This document analyzes and summarizes the front cover designs of several music magazines to understand how they attract readers. Key techniques identified include using prominent images of famous artists to leverage fans' interest, bold colors and fonts to catch the eye, listing many popular artists to attract fans of those genres, and focusing on just one or two big stories to draw attention rather than spreading it across many small articles. Buzzwords and promises of exclusive content are also used to intrigue potential buyers and pull them into reading or visiting the magazine's website. Overall the covers aim to target specific music audiences and pull people in through techniques that play on readers' interests, needs for identity and celebrity news, and desire for an exclusive experience.

1. Tom Goodyear

2. Front Pages

3. (Kanye West ‘I AM RAP’) will attract readers because Kanye West is a big star
in the industry, and such an outrageous quote will attract a lot of attention
from people interested in the industry. It’s use of the media users need for
Surveillance. This is reinforced by the fact that he is the main image, which
without even using the plug, would have pulled the reader in.
It has a very vibrant colour scheme which would catch the eye, as well as well
as a lot of bold writing. There is barely any text that isn’t in capitals either
which makes it seem important to the reader pulling them in to read it.
At the top of the page it uses a few buzz words which makes this issue of the
magazine seem more attractive. It makes it seem that it can offer things that
other magazines can’t.
On the middle right of the pages it simply names a lot of musicians in the
industry, and what this will do is instantly attract the attention of anyone
interested in that music genre. If someone see’s a collection of
their favourite artists in abundance they’re likely to be enticed.
This may play on the readers need for self identity.
Above the magazines name it has a coverline, with some buzz
words which will be a big selling point for the magazine.

4. The masthead has a fun format to it and a colours in the middle of the letters,
which shows it’s trying to appeal to a young and informal audience. The entire
colour scheme, especially what Soulja Boy is wearing, targets the hip-hop
audience.
The fact that they have an icon such as Soulja Boy as the central image will drag in
readers interested in that type of music. Also he is the coverline, so fans of his are
the main audience for this specific image. They’re using him to represent the
general feel of the magazine.
It also includes the name of many other music artists of one common genre,
which is a convention of these types of magazines.
The magazine is advertising itself in the bottom left corner with its own website
name. Maybe if people are just browsing the magazine but can’t buy it at the time,
will go on the website and this will generate long term loyal customers eventually.
Another thing this magazine is doing, is that it’s trying to sell the gangsta lifestyle
to the audience. This is typical or magazines of this genre.
Just the whole feel of the magazine is ‘cool’ and is trying to
pull in readers on it’s style factor. It reflects the personality
and represents people that want this kind of lifestyle and
buy into the gangsta ideology. Another example of this is
what it says under ‘Soulja Boy’. Words such as ‘Cranks’ just
show what this magazine is all about.

5. The front cover has next to nothing on it, apart from a huge central
image of Jay-Z and the coverline at the bottom. This will put all the
spotlight on Jay-Z and his article. The reason they do this is because
he is a superstar and it is a huge article, so instead of bringing
attention to all their little articles, they simply focus on him. They
want to bring in all their viewers based on this. They then have the
two smaller articles also trying to attract readers, although not the
focus. One of these articles is about Paul McCartney which is
obviously a big story so will pull in a lot of readers. It fulfils their
need for surveillance as ‘McCartney & Yoko Speak!’ means they’ll get
the latest news in their celebrities lives.
You then have the golden colour scheme so make the magazine
attractive.
The barcode isn’t in the generic place, the layout
of this magazine is quite unorthodox, and having a
style like this may be an attempt to bring in readers.
They use a lot puff such as ‘WORLD’S BIGGEST’,
‘REVEALS ALL!’ and at the top ‘SPECIAL’.

6. The same as the ‘Clash’ Magazine I just looked at, this XXL
magazine simply focuses on one image and a coverline that goes
with it. It dominates the page and is the one thing that the magazine
is relying on to pull in readers.
The magazine has gone with quite a sinister theme, with the
aggressive look from Eminem, the coverline ‘VENGANGE IS
EMINEM’ and also the black background. This will pull in readers
because of their need for Personal Identity. The story may relate.
In the top right it says ‘XXCLUSIVE’, which is a way of addressing it’s
target audience specifically and at the same time using puff.
Then under ‘XXL’ it says special collectors edition,
which will be a huge reason to buy it for many
readers.
The magazines slogan is ‘Hip Hop on a higher
level which is a is a great slogan as all readers
interested in hip hop will see that and be
intrigued. It again specifically targets their target
audience.

7. Above the masthead this magazine has 4 things that should interest
people, interested in this genre of music. But 3 of the 4 things aren’t music
related, they’re things that ‘The Source’ think will also attract this type of
audience. This is a good use of convergence, and knowing the target
audience.
Again the central image is linked to the coverline, and is a superstar. This is
a convention all hip-hop magazines seem to use.
On the right it has a lot of teasers and plugs. This is good as having a lot of
things related to one similar topic should be highly interesting to the target
audience.
The page is quite packed, it’s trying to advertise to the
reader that it has a lot of interesting content.
At the bottom of the page it has it’s website address,
which is the same tactic that billboard used, but this
magazine does it better. It has it in loud, clear font
and says ‘VISIT’. If you like the looked of this
magazine you would more than likely click out the
website, especially if you weren’t sure about buying it.

8. Contents Pages

14. Double Page Spread