Magazine Cover Composition

To comprise my front cover, I shall plan out the layout for my Music Magazine. Firstly I need to decide the size of my logo based on the size of my front cover cover image. From my research, I have noted that the main image of the magazine normally takes up around three quarters of the main page. Therefore, I shall make the image to this size, even if this means editing, or removing a section of the main image. Using this size as my base, the logo shall be at least half the length of the page, and it shall be of a similar width.

The next thing I have noticed is that the main cover tends to have cover lines, which take up one side, and in the case of my magazine, it shall be down the left hand side of the page. These shall be fairly generic cover lines, such as advertisements for other artists and competitions. 

I shall also have a cover line, linking to my cover photo, to introduce the cover artist. Once again, this shall be inspired by the other magazines I have looked at, and will vocalize my artist's feeling toward stardom, and how they got where they did. This will also be reflected in my double page spread, and the story I shall create.

Next, I have to consider the positioning of my barcode, and my issue number shall go. I shall be placing them in the bottom left hand corner of the page, as not to interfere with my cover lines. I shall only have this in the bottom corner, as not to interfere with the rest of my cover.

Now, I have to decide weather or not I want to have my title over my main image, or to have it under it. I feel that I should have the title over the magazine, as the magazine is a one off, and thus the tittle wouldn't be instantly recognizable, compared to others.

Lastly, I have to decide what colour, or house style I should utilize. Due to the nature of my magazine, and the audience it is aimed at, I shall utilize a dark red, and black style, as they seem to be the colours that woulds suit my magazine.

How are artists normally portrayed on the front of Music Magazines?

Artists are portrayed in a myriad of ways on front covers. Some have Artists face the camera, showing specific emotions, such as shock or happiness, where as others show a specific body pose, and certain body language. To help me understand what constitutes a good front cover picture, I shall look over previous magazines and work out what kind of photo will allow me to access or attain a high grade.

Kerrang!

Firstly, I shall look at the magazine Kerrang!, which is one of the most readily available music magazines in the UK. The issue I have chosen to look at shows the lead singer of the band Paramore turned slightly to her right, holding a photograph of herself. The clothing that is being worn is very simple, though that is more to do with the style of the artist rather than the style of the magazine.

The body language is closed, with her arms being drawn across her chest, to hold the photo next to her face. She has her head turned to one side, and is displaying a look of disgust, and or shock to the reader. Whilst I will not be utilizing a story such as the one featured on the front of this issue of Kerrang!, I might utilize something to do with another photo, as this seems to stand out above everything else on the page, even though there are larger, and more obvious pictures on the front cover.



NME

On the front cover of this NME magazine, the main image is of the lead singer of the band Oasis. His is directly facing the camera, with his head turned slightly to one side. His body posture is very open, and his hands are out in front of him, holding a cup of tea.

The reader's eye is drawn to his face straight away, as it contrasts well with the deep crimson coloured background. He is also wearing a white suit, which is of the same colour as the tea cup, which makes the central image stand out even more. There is also a crimson ring, the same colour as the background located on the right hand.

The main picture only has to contend with a few other smaller photos for the reader's attention. The contrast in colours is something I shall try to take into consideration when I am taking my photographs. I shall only use small photographs to promote additional stories on my front cover.

On the front cover of this NME magazine is the artist known as Mia. The main image is of Mia, sitting down, with her hair blowing back, whilst she is smoking a cigarette.

Her gaze is almost looking down on the reader, as if to show a look of either disapproval, or disgust, which links well into the magazine's main story. Her body is slightly hunched over, which reinforces the idea of disapproval, and suggests to the reader a look of defeat, or futility, once again relating back to the main story of the magazine.

The clothing is a union jack style dress, with a denim jacket over the top. This plain coloured jacket draws the reader's eye to her face, so I shall attempt to utilize a plain colour,as to make my artist's face stand out. I shall also attempt to use pale lighting, as that is utilized in this magazine to good effect.


Q

Here is the front cover of the magazine Q. The artist featured on the front is Matt Bellamy from the band Muse. I really like this front cover, as it seems to be drastically different to all the other covers I have looked at.

The main image, which takes up nearly the entire cover, is of Matt Bellamy smashing the Q logo with his guitar. He isn't looking at the camera, but instead at the logo of the magazine. His body is bent over, as he is finishing swinging his guitar round.

He is wearing a black jacket, which is covered in red lines/linings. This, once again, is more to do with the style of the artist rather than that of the magazine. The look on his face appears to be one of either intense concentration, or one of anger, which would explain why the logo has been smashed.

