Analysing Music Magazines: Front Covers

By Marwa Saroya

This is the first type of music magazine cover I am going to analyse.

Shows what the magazine is specifically based on and immediately identifies the target audience

The strapline advertises the magazine by mentioning its success

The Masthead has a clear font in bright red which stands out as the size and layout is big enough to be read from a distance also it will stand out on a shelf

It’s a pug

The masthead appears behind the image this makes the image look more powerful.

Date to show how recent the issue is

MASTHEAD & STRAPLINE

The title of the magazine is ‘Rhythm’ which shows a link to the genre of the magazine; the magazine is a drumming magazine and drums are the main source of the rhythm of the music.

The image and text is layered giving more depth and feel to the page and helps it stand out more

• The fonts used for the cover lines are either

• Barcode • Name mentioned of the

artist on the front cover. The font is really clear and just like the masthead its in capitals also in white so that it can stand out from the dark background.

• The banners are used to help standout the main attractive parts of the magazine where it involves the audience.

• ‘THE BEST NEW GEAR’ –and the list below it; show the list of the perfect drumming gear.

MAIN COVER LINE & COVER LINES• The cover lines are made to

look messy as it represents the magazine genre which is drumming therefore it makes it look crazy and really full of stuff

• Conventions of this is that more than one image is used –the other small images look like snapshots added to the cover

• The cover lines on the left of the of the cover are purposely put there so that it will attract attention of the customers when its on the shelf as it mentions ‘Learn to play…Plus full notation’ which will excite the readers who are into learning more of music and drums and how to play the music.

LANGUAGE & WRITTEN CODES The language helps grab the attention of the audiences, such as naming it the ‘UK’S best selling’ would attract attention of those who are interested and its obvious the audience would want something that is well-known and worth paying for.

The phrase ‘Behind the mask of’ has a double meaning. The term is commonly used to see the ‘truth’ about a subject however in this case it could also refer to the masks that are used on stage by the band. This alternative meaning would be recognised by ‘those who know’.

The word ‘Learn’ invites the audience to learn something new and be part of the music physically. ‘EXCLUSIVE’ is a powerful word

as it attracts attention by mentioning what the magazine has to offer.

The magazine mentions the name of the person on the front cover- Joey Jordison which is purposely done to attract the attention of the audience as he is well known in the rock, drum side of the music industry.

COLOURS

• The main colours Red, black and white are like a running theme of colours for the front cover

• They personify the genre of the magazine also match up with the appearance of Joey Jordison who is on the front cover

• These bold colours are used to make the cover lines and masthead stand out from the dark cloudy background

• The colours are specifically used as it shows manly colours which mean it’s a male dominated magazine

• The dark red for the ‘Rhythm’ could represent gooey blood and a spooky side of the genre

• The use of yellow on ‘Kings of Leon’ stands out from the other writing as it’s a brighter colour how ever more lighter

• The drum sticks show the targeted audience who are into drum magazines it symbolises the genre of the

• The eye contact with the audience is really powerful as it is the first thing that also catches our attention

• The way Joey Jordison is dressed connects to the theme of the magazine

• The body language of Joey shows aggression and seriousness

IMAGES

• The smaller image shows the rock band Kings of Leon performing which relates to the genre of the magazine

• The composition and framing is a long shot and the image has been digitally manipulated

Design

Overall impression

The design of the magazine shows a typical structure of a drum based or rock magazine as the front cover is full of writing and has more than one image which adds to the structure to make it look scattered also the colour of the fonts used for the text play a big role as they are the main thing that makes it look rock/drum based as they are dark and bright colours however they stand out and attract the audiences attention.The smaller images are as if they’re stuck on just to fill up the page however make the magazine look more part of the genre also the main image itself is really powerful because of the eye contact with the audience and the long shot fits in the persons image perfectly .

The overall impression I've got after analysing this particular magazine cover is that it has developed my personal understanding of music magazines itself and helped me realise there are particular colours and the look or structure of a magazine would depend on the genre of the magazine therefore if I was to analyse another magazine which is based on drums/rock music I will most likely come across these colours such as black and white or even red also there will be more than one image.

This is the second type of music magazine covers I am going to analyse.

• The Vibe magazine have a specific way of having their Masthead for familiarity and its their identity

• The image and text is layered giving more depth and feel to the page and helps it stand out more

• The definition of VIBE is "Atmosphere, ambience“• The word Vibe is more Urban therefore it tells us

that there will be more about music in the magazine.

• The masthead suggests that inside you’ll find out more about the music side.

