue which makes it more striking as most of the front cover is red with only a bit of blue. Also the text follows the circle round giving the reader more information.

Strap linesThis gives the reader extra information about the cover lines so that they clearly know what the magazine is about.

BarcodeA convention of a magazine is a barcode however sometimes they are on the back to make it aesthetically pleasing

MastheadThe masthead is located on the top left third so that when the magazines are stacked you can still see what magazine it is. The masthead is easily recognisable as the name is short and simple and the colours used are bright.

Main image The main image is of Florence Welch and is framed in a close up. Young people may aspire to be like her or look up to her as a role model therefore more people may buy the magazine. Florence's red hair makes her look fierce and the blue surrounding her eyes makes her look strong. This goes with the cover line as it says ‘Woman on the edge’ and even though she is ‘on the edge’ she still looks strong. This image is located in the centre of the front cover and her eyes are in the top third which is conventional as this makes the reader have eye contact with the front cover.

Main cover lineThe main cover line links with the main image as it is about Florence Welch. This main cover line intrigues the reader as we want to know why she feels ‘so alone’. Also we want to know why she is ‘on the edge’ therefore more people would buy the magazine. The main cover line is located on the top third and is in large font so that it stands out.

Contents Page

The logo is carried through onto the contents page. This is a conventional element of contents pages as the company want to remind you constantly of what you are reading.

The contents page does not tell you everything the magazine contains however it informs the reader of the ‘features’. They do this so that they only mention the main aspects in the magazine. Each feature is in blue and is bold so that it stands out from the rest of the text. The rest of the text is a description to anchor it. This bit is in black and is in a smaller font so that you can see they are different.

The title is ‘contents’ which is suitable as it informs the reader exactly what the page is. They have used a font different from the rest of the text on the page and is in black so that it stands out against the white background.

There are a number of images however there is a wide range as the main image of the artist crouched down is shot in a long shot. Also she is looking at the text which suggests to the audience that we should also be looking at the text. In addition to this there are images of three more artists at the top of the page. The image of the man has been shot from a high angle where as the image of the woman has been framed in a medium close up.

Each feature has been given a page number. Page numbers make the magazine more suitable as it is easier for the reader to find the specific feature they want to read about. Also the images have page numbers next to them which is effective as it makes the reader intrigued as to what the article is about.

There is a No.1 column which contains all the songs which are currently in the charts.

The colour scheme is very simple as mainly grey, black and white has been used however they have used colours such as blue to make certain features of the magazine stand out.

Contents has been written in a unconventional way as they have used a unique style where the word is not on one line. This catches the readers eye as well as the bold black font.

The ‘V’ in the background is there to represent there logo as there magazine is called vibe. This is there to remind the reader what ,magazine they are reading. The ‘v’ is very simple as it is grey. This is so that everything else like the text and the image stand out on top of the background.

The main image is of Kanye West as he a popular artist that people inspire to be like. He is shot in a mid shot and the image is located on the left third. The image dominates the page as Kayne West is obviously an important feature of the magazine.

The contents page contains ‘Features’. This informs the readers about the most important articles that would appeal to the readers. Also they have included page numbers so that it is easier to find there features.

The magazine has also singled out the fashion pages and page numbers. This is because it is a music magazine therefore they want to point out they have included fashion within this magazine. I think they have used the image of Kanye West as it links to the features and fashion. This is because he is a famous music artist as well as a fashion icon.

The housestyle of this magazine is minimalistic as it is in black and white. Therefore the image of Kanye West stands out as there is a heart in the image which is bright red. This draws attention to the image of Kanye therefore we know he is an important feature of the magazine.

The logo of the magazine has been included on the contents page as a reminder of what magazine it is. Next to the logo, the title ‘contents’ is placed along a black bar. This title makes it clear to the reader what the page is about. Also the font of the title is bold and white as it is against a black bar.

The features are included on the contents page as it informs the readers about the articles exclusive specific to this issue of the magazine. The titles of these articles are given names which will make the reader wonder and be more intrigue

‘Every Month’ gives the audience an idea of routine and if they begin to take an interest in something that is in the magazine every month, they will become more regular readers and buy the magazine every month.

Large picture grabs the readers attention. The image of the band is framed in a long shot and the picture takes up two thirds of the magazine. This image is then anchored by a large text and page number, in bold font. This shows that the band are an important feature of the magazine. Also the anchor gives the reader a bit of information about the article but not a lot which keeps the reader interested.

