- The masthead for New Musical Express is in the top left corner in short abbreviated form to allow for more cover lines and images. The capitalized abbreviation connotes that it is a trendy magazine.
- The main image on the cover is always related to the music genre and implies dominance of the featured band members over others.
- Cover lines use capital letters and exclamation points to draw attention and highlight important parts for readers.
- The color scheme of red, black, and white allows certain elements to stand out.