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 Re-Reinvention”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 “american-based” 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 depending on the splash image, filling in the b,o,a and d from „board‟ in red,
yellow, blue and green. The editing of the splash image is also a convention of Billboard‟s. They cover up
the coloured parts of the title that don‟t fit with their splash image. In this case, they keep the red to match
Rihanna‟s hair and lips and keep the green to correspond with the text “Film & TV Music Conference” The
language used throughout the cover is simplistic and there are no complex words. Billboard tend to use a
play on words such as „‟Re-Reinvention” and “Bull on Parade”. This then makes the possible consumer want
to read the article and its content is not obviously stated on the cover.

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 are also no terms used that may only be
known to those who listen to the indie/rock genre. Q‟s main convention is its layout. On
the cover of each of its magazines, the splash image and main article text is positioned
on the right, with the title text and sub-article text positioned on the left hand side along
with the price and logo.

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.