Front Cover:

The cover of a music magazine is specifically designed to attract the target audience and to appeal to other readers. The magazine have chosen to have Amy Winehouse on the fron cover as she is young and has popular music, this appeals to the target audience of young people upwards; from the age of 18+. The image takes up most of the front cover as it is one of the key features in attracting people to the audience. The image is the first thing the readers notice; so it has to be a popular artist on the cover.

The name of the magazine is at the top of the cover so it is instantly recognisable and can easily be seen. The name of the magazine is always in the same font and colour, so the readers find it easy to identify the housestyle and recognise the magazine. On most covers the artist on the front partially covers part of the name, this shows the popularity of the magazine that people can identify it even with the name covered. The name is always in blue, this represents that it can appeal to both boys and girls as blue is a neutral colour.

The cover lines on the front are all related to the genre of the magazine and are specifically designed to appeal to the paticular target audience. The cover lines have to be relevant to what the audience wants to read and what is going on in their lives. The cover lines on this cover are band names, but they are popular bandsso they appeal to the target audience.

At the bottom the date, price and issue number is there so it can help the reader.

Double page spread:

The main theme of double page spreads is a main image of the singer or band there interviewing. The image usually takes up most of the page, this makes the reader curious as to what is in the interview and it attracts the audiences attention.

The image of the singer is suitable for the audience because she is trendy and popular so therefore the audience want to read about her and read the rest of the magazine. The image is a close up of her face so you can see the emotion on her face, this makes the reader engaged in the page and makes them want to read on.

The text is in black against an uncluttered white background, this makes the text stand out and it draws your attention to it. With the image the page looks very interesting and makes the reader want to buy the magazine. The double page spread is there because it is one of the key factors of attracting readers so it has to be interesting. The double page spread is there to attract readers and to make the magazine more money.

Contents page:

This is the contents page for Q magazine. The masthead 'contents' is in big, white letters against a black background so it stands out. The name of the magazine Q is also in big white letters against a red background, this draws your attention straight to it and helps publicise the magazine.

The image on the page is taking up most of the contents this is very eye catching and makes you want to read the rest of the contents page. The image is of a band that is suitable for the target audience, the audience is young teenagers upwards and the band is young and trendy so it attracts the audience. At the bottom of the image there is a quote from an interview of the band, it's quite an interesting quote and makes the reader curious as to what else is in the interview. The page number is in bright red so it contrasts against the white background and it makes the reader go straight to the interview.

The contents page is split into 'features' and 'every month'. The features are the most interesting things of the contents and are there to attract more regular readers. Each tag line has a small description, this is to gain the readers curiosity but not to give to much away that the reader doesn't need to buy the magazine. The 'every month' column is there for the regular readers but also there to attract new readers. They do this to make readers want to continually buy the magazine and make them excited about the next issue. The page numbers are in red so they stand out, but there isn't really a description on the 'every month' column as the regular readers know what to expect.

In the bottom they have a review box this is done mainly to attract the readers and to make them want to read the rest of the magazine. The review is also done to publicise the bands and to help promote them. This in turn gains the magazine more readers and therefore makes the magazine more money.

Double page spread:

This is a double page spread for NME magazine. The head line of the page is in the same text and colour as the front cover of the magazine. This is to show the relation between the cover and the spread; and therefore makes it more recognisable.

The text is in big white letters with black surrounding it, this makes the text stand out and draws your attention straight to it. The text is a quote from the interview and by putting that in letters that stand out it makes the reader curious as to what else is in the magazine. The text is against an uncluttered background so it makes the text stand out even more.

The colour of the text is in black and white which are colours that are used on most Indie magazines. This is used because it represents the paticular type of target audience of the magazine and it appeals to the type of audience. The colours are suitable for the genre of the magazine and help to identify a paticular house style in the magazine.

The image of Lily Allen takes up most of the right hand side of the page. This draws your attention straight to the page. Also the image is very big as it is the cover story so it has to be eyecatching and dynamic. The clothes she is wearing are representtive of the thing that some of the readers wear. The clothes are young and stylish to appeal to the audience of young teenagers. Also the colour of the clothes she is wearing works with the colour scheme of the magazine, Black and red are paticuarly used on Indie magazines so again this works with the house style of the magazine.

Contents Page:
This is the contents page of rock music magazine Drummer. The contents page represents the genre of rock from many things on the page.

The masthead 'contents' is in big white letters against a red background allowing it to stand out on the page and catch the readers eye. Also the name of the magazine 'drummer' is in big black letters against a white background, this is to make the name the most noticable thing on the page so the readers continue to buy the magazine. To go with the name and the genre of the magazine there are many pictures of drums and and bands.

The colour scheme of the contents page is one that many readers identify to be on a rock magazine. Black, red and white are used on many music magazines e.g NME, Q. This is done so the magazine represents a paticular type of audience and appeals to their target audience. Black, red and white usually represents people who like Rock and Indie music so this relates back to the genre of the magazine.

