Music Magazine Front Covers

Identify the features/ characteristics they all have.

• All these magazines have a big bold masthead that stand out.

• The colours used relate to the genre of the magazine e.g. black represents rap.

• The main image is mainly medium/ medium long shot. This is to draw attention to the reader and to show the genre of the magazine by the expressions the celebrities have on the covers.

• The house style and colour scheme is consistent throughout the magazines.

Why are these features present on all of the magazines? Why are they important?

Eye catching and stand out to the target audience.

Colour scheme attracts the target audience. For example ‘Billboard’ magazine attracts the people who are interested in rap music.

Set house style is professional and makes the magazine recognised to the audience it attracts to.

Medium close up of the main image attracts attention towards the celebrity especially.

Selling/ cover lines stand out to the target audience as it tells them the main attraction of the magazine.

List the 5 differences between the magazines and account for these differences.

NME magazine is aimed at boys and girls. This is because there has been a variety of colours used that show it’s a unisex magazine and its bright, also the main image is of a male and female this shows it’s a unisex magazine.

Q magazine is aimed at a male audience as the colours are more dark and bold. It contrasts with the other two magazine as its more serious and the main image is more serious, this represents the genre of the magazine.

Top of the Pops magazine is aimed at girls because the colours used are very girly such as pink and yellow, they are very bright and eye catching. Also the front page is very busy with cover lines about fashion and celebrity gossip.

Billboard magazine has the same connotations as ‘Q’ magazine as it also has a male audience and the main image is of a well known rap artist. The dark colours suggest it’s a more serious magazine and the genre is seen as more serious.

Take one of the magazine covers and say what type (genre) of music magazine it is. Provide at least 4 specific examples from the magazine

that supports your claim that it belongs to this particular genre.

This is a pop magazine. This is shown by pop/ RnB artists and singers shown on the magazine. Also the main image is of a pop group which also shows the genre of the magazine.

The use of colour shows that it is aimed at a particular audience as the colour scheme is very girly and vibrant. The colour scheme also shows that pop music is very lively and more friendly like and not as serious as rock or rap magazines.

There are also film reviews and behind the scene images used in the magazine which shows that magazine isn’t only about music its also about celebrity gossip and fashion.

Music shows such as the ‘X Factor” is in the magazine which shows that it’s a pop music magazine as the show is mainly about pop/ RnB music.

For the same magazine, say who you think the target audience is. Give reasons for your answers.

• I think the target audience for this magazine are teenage girls between the age of 13-16. This is because of the artists and singers involved in the magazine.

• The house style is very bright and pink which connotates that pink is a girl colour therefore it’s a girls magazine.

• I also think that the target audience is girls because of the cover lines, they tell the reader what is involved in the magazine, in this magazine its not only music its fashion / glamour, make-up, celebrity gossip and competitions.