Summary of research into similar products

2. Masthead
Mastheads are conventionally
placed at the top of music
magazines, in bright colours and a
bold sans serif font type
Left Third
The use of left third is
conventionally present on many
music magazine covers. This is so
that the magazine’s cover lines can
still be clearly viewed when
magazines overlap on shelves in
store
Several Cover Lines
These are conventionally seen on
music magazines as they give
previews of what articles are inside
the magazine edition, which can
persuade readers to purchase the
magazine
Close-up image
Music magazines conventionally
contain a close-up image of the
celebrity interviewed, which is in
the main centre of the layout
Cover Story
A cover story based on the
celebrity featured on front cover is
very conventional for music
magazines. They are in a large bold
font and the colour usually
contrasts against the background
colour
Barcode, date and price
These are conventional features on
magazines so that they can be
purchased, recorded and so that
customers know what they're
buying at what price

3. Sans Serif Fonts
Sans serif fonts are
conventionally used, as it
makes the text easier to
read and more appealing
to younger target
audiences
Contents Page Headings
These are conventionally
used as they clearly show
audiences this is a contents
page and readers can easily
see where the following
articles are listed with page
numbers
Images
Images that relate to the
magazine’s articles are
conventionally used on contents
pages, as they make the articles
appear more appealing and
interesting to read for target
audiences and make the page
look more eye-catching and fun
Page Numbers
Page numbers are a conventional
feature on contents pages, as
here is where the up-coming
articles are listed, so that readers
know where to flick to in the
magazine, to find the right page
with the article they wish to read
on

4. Pull Quotes
These are conventionally
used on double spreads
to interest readers by
giving them a preview of
the article, which will
persuade them to read on
Use of Kickers
Kickers are
conventionally used at
the beginning of
articles, as they are in
larger and bolder
fonts, which draw
attention into the text
Blocks of Text
Text is laid out in blocks
running downwards,
which shows readers this
double page spread is an
interview, as this is a
conventional layout for
magazine articles
Images
Several images of the
music artist being
interviewed are
conventionally placed
around the text, as it
will automatically show
readers who the article
is about

5. From carrying out a great amount of detailed
research into the designs of music magazines, I
have concluded that there are numerous
techniques and features that many magazines
include. For example:
• Route-of-the-eye layout technique
• Use of left third
• Structured and organised design of layout
• Close-up image of featured celebrity
• Dominant, bright and bold masthead
• Cover Story
• Cover Lines
• Contrast of Colours
• Sans serif fonts
• Contrast of small and large sized fonts
• Barcode, date, price and even number of issue Use of route-of-the-eye Use of left third

6. Billboard is a music magazine that caters for a wide
range of music genres. Including pop, ‘R’n’B’, soul, rap,
hip-hop and rock. Therefore, Billboard design every
edition of their magazine to suit the music artist heading
it. This way the magazine will appeal as much as possible
to the music artist’s fans, giving Billboard a wider target
audience. Billboard personalise every issue by taking
into considering the conventions of the chosen genre.
For example, pop music is an up-lifting genre, therefore
it is associated with bright colours, fun uses of mise-en-scene
and relaxed colloquial language. Whereas, hip-hop
and rap genres are more diverse, with harsher and
faster paced beats, strong language and can be
represented as having more powerful lyrics. Therefore,
black and white colours are conventionally used on
magazines with this genre, to connote the dominance of
the artists and to emphasise their influence on music, as
black and white are very classy and sophisticated
colours. They also have much bolder fonts, to make the
cover look more harsh and extreme.
Hip-Hop/Rap Issues:
Has black and white
colour schemes with
large bold fonts
Pop Issues:
Has bright and lively
colour schemes, with fun
uses of mise-en-scene

7. Billboard’s brand identity is represented as
entertaining and up-lifting, with a positive vibe.
This is implied through a normal use of:
• Happy Celebrity Faces – which connote an
inviting and friendly feel to the magazine
• Bright Colours – which add life to the cover
and make it appear eye-catching and
enjoyable to view
• Sans Serif Fonts – which connote a youthful
atmosphere to the cover, showing Billboard
is up-to-date and representing modernity
• Colloquial Language – which creates an
informal vibe to the brand identity, showing
Billboard is a very relatable magazine, who
understands their target audience’s
psychographics and demographics and
knows how to appeal to them

8. Mise-En-Scene
Quirky, fun and bright uses of
clothing and props have been used
on this Billboard cover to reflect
the positive tone, liveliness and
eccentric sound of pop genre. Also,
the use of black on the artist’s
costume and hair signifies class and
sophistication, showing she is a
powerful and influential pop genre
music artist.
Lighting
High-key lighting has been used
through-out this image, so that the
cover appears very fresh, clean and
eye-catching. This way, the music
artist’s face is extremely emphasised,
high-lighted and eye-grabbing to
readers. The high-key lighting also
contrasts with the light pink colour
scheme, to give a relaxing tone.
Camerawork
Many music magazine front covers
have mid-shots or close-ups of the
featured celebrity. This is so that
they are clearly the main focus of
the cover and so their costumes,
props, makeup, face, hair and body
language is all fully on display.