What is a music magazine Kate Allen

What are the functions of a magazine cover? The front cover of a magazine is important for selling the brand of the magazine. Front covers consist of a main image, usually a celebrity. The celebrity on the cover attracts the audience and sells the issue. Magazine covers have to stand out from other magazines by being visually attractive and unique. Each issue needs to be different enough to attract a wider audience, but familiar to regular readers.

Magazine cover 1. Image The image is taken in a head-shot, with the subject looking directly into the lens of the camera. This establishes a connection between the audience and the subject. He wears minimal jewelry so the focus isn’t pulled from his face. His clothing isn’t bright, instead he is wearing dull colours, again to keep the focus on his facial expression. His expression is quite intimidating – this goes with the coverline which reads ‘Untouchable’. This image portrays Jay-Z as powerful and confrontational. Logo The logo is the largest bit of text on the cover, and uses bright colours to stand out from the plain background. It is easily visible to the audiences and catches your eye instantly. This will make the cover easily recognizable. Layout The image is placed on the right side of the page, with all the coverlines on the left so they are not covering the image. The logo is in the top left corner and is easily visible. The main coverline is placed next to the image in big font and a bright colour to anchor the meaning. The barcode is small and in the bottom right corner. Articles The article names are placed on the left side in black. They are bold, so the audience know what the magazine includes without having to flip through it. They are smaller than the main coverline, as the main coverline is the most important article. Colours Only two colours are used, which is good as it makes the cover visually attractive. The black and red colour scheme is punchy and sophisticate, which will reflect what the rest of the magazine is like.

Magazine cover 2. Image Similarly to the XXL cover, the image is placed on the left side of the cover. The image is a medium shot, as it shows most of her body down to her waist. The image is slightly on a tilt, which allows the coverlines to frame the image without covering important features. Logo The logo covers the width of the cover and is in its own unique font and design to draw in the audience. This also helps the regular readers to recognize the cover. Layout The cover isn’t overcrowded. The image is large and bold, with the coverlines around it. There is no barcode on the cover. Although Nicki Minaj is on the front cover, her name isn’t written in a different font than the rest of the coverlines. This means that she might not be the main article in the magazine, so the audience might question why she is on the cover. Articles The article names are written on the bottom left and right side. They’re in an odd, techno font to stand out from the rest of the text and make it clear that they are the articles inside. Colours Three colours are used; Black, Pink and Turquoise. The Black and Pink go together well, while the Turquoise almost clashes, creating little pops of colour which catches the eye of the audience.

Magazine cover 3. Image The image on this cover is different to the previous two covers. This image is placed in the center, taking up the majority of the page. The image is headshot. Rihanna is shown wearing excessive jewelry, which includes a crown. This suggests her wealth and possibly that she is similar to a Queen. She is also looking straight into the camera, establishing a relationship wit the viewer. Logo The logo is very simple. Using only two colours and one letter, the bright colours contrast against the gloomy background. The logo is big, and is located on the left because we read from left to right. This means it will be in the viewers eye line and spotted immediately. Layout The image takes off the majority of the page. The cover is very minimalistic and doesn't’t have any coverlines framing the image. There is a small line of text in unique font to suggest that Rihanna is the feature article and the most important part of the magazine. Articles There is only one article that is made clear on the cover. I don’t think this is good because the audience don’t know what else is featured in the magazine. Colours The colours of the background are quite contrasted and gloomy. This makes the bright logo really pop and stand out.