The date, issue and the magazines website is clearly printed in the top right of the page in the main banner. It is conventional for magazines to have the date and issue number as people can check if they have ready read that magazine without looking through the whole magazine.

The colours used: red, white and black follow the traditional colours used by Q magazine. By keeping the housestyle the same it makes it easy to the reader to recognise the magazine.

The contents page is spilt into different sections so the reader can find what they are looking for quickly and easily. This particular section is written in gold and in a different font to show to the reader that it really is as ‘special’ as it claims.

Double Page Spreads

The very large red L, takes up the whole page and the letter links to the singer Lady Gaga. Although the letter is very bright it doesn’t distract the reader from the main article but draws attention to it as the double page spread is just in black and white therefore they need a bit of colour to make the page stand out.

The medium close up of Lady Gaga makes it obvious to the reader that she is very important in this article as she takes up half the double page spread. By having a large picture of Lady Gaga it attracts her fans and the people that admire her. The photo has been edited into black and white which makes the photo look quite old but classy at the same time. She is well known for her unique outfits as well as her pop music. However she is presented in this photo as more of a rock star therefore portraying her different talents.

The font and type size is very small, using a smart font size it gives the text a sophisticated edge. The double page spread is heavily worded showing that the article is more important. The text is separated into three columns which is conventional. This is because all magazines follows the rule of thirds as it makes it aesthetically appealing to the reader.

The title ‘lady gaga’ is in bold so that it stands out from the rest of the text however it is not that large as there needs to be room for the article which is more important.

The colour scheme for this double page spread is very simple as it is just black, white and red. By having such a basic colour scheme it makes the double page spread look professional as it looks sophisticated for the right target audience.

The layout is plain and simple however it takes up nearly all of the space. The busy page attracts the readers more as they would be more interested as to what the article is about.

The double page spread follows the same housestyle as the contents and the front cover page. The colours used are neutral as it is mainly black and white with a pop of colour. The pop of colour is the main image of Solange Knowels and her name . This makes is obvious to the reader who the article is about straight away.

In the background there are different shots of Solange Knowles. She takes up the top third of the page so that it balances out the amount of text and images. It gives the page an energetic feel as it looks like she is having fun. People will be more interested to read the article when they see pictures of her as people look to her as an inspiration and a fashion icon.

The lines separate the text and images and breaks down the page so that it looks appealing.

The logo is in the top corner which is a ‘V’. However the logo then goes on to the make the word ‘volume’. This informs the reader of what magazine it is as well as giving them some excitement as to why the page is called volume.

The quick summary in bold makes the reader intrigued as to why they should ‘forget her sister’. This sounds quite harsh and therefore they will want to know the gossip.

The double page spread is heavily worded showing that the magazine is all about the words and reviews rather than about flashy images.

They have included a quote from the Solange Knowles next to her picture. It is in capital letters and is in bold black font which gives the impress that she is an important feature of the magazine.

The logo is also included on the double page spread as well as the contents and front cover. The logo is frequently as a reminder of what music magazine it is as there are so many other companies they are competing with.

One whole page of the double spread has been taken up by a picture of Florence. She was also the main image on the cover however this image has been framed in a different so that it is a long shot of her. By framing her in a long shot we can see her whole outfit which is good for all the people that look to her as a fashion icon.

The double page spread is heavily worded showing that the magazine is all about the words and reviews rather than about flashy images.

The left third has mini reviews of articles that the reader may be interested in if they enjoyed this article. This shows that the magazine knows there readers interests and therefore know what there magazine should contain.

The title is ‘Review new albums’. This tells us straight away that the article is about a new album. Which makes it simple for the reader if they want to read the article or not as they know what it is about.

Under the title , in bold font it says ‘Florence & the machine’. The reader knows straight away that the article is going to be a review of the bands album. This may interest certain readers more as they may be inspired by this band.

Lines and boxes have been used to separate the text and make it more aesthetically pleasing. This makes it easier for the readers to approach the large amount of text and read the article.

The other images used on this page allows there to be a balance between images and texts . It also insinuates who they are speaking about in the review.

The magazines website has also been printed in small font in the footer. This gives them the opportunity to promote their website as if people are interested in the article they will be more intrigued to research there website.