The images shown on the contents page all relate to the paticular type of magazine it is, and are there to encourage the reader to read the rest of the magazine. The images have pge numbers in the top left corner, this is to show the reader what will be included later on in the magazine; but not to give to much away about the images. This therefore makes the reader curious as to what the images are there for and makes the reader want to read on.

The cover lines on the contents page are split into two groups 'features' and 'regulars'. The features are the most interesting things in the magazine, and therefore gains the magazine more regular readers. The regulars are there for the people who always buy the magazine and therefore know what will be in the magazine. Each feature has a small description of what it will be about but not to much that it gives it away so the reader doesn't need to buy the magazine. The page numbers are in big red letters so the reader after seeing the description goes straight to the story in the magazine.

Double page spread:

Every music magazine has a double page spread of a band or singer, and it is usually an interview of the artist who was on the front cover. The double page spread always has a main image taking up one page and some of the second page. On the main image or underneath there is a selling line usually taken from the interviewing revealing something about the band or singer that the audience didn't know. This is done to attract the reader and make them want to read the rest of the interview and buy the magazine. The double page spread is there because the readers like to find out what is going on in the private life of the band/singers and the interview reveals things that the reader didn't know about them. The double page spread is one of the key things when it comes to readers buying the magazine, as it talks about new music the band/singer is making and there personal life.

NME contents page:

Contents pages are there to help the reader and to attract the certain type of audience. A contents page usually has images on it to make the page more attractive and interesting. The image on a contents page in a music magazine is usually a photo of a band or singer, and there is usually an eyecatching sentence underneath to entice the reader and to get them to read the rest of the magazine. The image is usually representative of the certain target audience the magazine wants to attract. Some of the images on the contents page are there along with a certain story to entice the audience to read the story. Also on the contents page are tag lines, these are there because the tag lines are what attracts the reader and if the audience find the tag lines boring they will not buy the magazine. The tag lines are specifically chosen to relate to the magazines target audience. The target audience for NME is for people from 16+, so the tag lines have to be related to what goes on in the readers lives; and they have to be what they find interesting. Also on the contents page they have at the bottom an image to persuade the reader to subscribe to the magazine. This is there so the magazine can get more readers and by putting a discount on the image t will attract more readers as they will think it is a good offer. Everything on a contents page has been specifically designed to encourage the readers to read the rest of the magazine, as the contents page is what makes the reader want to buy the magazine.

Rolling stone magazine

Ideology of source magazine:

The ideology of source magazine is the life of hip hop, the culture, the music and the politics. It is about the ideas and values of hip hop, and is specifically designed to appeal to people who love hip hop and love the lifestyle. The selling line 'the bible of hip hop' represents how much the magazine values hip hop and how it is a way of life like the bible is for others. The magazine has a specific ideology to apeal to a specific target audience. All magazine have a paticular ideology to appeal to their target audience. Star magazine has an ideology were knowing everything about celebrities and their lives is important, whereas Vogue magazine has an ideology were high fashion and luxiourious clothes are important.

Date/Price and issue number:

The date, price and issue number are placed at the bottom of the cover of Rolling Stone. This is so it is easily seen by the reader, but also so it doesn't take the focus away from the main features of the front cover e.g the maing image, title and the cover lines. Most magazines place the date at the bottom of the magazine front cover so it is easier for the reader. If the reader needs to look back on a past issue they can do that easily without a lot of trouble, also the price reflects the target audience that the magazine is aimed at,which is another reason it is placed on the front cover.

Selling Line:

Source magazine has a very clear and direct selling line. 'The bible of hip hop music. culture and politics'. This is a good selling line as it clearly tells the audience what the magazine is about and what will be included in the magazine, it also tells the audience about the genre of the magazine. Many magazines have a selling line as it makes their magazine easily identifiable and the readers remeber the magazine as it stands out. If the cover changes or it becomes dificult to identify the audience will recognise the selling line, and therefore know what will be in the magazine.

Title/Name:

The name of a agazine is usually placed at the top of the front cover so it can be easily seen and identified by the reader. The name is usually in bright, bold letters to daw your attention to the cover. The name of Q is placed in the top left corner and is sometimes partially covered up by the main image. By doing this the magazine is showing that the magazine is very recognisable and therefore popular, as it it showing that readers can identify the magazine even with the name partially covered up.

Cover lines:

The cover lines on a magazine have to be related to the genre of the magazine, and to the paticular issue. The cover lines are all about music and are specifically chosen to appeal to the paticular target audience. The coverlines have to be of interest to the reader and have to be something they want to read. The paticular audience of NME is young teenagers upwards, so the stories have to be about bands or singers that they like and listen to. One of the stories is about Muse laying in Wembley, this is appropriate because it is suitable for the magazine, you couldn't have a cover line talking about new school subjects as it wouldn't be suitable for the genre of the magazine, and it wouldn't appeal to the target audience.

Music magazines: Main images

The images on the cover of the magazine are related to the type of magazine and they appeal to the target audience. The images consist of a band and a singer, this shows that it has a wide range of audience and that the magazine appeals to both men and women. The audience of Q magazine is from late teens onwards as it features popular young artists and it also has older artists on the cover e.g Madonna. The main image usually takes up most of the front cover as that draws people to the magazine. Also the image sometimes covers up the name of themagazine, this reflects how recognisable the magazine is as readers can recognise what magazine it is and what it is about. The main images have to be suitable for the target audience.

