The document discusses the design and layout of several music magazines, including Billboard, NME, Kerrang, Q Magazine, and Rolling Stone. It analyzes elements like the use of photographs, colors, font, and organization of content to understand how each magazine conveys its brand and targets a specific audience. Key points made include that Billboard appears neat and consistent across issues to appeal to teenagers and young adults, while NME uses bolder graphics and styles to engage punk fans. The layouts aim to guide readers efficiently to find content while reflecting the magazine's musical genre through visual cues.

1. Billboard is an American weekly music magazine. I look like
as if the magazine tries to focus on one colour in the
background, however there are some magazine issues
where the background may link with something that the
celebrity is linked with. For example the issue with Miley
Cyrus has a background of a field and the country side,
this is linked with a few films that she has been in and why
type of music she does. However, the other front covers
consists of only one colour and this is some ways makes
the magazine seem more realistic and professional like.
Every magazine has the stars name on it with big and bold
letters so that the audience and the reader knows who is
in the magazine and what that issue may include, this will
also allow new target audiences to start to get familiar
with the artist who is on the front cover.
Unlike other fashion or gossip magazine the front cover
does not exist of much text which allows the star to be
seen more, and most of the attention is dragged towards
the photograph and the artist, rather than the text on the
front cover. Because of this it looks more and is more
related to music and about the celebrity’s music rather
than gossip and a lot of text. Furthermore, if there is much
text the typography and the size is very small, this also
therefore connotes who the audience is because a small
text would not be written to an older audience of the
magazine.
Billboard is mostly targeted to the audience of teenagers
and younger adults it’s seemed because the artists on the
front cover are artists who are recognisable to everyone in
the generation within the target audience. Therefore
because new artists are found and others are getting old
the magazine may only concentrate on what is mostly
listen to at that time and the singers-so that new faces are
seen on the magazine all the time. This makes the
magazine stay at a particular target audience throughout
the generations.
On most magazines the mast head has different colour on
all the magazines, however this only has two colours, black
and white, depending on the background colour.

2. Vibe really does have different styles and layouts; the
graphology is different on every issue. Some issues has
a very old fashioned look and layout-even though
they are not old but the Ciara and the Eminem issue
looks like most modern out of the four.
The Rihanna front cover is very plain and has nearly
no puffs at all. Because if this all the attention is
dragged to her and the medium close up of her.
The mast head has the same typography font. On the
other hand the colour is different and on the Eminem
issue the mast head has a more metallic and model
touch to it where as the other magazine issues only
has one colour.
There type of techniques can make the company
and the whole magazine seem a bit messy whereas
for example the Billboard magazine looks very neat
and well thought through as all the issues and
magazine front covers has a similar and recognisable
layout style.

3. In the 1970s NME became the best-selling British music
magazine. The magazine layout and graphology seems
to be a very punk rock and funky style, with bold and
strong colors like red, blue, yellow and black. There
colors are strongly contrasted which attracts the target
audience and eye catches their attention.
There is a lot of action and details going on, on the
magazine. However every magazine contains of a big
photograph of a music star and then around it some
quotes (Lily Allen).
NME focuses on a main typography to be a bit bolder
and bigger than other texts so that what the editor may
think is the most appealing to the audience in that issue
is then publishes the biggest.
Because of the amount of graphics everywhere, on the
front cover, the audience does not know where to start
looking. In some ways this could be quite good. On the
other hand, for some or most audience seems to prefer
the neater layout style rather than the messy and bold
styles.

4. The billboards contents page has a
plain white background. It does show
the page numbers and categories to
enable the audience to know where in
the magazine that story or news is. This
will same time for the audience to find
and read which will make them more
happy if the magazine is neat and
easy to follow, to find what they are
looking for.
Even though the background colour is
white, the images around it do not
make it boring to look at. They use a
colour of light blue-this connotes a
fresh look and the colour is appealing
to both males and females. Also the
magazine has a No1 chart on the left
hand side. This really makes the
magazine unique as music fans can
see what is in the chart and maybe
listen to new songs which are there
that they have never heard before.
This will help the artist to create an
even stronger repetition.
I think that the chart is good to have.
However, I would not have the chart
on he contents page. I would have the
chart as a separate double page
spread with some reviews and
comments about it. Just to add a bit
more entertainment to the magazine.

5. Even if you do not know what
magazine this is you will directly
understand that this is a rock
magazine. This is the fact that the
images and typography is the way it
is. For example, the font of the text
has a more style of older men. The
photos of OzzyOzborn at the bottom
and the photos around it, looks like a
scrap book and as if the magazine is
collected.
Also in the classic rock there does not
seem to have any numbers on the
pages and the categories text.
The red colour makes the contents
page really stand out, this could be
because if there are new readers
and they are flicking through the
magazine in a shop they may want
the audience to read and see what
the magazine contains before
putting the magazine away again.

6. The Kerrang contents page has a lot
of images maybe to fit as much text
and content information as possible.
The categories are highlighted and
even the numbers to really make
them stand out and to be clear what
and where the information is.
As there is text to show categories
there are also images which makes
the magazine seems to be aimed at
a younger audience as well as a
older. Because there is categories
and the fact that they are
highlighted, makes it easy for the
reader to be able to read and follow
the contents page to find where the
news and information is.
The target audience for this would
probably be towards the teenage
age between 13-17 year olds. Due to
the amount of photos and the
contents.

7. The NME magazine has a shows allot
of information about the contents
and the magazine. There is even a
small column of different bands that
are in this magazine, and page
numbers of where you can find
them. The categories are easy and
neat put out. The contents page is
neater than the front cover of the
NME magazine.
The magazine used a lot of yellow
and red on their front cover of the
magazine as well as the contains
page containing this.
They even have a band index.

8. Rolling Stones use of graphology is quite affective. It
has a very big photo of Paul and a small amount of
text by his arm which is following his outline and
pattern. This could be an introduction into the other
double page spread on the other side of the page or
this could just be a more advertisement of a new
album or of him. This could be to fans that has been
buying the Rolling Stones from the start and has
therefore been able to follow his stories and his
career. The text elements communicate the
meaning to the reader. The reason for this is that it
shows that this is an old famous musician who was in
the beetles and it is a big thing for the magazine and
it shows that it is important to the magazine.
Therefore, they have done so that Paul has a whole
Q Magazine photograph of only him and a small text
page with a has a lay out that would attract the
female audience. From teenagers to middle aged
just to add detail.
women. The font of the text is a normal typeface that
would often be seen in magazines. The reason for this
is so that it is easy to read and looks more
sophisticated and professional and if there would be
a handwritten style on the font. The big image is
really up in your face and is what therefore drags the
audience to read about the story.
The double page spread is quite gothic and dark.
The photo being on only one side of the page makes
this stand out and therefore is more important than
the text. The colours are black, white and red and
gold. Thin s punk colours and position that they are in
will in a way enable and hint to the readers what the
magazine article is going to be all about. The topic of
the article seems to be about their reuniting and the
image looks like they are happy to be reunited
together. The tone in the ‘friend reunited’ makes the
article and the whole gothic style look a bit friendlier
and that they do appreciate another. This will make
the fans of this band become even more happy
because the finely tone is coming though.
Billboard seems to be very neat on both their front
cover, contents page and the double page spread.
The page is split into half with one side containing an
image of a famous RnB singer Usher and the other is
the interview that took part with him. Even though
Usher may be aimed at men, in this aspect the
magazine and the interview would probably be
aimed at females. With the small text and trying to fit
all the information onto one side of the magazine will
make the magazine represent and be aimed at a
more younger adults and older teens target
audience.