Codes and Conventions of music magazines: Front Covers

Masthead

Top left alignedCompletely across or top left if short.Big unique fontMain image can cover title if well known.

We can see here ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine is well known enough to have Amy Winehouse covering their masthead.

Images.One main image – well known person e.i band, celebrity.Direct eye address used at audience to engage them (this is what sells the magazine.).Mid shot or a close up is used, or longer shots if the image is a band..The images are mainly posed with a clear background, you will not find text over the facial aspect of the image.

Longer shot is used as The Vaccines are a band.

Colour Scheme

• 3 or 4 colours maximum to make it simple.• Primary colours are more popular within

music magazines as they do not contrast/clash with one another.

Text: Coverlines• Quite ambiguous on purpose to draw audience in.• Always written in capitals to grab attention.• Same font, bold and simple.• These then frame the main image on the magazine.• 5 or 6 coverlines maximum.

• MAIN COVERLINE: anchors main image and is larger font than other coverlines.

SUBLINESGive more information to the coverlines, although do not always give the story away.

Text

• Smaller subsidiary images are used to link to other stories inside magazine or other coverlines.

• Fonts: Sans Serif (plain font)• Times New Roman or Arial.