1. Multiple Magazine Analysis
What do these covers have in common?
The majority of the covers have the same core colours of black and white. All except the “Mix Mag’’ use red as another core colour,
however this magazine does use a variation of red and uses pink instead. “Mojo’’, “Q’’ and “Kerrang!” use yellow also. Another similarity
is the angle in which the splash images are taken from. They are all ultimately cropped to be a medium long shot even though the
heavier music magazines (as opposed to dance music) have boxes of text almost making it seem a closer shot. The splash shot for each
magazine was also taken in a studio.
Who might their target audience be?
Each magazine has a different target audience, varying from dance to emo/punk. With the inclusion of rock, mental and perhaps indie
rock. “Mojo” appears to appeal to those who like music from an older generation such as Prince, Blondie and the Rolling Stones
(depicted by it’s black and white splash image). “NME” however seems hard to relate with and the target audience is not easy
discoverable.
This itself may show that this magazine’s audience is in fact very
specific. “MixMag” is very much
aimed at those who are in to dance music
(presented by the shiny, tasselly, cloak she is wearing)
which looks like a
modified version of a garment of the 80’s. “Kerrang!” is very much aimed at
those
who like heavier music. “Q”, although seems to be aimed at a similar audience to those of “Kerrang!” although the splash image would
suggest that they are slightly more indie/pop.
What makes these covers different from each other?
The layout of each magazine is slightly different, whether it is just the positioning of the text or the amount of text the magazine decides
to use. The stand out magazine is “Mix Mag” which is definitely more sophisticated than the others. “Kerrang!”, “Q” and “Mojo” are a lot
more cluttered and busy. “NME”s magazine looking a lot more simple, yet there is still a lot going on and the reader doesn’t know where
to look.

2. Billboard- Front Cover Analysis
I personally think the layout of this magazine is sophisticated. Using the icon of Rihanna
(known as a provocative artist) could possibly make the magazine seem less “high end”.
However, they have managed to create a element of class in their cover. The colour scheme
works brilliantly, with each colour complimenting each other. The scene itself looks very
natural and you can just about see the leaves and roses in the background. Unlike other
magazines, the splash image wasn‟t shot in a studio and actually looks part of her music
video “Only girl in the world”. Rihanna herself has contrast with the nude crop top and fiery
red hair and lips. This could be to show that there are two sides to her, which is supported by
her quote “My fans
don‟t really know who I am”. “Rihanna” itself is written in a gradient white font. The fading
could
again be a representation of he fans not knowing the real her. The tag line “The ReReinvention”could simply refer to the many different looks Rihanna has conveyed over the
years, but also creates the sound of “RiRi” which is what she is referred to by fans and
sometimes TV presenters. Nevertheless they both conduct a relatable element for the
reader. All the font used is Sans Serif, making a much softer looking layout.
The covers main image is Rihanna. She has a large fan base and knowing this, she makes a
perfect cover model. Ultimately bringing in a lot of sales for Billboard. The magazine itself
being a popular choice for people who are primarily based in American and college
graduates, crosses with Rihanna‟s fan base. Therefore the image is relatable and eye
catching to the readers. Rihanna herself has been placed in a nude crop top giving us a
natural feel. However the only tattoo we can see is the gun, contrasting the natural image.
This again could link to the tag line of “My fans don‟t really know who I am”, showing there is
more to her than we see. Eye contact is made between the image of Rihanna and the
potential consumer. This contact puts pressure on the person in question to buy the
magazine. In addition, the contact almost invites the reader to get to know Rihanna with their
cover story. Billboard sticks to a conventional title, that is specific to their magazine. Making
it undeniably recognisable to the potential consumer. There are a mixture of different fonts
grouping together certain taglines on the cover. To explain this further: The text relating to
Rihanna is in the same font and the other/smaller articles for example „‟Bull on Parade‟‟ are
all linked with black text on a white background. All of the text on the magazine (except „‟Film
& TV Music Conference) is either written in white or have white involved with the other colour
(in this case black). This makes an immediate contrast from the splash image. The colour
white has connotations of purity and innocence which is the complete opposite of the
provocative, risk taking icon we know Rihanna to be. The target audience of Billboard
magazine is primarily American college graduates. The main three colours used within the
splash image and the text are red, white and blue and with the addition of a very “americanbased” icon gives the magazine a national feel of American. Again, Rihanna‟s fan base is
made up of a lot of people who would fall within this age range. The most obvious
convention to note is Billboard‟s title text. They always use a black or white colour scheme

