Music magazines follow common conventions in their design to be recognizable and familiar to readers. The front covers typically feature a large central image, place the magazine name in the top left corner, include surrounding or overlaying text, and follow a grid layout. Contents pages usually list articles in columns, include the magazine name and date at the top, and sometimes feature a related image. Double page spreads consist of around 300-400 words, a large central image, changes in text size and color, with headlines, stand firsts, and columned text below large singular images, usually of an artist's face or full band.

1. Media Evaluation
By
Mark Leonard

2. Question 1:
•
1 INTRODUCTION TO FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
•
It is useful to begin this answer by explaining that you appreciate that almost all media
products follow forms and conventions for recognition and familiarity.
•
Image to use: You can prove this by print screening a google image search for music
magazine covers showing how all covers look similar, you can do the same for contents and
articles. Or putting specific image examples of magazine covers, contents and articles.

3. Front Cover Conventions
• Music magazines tend to follow a list of conventions. From these music
magazines you can see that they all have a large centralised image.
• The names of the mags seem to be positioned in the top left corner or in
the centre. They don’t appear to be in the top right corner of the cover.
• The covers have text that surrounds the cover image or go over it.
• Some of the mags don’t just tell readers about music. Some tell readers
about the latest “celebrity gossip” and “fashions”.
• Most front covers follow a grid system.

4. Banner
The front cover looses it’s grid
system look, to be replaced
with a more geological look, as
rocks are commonly dipped in
the earth. This can represent a
double meaning in the name.
People in the
picture giving a
direct mode of
address
Grid system
towards the
bottom.
My Front Cover
Pug, giving an
incentive.

5. Contents Conventions
• Some contents pages have the name of the magazines name at the top of
the page. The page numbers and names are usually in columns.
• Some list the name of this page (Contents) at the top of the page, either
next to the image or the repeated title.
• Near the top or bottom of the page, the contents page will have the date
and/or the issue number.
• There may be an image related to the main article or a less important
article.

6. My Contents page
Date and
issue number
Images related
to articles
Contents of
the magazine.
In columns

7. Double Page Spread Conventions
• Double page spreads consist usually of 300-400 words, a large
image/several small images, changes in text size and vibrant colour
schemes.
• When the image is a large singular image. It the image will usually be of an
artists face or the whole band together.
• The articles usually have a headline/title and a stand first before the main
text. The text is usually in columns.

8. Double page spread conventions
Stand first
Title
300-400
words
Picture of the
whole band.
Image is direct
mode of address