Conventions of Mojo magazine:

Mojo magazine is a music magazine, specifically rock music. The main images on the front cover ususally have a rock band on it, a lot of the time the image is a very famous band that is well known and has been around for a while. The images on the cover of these two magazines are Led Zeppelin and Sex Pistols, these bands are very famous and well known and have been around for many years. Also underneathe the image there is a line saying the bands are reunited. This shows that Mojo also reunites bands and publicises there reunion. The name of the magazine is at the top and in bold, bright letters. This immediately draws your attention to the cover so you look at the rest of the things on the front cover. The main image also covers up part of the name of the magazine. This suggests that the magazine is very well known, and that even though part of the name is covered up people still instantly recognise what magazine it is and therefore know what the magazine is going to be about. The cover lines on the front covers of the magazines are all related to the type of magazine it is and what the issue is based on. The cover lines are what persuade people to buy the magazine and read it, so the cover lines have to be interesting and eye catching to entice the reader. The barcode and date are always at the bootom of the magazine to help the reader and to show them how much the magazine is. The price is also there to represent what type of target audience the magazine is aiming at.

Music Magazines

Image: Music magazines usually have an image of a singer or a band. Some music magazines have an up and coming band or singer on the front cover to help publicise them and to introduce them to their audience. However some music magazine have old bands on, or very famous singers and bands on to appeal to their audience. NME magazine usually has bands or singers on which appeal to their target audience of young people.

Title/Name: The name of a magazine is usually at the top or in a place were it can be seen easily by the reader. Each music magazine has their own design for their name which makes the magazine instantly recognizable. The name is usually in bright colours to attract the audience and to draw theuir attention to the cover.

Cover lines: Each music magazine has cover lines on the front cover to attract the audience and to persuade them to buy the magazine. The cover lines have to be interesting and relevant to the magazine as they are what encourage the reader to buy the magazine as the stories are what interest the reader. The cover lines have to be relevant to the magazine so they are appropriate for the target audience, e.g on the front cover of NME you can't have a cover line talking about chemistry as it wouldn't be suitable for the type of magazine it is.

Selling line: Each music magazine has a selling line to attract their audience. The selling line relates to the specific target audience and it is chosen to describe the type of magazine. The selling line shows the reader what the magazine is about and therefore the reader can decide if the magazine interests them and if they want to buy it.

Date, Price and issue number: These are put on the front cover to help the readers of the magazine. The date and issue number are put on the cover so if the reader needs to refer back to a past issue of the magazine it is easy for them to do so. The price is on their obviously to show how much the magzine is, but also the price represents the target audience. If it is free or quite cheap it is most probably aimed at young people and students as they don't usually have much money. If the magazine is expensive and good quality it is probably aimed at people in good careers.

Conventions of a music magazine


On a magazine cover there is always an image of a singer or a band. This is so it appeals to the paticular target audience of the magazine, which I believe to be teenagers to young adults, around the age of 16-25. The image also relates to the type of magazine it is. There is always young bands or singers on it as it is appropriate for the audience and it is the type of music the audience listen to. The image also takes up around three quaters of the front page as the image is one of the most important things that encourage people to buy the magazine. They also have the name in the top left corner in bright red letters. This is so the audience can recognise what the magazine is called, and so they know if they want to buy it or not. The name is at the top as it draws your attention to it. On each issue they usually have a story at the top of the magazine, this is usually the most interesting and eye catching story so it is placed at the top. The magazine has cover lines on the front cover in bright colours as the cover lines are one of the key factors of attracting the audience, as the cover lines interest people and if they think the stories are interesting they will buy it. They also have the date and issue number at the bottom so people can refer back to a past issue if they need to.

LIIAR

Language: Media language is everything you see on the cover of a magazine. It is the Image, the masthead, selling line, cover lines , date , issue number, barcode. All these are used to attract people to the magazine and to encourage them to buy the magazine. Media language is a very important feature of attracting people to the magazine.

Ideology: This means ideas. It is the values and beliefs that guide our lives. Heat magazine has an ideology were celebrity lives and gossip is considered important. If people think keeping up to date with celeb gossip is important, then their ideology is celeb lives.

Institution: Institutions create Media texts. They control language, representation and ideology of text. An example of an institution is Warner Bros. They control the films and all the media language used to attract the audience.

Audience: This is what everything in a magazine is aimed at, the target audience. Everything in a magazine is designed to appeal to a specific target audience. The media language is aimed at the target audience they would like to buy the magazine. Vogue magazine has a specific target audience in mind, they are appealing to women from the age of 25+, who are in a good career and have money to buy the magazine and the clothes they advertise.

Representation: This is how groups, issues, individuals are portrayed. Representation is similiar to connotation, how something is conveyed, but it is not exactly the same as connotation as it is how it is put across.

Main Task: the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you - minimum of four images.