• Also the image covers up the ‘B’ of the magazines name which makes it unclear however it wouldn’t matter as its obvious and people who already know the magazine wouldn’t actually effect them

• The letter ‘V’ seems to be italics and tilts slightly

MASTHEAD & STRAPLINE

Barcode

• The names are clearly mentioned of the artists on the front cover to again attract the readers attention

• The extra stories may not be related with the music genre however may attract the targeted audience

• The less important information is in smaller writing

• The pink font connects with the colour of the hoody Lil Wayne is wearing

MAIN COVER LINE & COVER LINES

Barcode

• Also the cover lines are cramped up on the sides to make sure they do not cover up the main image fully

• The main headline is connected whose on the front cover of the magazine which would draw more attention of the audience and make them want to read the cover story

• The website advertises and allows for extra content online

LANGUAGE & WRITTEN CODES

• Shows a positive and negative side to fame and being part of the music industry.

• ‘The curious case of Buju Banton’ ;Play on words

• This helps interest the audience who may want to read other related stories of people they recognise.

• Mentioning Trey’s name and his presence on R&B music

• The word ‘passion’ suggests the love for music

• This main cover line relates to Lil Wayne and interests the audience of things we wouldn’t know about him and of his personal life.

COLOURS

• The colours used on the cover of the magazine represent an RnB type of genre as you would class RnB to be more darker colours which would be the house style.

• The red used for the masthead helps it stand out from the dark background as it catches the audiences attention really quickly also it’s a really bold colour therefore it match's up to the boldness of Trey Songz on the front cover

• The white is also used for the text as it clearer to read

• The colours on the magazine all together show that it’s a male dominated magazine where the colours are bold and dark which makes it more manly

COLOURS

• The colours used for the front cover are mainly pink, black and white

• The pink causes contrast between Lil Wayne’s hood and his name on the front cover

• It helps it look more unique as you are less likely to find such a colour on a male dominated magazine also it helps stand out from the white background because of its brightness

• The background is kept white therefore its simple and plain so that the image would stand out mainly and the cover lines

• The black for the masthead shows a stereotypical house style for a male dominated magazine as it gives seriousness but also stands out

IMAGES

The main image of ‘Lil Wayne’ creates an effect of a careless, powerful, moody and serious attitude to the reader. This image is more likely to attract the male target audience as it shows how males act and consider themselves to be the one with all the power and high authority over women.

The outfit that he is wearing reflect on the image that ‘Lil Wayne’ is trying to portray. The ‘bling’ that he is wearing represents a very repulsive, aggressive and pimp like image.

The word ‘RAPE’ on his belt creates strong effect, because it is in upper case. Here it shows power of the male gender over women. Furthermore it again reflects on his careless attitude, of what people think of him.

The mass amount of tattoos imply on the genre of R&B.

The fact that the tattoos are on show with the jacket zip undone creates impact that ‘Lil Wayne’ is not ashamed of what people’s opinions are of him and of his body, and that he wants everyone to know that he is above all the rest, by looking at his facial expression.

His mouth is open and his eyes are looking down on the reader giving the higher status look and making the reader feel uncomfortable. The gold chain around his neck gives a more gangster image.

The colour of his jacket is pink, which creates an impact of ‘Lil Wayne’ being masculine with his pose to the audience of a very serious gesture, but can also be said that he is comfortable with his masculinity.

The smaller images of Justin and T.I carry on showing that it is a male dominated magazine also it helps attract and interest the audience as they both are famous and well known people.

The image of Lil Wayne are specifically used as it would attract the audience as he is a well-known artist.

IMAGES The mass amount of tattoos on Treys body also imply on the genre of R&B.

The cover of the magazine may appeal to girls and attract their attention more as Trey Songs has got his top off

The eye contact is really strong and powerful as it is directed at the audience also his body language is strong as he is facing the camera.

The smaller image of Young Jeezy shows the next issue of the Vibe magazine which the audience should look out for also this helps advertise itAlso it helps cram up the extra space on the front of the cover

This image is a medium close-up showing only head, shoulders and upper chest placed in the middle of the page.

His body seems to be oiled and shiny which is done on purpose to give sex appeal and as Trey Songz usually appears to be like that normally it brings out his personality

Design

Overall impression

After analysing two of the Vibe magazine covers it shows me that magazines do have a signature design or particular way of structuring their magazine to either make it look more wild or classy depending on the genre of the music and what represents it more.

Both the designs of the Vibe magazines are similar as the style and angle of the picture taken is exactly the same as it is a mid long shot also the use of bold bright colours to attract audiences is similar as they help make the cover lines and mast head stand out. Also the eye contact and body language is really strong as it grabs the audiences attention.The magazine is classy as its organised and structured in a certain way, it only has one main image which the focus is fully on and shows the main artist on the cover who should be already well known.Also the colours do conform to the colours you would Usually see in a music magazine mainly these are black andwhite however it also depends on the background and whichwill stand out.