This document analyzes and compares the contents pages of music magazines 'Q', 'Mixmag', and 'The Streets'. Key points analyzed include color schemes, layout, images used, and how elements are designed to attract readers and encourage purchases. Common techniques included continuing cover themes and styles onto contents pages, using large prominent images of artists featured in the issue, and highlighting free promotional items included to increase value perception.

1. Analysing contents pages

2. This contents page has the main colour theme running through of red, white, and some black, this has a continuous house style with the front cover, as these are the colours associated with ‘Q’ magazine. This is because they are very ‘rock’ and masculine. The set out of these cover lines is very easy to read. It has a thick red line to separate out the different topics so if a reader were to flick to the contents page they could easily spot something that might interest them. If it was over complicated and fussy the reader could miss something which would make them buy the magazine. The cover lines use phrases like ‘rock nutters’, promoting the idea that this magazine is about ‘crazy rock artists’. There is one main image of Matt Bellamy and 3 insets. The image of Matt Bellamy is the largest because he was also on the front cover, this carries on with the theme of Muse. He is wearing big red rimmed glasses which could be trying to look reminiscent of the ‘Q’ of the masthead. His red and white outfit matches ‘Q’s style, and therefore creates a synergy between him and the magazine. There is an inset down the bottom of the page which is of an article which can be found further in the magazine. This is so if it catches a readers eye in the contents page they will want to buy the magazine to go to the article and read more.

3. This ‘mixmag’ contents page has a theme running through of black and white. These are very good colours to be using as they can be both masculine and feminine. The only other font colour used is yellow, this teamed with black and white has connotations of electricity and energy. The font style of the contents matches the style of the title font. The main image used is very exciting, it helps add to the sexy and exciting vibe of ‘mixmag’. The image is very dark and looks quite 80’s. it has an air of glamour about is as it looks like Lady Gaga is wearing a lot of glitz and the background behind her is made of glass. This fits in well with ‘mixmag’. The image of Annie Mac also portrays her looking dark and broody. She is wearing black and white which matches the house style of the magazine. This helps to create a bond between the artist and the magazine. The font setting is easy to read, bold writing separates the different topics and the numbers are written in yellow to help them stand out to the reader. There is a free CD given with this magazine, at the bottom of the contents page there is a little bit written about which artists are on the CD, and which tracks. Doing this on the contents page is a good idea because this is what people are most likely to look at before they buy the magazine, and by talking about the thing that they will get free, it encourages the reader to buy the magazine, as they will feel they are getting more for their money.

4. Like in the other ‘Q’ magazine contents page, the theme of red and white runs very strongly throughout the page. This creates a house style which is easily recognisable as ‘Q’ colours. ‘ Q’ magazine have deliberately chosen this image as the largest inset because it is Elton John wearing a red shirt in front of a giant red heart. This is important because Elton is very famous, and so to have an image of him wearing the ‘Q’ colours promotes the magazine. For example they would probably not have used an image of him wearing yellow. This inset is another picture of the front cover. This makes it easy to connect the style of the contents page and the cover. The reason the magazine have done this is to make it easier for the reader to find what they want by saying what is ‘on the cover’. The font setting for this ‘Q’ magazine is slightly less in keeping with the house style than the previous ‘Q’ example, as they have also incorporated blue into their colour scheme. This could be because the lead singer of the streets is wearing blue. Also, the colours red, white and blue are British colours, and ‘The Streets’ are a very British band. The inset of the lead singer of the streets gives the same feel as the picture of the front cover. He looks relaxed and casual. This would help readers relate to him. There is a pull quote by Chris Moyles, it is a bit edgy and would make people want to read on to find out why he thought radio 1 was ‘shit’ before he came along.