3. Q- Front Cover
Analysis
The layout to Q‟s magazine is simplistic yet not too simple. They have all their
written/sub-articles written down one side, and their main article down the
other. The magazine looks sophisticated and actually looks to appeal more to
females than males. The main three colour used are red, white and black. Red
is said to represent strength, power, determination as well as
passion, desire, and love, which fans of Adele will know that, these traits suit
her perfectly due to the comments she can receive from the media. In
advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the
colour of snow alongside purity and innocence. However black has
connotations of mystery and power. The two contrast each other in terms of
meaning, yet compliment each other perfectly for this cover. However, I would
go as far to criticise this cover for there being too much white. The sticker
saying “The 300th Issue” has a gold background. This compliments the colour
of Adele‟s hair. Leaving no stand out colour on the magazine, apart from the
conventional red used by “Q”. Adele herself looks natural and blends in with
the magazine as opposed to standing out. The cover splash image is that of
Adele, known for her soulful/powerful sounds, she seems a surprising choice
for Q, compared to the usual images of Artic Monkeys, Muse and Beadyeye.
However, supported by the main text “Adele blows us away”, it is suggested
that readers of the usual indie/rock magazine will also be shocked at the
interview involved, and that it may in fact be to this target audience‟s taste.
Adele is made to look extremely angelic, pale with wind swept hair and big
eyes that lock contact with the potential consumer. All of these traits appeal to
the „Male Gaze‟ a concept of Laura Mulvey‟s. Q sticks to the same font for
each section of subtext, unlike Billboard magazine who separate their main
article with their other articles using a different font. The same colour of red
and black are used with the other articles, whereas red and white are sued
with the main article text. The use of a different colour scheme allows the
article to stand out on it‟s own. The target audience of Q is primarily males
(68.3%), with its main age group being 15-24 years and 70% ABC1 profile.
Adele appeals to the male gaze on the splash and with the tagline “If you‟ve
got it, flaunt it” is almost sexualised. The price of the magazine is £3.99 which
may be considered pricey, however as this magazine‟s main social group is
ABC1, the price is reasonable. The language used without is simplistic which
will appeal to the magazine‟s target audience of 15-24 year old males. There

4. Q- Front Cover Analysis
The layout of mixmag is quite cluttered, with sub-articles surrounding the
splash image. The three main colours used are orange, black and white.
Orange is said to be associated with enthusiasm, happiness and
stimulation. All words that could be descriptive of the dance music genre.
As with “Q”, mixmag use the two contrast6ing colours of black and white
to draw attention to certain parts of the magazine. The model in this case
is wearing black herself, and the vibrant orange contrasts her, almost
making her look lost in the background. The splash image is a contrast of
black and whites with the model‟s piercing blue eyes being the main
feature of colour that stands out. Annie Mac wears a half gold necklace
and a silver ring both adding “rich” colours to the image. The clothing she
wears has shoulder pads and her hair is short and patted more to her
right. This opposes the “Male Gaze” and makes the model “break the
norm” and appear edgy, possibly representing the dance magazine genre
as a whole. The magazine cover uses two different fonts, separating the
title text and the articles. The title text uses a much rounder/softer font and
is written in lower case lettering, whereas the article text is a much
bolder/sharper font and purely upper case lettering. Unlike “Q” and
“Billboard” magazines- Mixmag puts a lot more of their supporting articles
on the front cover, alongside their main article. The median age of a
mixmag reader is 26- 72% male and 28% female. They have a high
disposable income and a high propensity to spend it on: Nights
out, clothes and music. Nearly 80% do not read another music magazine
and they spend little time watching TV, especially at weekends.
Unfortunately I think this particular magazine cover would appeal more to
women than men. Although I think the sophistication of the magazine will
definitely appeal to a reader of 26. Unlike “Q” and “Billboard”, the
language choice shows us that „mixmag‟ may not be as commonly known.
The terms used could be said to be topic specific and only completely
understandable to those who are experts on this genre of music.