1. Front Covers
Basic conventions – Strong
masthead and (usually) simple
colour scheme gives recognisable
identity.
Q frequently uses black, red
and white.
NME – Black, red, white and
yellow
Rocksound – black, red, white
and yellow.
Sometimes another font colour
is added.
Usually - only a limited number
of fonts are used 3 or 4

2. • Instantly recognisable title
• Of historical significance like NME –
the UK’s oldest music magazine,
stated off as the New Musical
Express – now abbreviated form
appears on the cover – a
recognisable brand name and
though long past the days when it
dealt with cultural issues around the
music, has connotations of edgy
writing and indie bands new to the
scene.
• Mojo – “spell” connotations of the
idea that music can cast a spell over
people and hook them - it targets an
older audience, with its focus largely
(but not exclusively) on artists from
past decades,
• Q – comes from the word ‘cue’ as in,
‘Cue the music, but it was
abbreviated to make it more
unusual and eye-catching – has
become a recognisable brand name

3. Titles and fonts become
recognisable brand names
and cover artists can partially
obscure the masthead with
the confidence that the
magazine will still be
recognisable to its readers.
Most magazines use ONE
major image, though other,
similar images can be used as
hooks to draw in the readers.
Main image is usually medium
to medium close up; smaller
images are often medium
close up or headshots.

4. • Storylines often justified
down either or both sides,
sometimes with a line or
two as a subheading then
another line with more
information. Text
concerning featured artist
is usually larger, bold and
across the middle of the
page, sometimes with a
strapline (sometimes in
the form of a quotation)
• Header and footer hook
bars are common,
sometimes against a single
field of colour; sometimes
against the image on the
cover.

5. Kerrang! – implies the impact of a
power chord – the exclamation
mark adds emphasis as does the
fact that the font is shattered, as
if by the loudness – therefore has
connotations of heavy rock, the
genre it covers.
Note the use of footer and
header, both on colour fields.
Note the use of smaller images –
framed in white to give the
impression of a printed
photograph.
The angled text of the story lines
gives the magazine an edgy feel.

6. • Mojo – also uses a
limited number of fonts
and colours; some times
the cover photo is black
and white because the
magazine deals with
artists of historical
importance, targeting an
audience of over 40 –
monochrome has
connotations of the past.
Note use of logline – The
Music Magazine –
implying it’s the one to
get if you’re interested in
music – using a script
font as if it's handwritten
and a personal guarantee

7. • Cover assumes target readers’
familiarity with the Beach Boys’ classic
album Pet Sounds – adopts colour
(green, yellow, white and black)
scheme and font (Cooper Black) from
the album art and uses an outtake
from the album photo sessions for
main image. Some red is added for
impact to highlight the storylines.
• Carefully targeted towards their
primary audience (male; mean age 43,
according to its publisher, Bauer
Media) but there references to
younger artists to appeal to a
secondary audience.
• Like many magazines, has free CD –
helps promote music. Often other
artists’ interpretation of classic tracks
from a particular band – thereby
promoting the classic artist as well as
a range of others.

8. • Mojo – Beach Boys cover
but story lines refer to
older and newer artists
who talk about the band
(e.g. Flaming Lips), and
new bands that musically
allude to bands that
Mojo readers will know
e.g. Beach House. This
issue has stories about
bands across the decades
– Beach Boys (60s and
70s), Rush (70s), Public
Image (80s), David Bowie
(70s-now); features on
classic albums, classic
artists and newer artists
whose style alludes to
the classic artists that
appeal to Mojo readers.

9. • Uncut – implies the
reader is going to have
access to rare material –
interviews etc – as if it’s
more exclusive than other
magazines; also has
connotations of movies
and this, unlike most
other music magazines,
does have monthly film
reviews.
• Note limited colour and
font scheme
• Note free CD
• Uncut readership is
similar to Mojo’s – mix of
artists from different
decades – e.g. Fleetwood
Mac, Jeff Buckley. Laura
Marling

10. • NME retains the Indie
values with Peace as cover
artist, but there are story
lines on Blur, Noel
Gallagher, Kasabian and
Arctic Monkeys – all NME
favourites from the last two
decades.
• Published by IPC.
• Readers 69% male; average
age - 24
• Inside NME – weekly
magazine. ‘News’ section
featuring old favourites,
like Morrissey, and new,
like Milk Music. Round up
of events this week in
music – but those events
appealing to its target
audience (Gallagher and
Albarn); festival news –
SXSW – and indie festival.

11. • Heavily Illustrated
articles, as do all
magazines, some
new, some with a
historic
perspective about
bands who have
been important
to NME in the
past and who
have influenced
current bands –
like The Smiths
and Morrissey –
targeting younger
and older
readers.
• Review section –
Up to date and
rated.

12. • Ads – tours and releases; ads for IPC stable
mate Uncut; Farah, who sponsor the NME
awards, so they are promotional partners;
Phones 4U – target audience obsessed with
new technology.
• Gig guide – city by city – readers are invited to
submit notice of gigs to the website three
weeks in advance.
• Crossword and fan mail section
• Use of colloquial language and taboo words to
relate to target audience

13. • Fan mail page has twitter and Facebook links and a link to
the website which is further promoted by having
highlights from the website section, including some
responses from readers. Letters also include reader-
submitted photos of readers with artists, entitled
‘Stalkers’.
• Self-promotion – subscription ads with offers; ad for IPC
stable mate Uncut; Uncut Special featuring the Smiths, a
band that appeals to the older members of the NME
target audience; double-page ad for NME Showcase,
highlighting appearance of NME-promoted artists at
H&M stores, offering chance to win tickets to the events
and H&M gift cards – promotional partnership. Both
companies will benefit. To find out more and win tickets
readers have to go to NME.com. Why H&M? Fashionable
store with stock affordable for young NME readers.

14. • Mojo – Beach Boys cover artist, but
story lines refer to older and newer
artists talking about the band e.g.
Flaming Lips; plus story lines referring
to new bands that musically allude to
bands that Mojo readers will know –
Beach House. This issue has stories
about bands across the decades –
Beach Boys (60s and 70s), Rush (70s),
Public Image (80s), David Bowie (70s-
now); features on classic albums,
classic artists and newer artists
whose style alludes to the classic
artists that appeal to Mojo readers.
• News section, What Goes On, often
refers to older artists e.g. Stone Roses
and My Bloody Valentine.
• Review section – new and re-
released music, categorised in places
(Urban, Americana etc); Live Reviews
and Book reviews on the work or lives
of artists appealing to the Mojo
reader.

15. • Adverts for tours and concerts – older and newer bands
relevant to the target audience – Springsteen, Tom
Petty, Squeeze and Laura Marling. Hi-fi equipment; albums
from older artists like Bob Marley and newer artists whose
music appeals to Mojo’s demographic, like Beach House. Full
page ad for Q – promoting another Bauer product.
• In-depth articles from respected writers and from artists
themselves. Respectful tone – towards the artists and the
readers.
• Subscription ads with cheap deals and gifts to encourage the
readers; crossword with musical prize relevant to the month’s
issue (box set etc); letters page.
• Two full page ads for website mojomagazine.tumblr.com –
promising exclusive streams and review; stories and music
related to this month’s featured artists – updated constantly; a
link to the website, www.mojo4music.com where you can sign
up for a weekly newsletters which will feature ‘all the essential
links’. Page also features Facebook and twitter links.