Conventions Of A Music Magazine 25.11.09

Magazines follow certain conventions, such as:

Title/Headers - these are usually at the top of the page (this logo/header will also create the 'brand image' of your magazine and will make it instantly recognisable for your audience.)

Sometimes a slogan is used under the header to explain the magazine content or to make it stand out from its rivals.

One main model/star photographed either in close up (head and shoulders shot) or medium shot - direct address, however in a music magazine it can also be a group shot.

The leading caption usually dominates the page - this is focused on your feature article (main article) and this should 'anchor' your cover story.

Subheadings - of the main stories you wish to advertise in your magazine (usually appearing on the left/right hand sides of the cover.)

Straplines - usually go at the top or bottom of the page - highlighting stars in magazines or other stories/sections in the magazine.

Magazines usually include stars or celebrities on their covers to increase sales and therefore profit, stars are admired and aspirational for the audience, also stars/famous musicians are conventionally included on music magazine covers to sell the magazine.

Magazine Covers

The front cover of a magazine is its main advertisement because of this it has to be representitative of the magazine as a whole. it should be bright, interesting and eye-catching to entice the reader to buy the magazine. The colours not only should reflect the target audience but in music magazines they should represent the genre of the music. There tends to be a variety of fonts on the cover to make it visually interesting and eye-catching (this is seen through the whole magazine.) Date and barcode - usually now with a web address provided to entice audiences to the magazines' website, also magazines are usually expensive monthly 'glossies' or cheaper weakly magazines. AIDA

Contents Pages

Contents pages should be bright and colourful - encouraging the reader to read on. Images with page numbers are included. Direct address is used in all images . The title/header usually appears on every page (usually the top.) There is a list of contents - usually under usual sections.