The background is also fairly plain, which is something I shall take into consideration when taking my photos, for my magazine. I shall also, as with Q and NME, give my artists a unique style, that makes them stand out, like the jacket in this picture.

BBC Music Magazine

Here is the front cover of an issue of the BBC Music Magazine. The artist featured on the front is Sarah Chang. I am not particularly fond of this cover, as it the colouring is too plain for my liking.

Her gaze is directed at the reader, or as though she is looking off into the distance. She is wearing bright colours, which do contrast well with the background, as it is rather plain. She is also holding a violin, which relates to her music.

There are also very few other photographs on the front cover, which doesn't distract from the main image. This is the only thing that I find to be to my liking about this cover, although it is also a feature of a number of other magazines, so it isn't unique to this magazine.

Magazine Analysis 2: Classical music

General

• BBC Music Magazine, is published by BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC.
• The target audience are fans of classical music, with sections focused on Jazz, and world music.
• BBC Music Magazine costs £4.99 per issue.
• BBC Music Magazine is a monthly publication. 
• BBC Music Magazine has a circulation of 47,104.

The Cover

• The Magazine was titled as it is, as it is a music magazine, which is published by the BBC, and as all BBC intellectual property is titled with the prefix BBC, which is the brand identity, and the company only has to add the suffix of the chosen object, in this case music, as it is a music magazine.

• The title, or logo is the word 'Music' at the very top of the page. The letters 'M', and 'I' are both in a strong serif font, whereas the other letters appear to have a less formal font. This draws the reader's eye to the 'us' section of the title, as it stands out being surrounded by the formal font shape. The 'U''S' and 'C' all also look like writing found on a music score sheet, so the reader could interpret the title as the kind of writing you could find on sheet music. This cleverly appeals to a niche audience, as this style of text can be equated with the genre of music being advertised.

• The main image is of the late Sir Georg Solti. His gaze is directed at the reader, which is designed to make the reader feel as involved in the photo as possible. The facial expression shows that of contentment, or reflection, which intrigues the reader further, luring them in to buy the magazine. Sir Georg Solti has his hands clasped together, resting on the side of his head. This is a very relaxed gesture, which reinforces the idea of contentment in the photograph. The clothes being worn are a dark coloured shirt, which contrasts with the bright gold and white text surrounding the picture, which allows the magazine to stand out from other magazines. 

• The only other image that appears on the front cover is a graphic of the CD that comes free with the magazine. This is placed where the CD would go for sale, and is only visible after the removal of said CD. This is to allow the reader to know instantly if their CD has gone missing, and to know what to look for before buying, in case the CD has been stolen. The picture itself is incredibly small, as not to draw the reader's eye from the main image.

• The content promoted by the coverlines, designed to lure the audience in, includes a celebration to the life and times of Sir Georg Solti, the other artists who are featured in the magazine (Chick Corea, Richard Morrison etc), and a large section of blocking, which states other key articles that are featured in this particular issue. This is one to draw the reader's attention to what is in the magazine, and hopefully convince them to buy it. 

• The type face utilized by the magazine to promote the coverlines are all formal, which are sans serif. The only one that breaks this rule is the headline promotion of Sir Georg Solti, which is written in a more elegant font, designed with a hand written quality. The other way that this differs from the other coverlines is that it is written in gold, suggesting its importance to the magazine, or the fact that it is the magazine's main story. The rest of the text is written in white, to contrast with the darkness of the background, and to make it stand out. There is a
• lso some darker coloured fonts over the golden coverlines on the right hand side of the page, but these are only titles of the stories, which are designed to draw the reader's attention to the stories below.

• The cover's mode of address is a very formal tone. The language used to entice the reader include words such as 'Exhilarating', and 'Conducting Legend'. These words/phrases evoke certain emotions from the reader, such as excitement, and anticipation. Other cover lines utilize words such as 'Harrowing', and 'Tortured'. These are also used to evoke sadness and empathy from the reader, and also rouse their curiosity in such a way so that they buy the magazine. Compared to a magazine such as Kerrang! the language used is formal, and seems to pull the reader in by stirring more emotion in the reader, whereas Kerrang! is designed to pull the reader in by making use of various fonts, and the promise of exclusive news, than is offered on the cover of the BBC Music Magazine.   

• The magazine title looks unique. For one, the text on the page isn't overwhelming, as it was with Kerrang! and the photograph is placed behind the text, as opposed to in front of it, which is a feature used in other music magazines. The text is all in line, with it all straight, par one advertisement for BBC Radio 3 in the top right hand corner. This helps to create a very neat layout, which other magazines, particularly rock magazines don't have.  The colour of the main picture of the magazine is dark, whereas most magazines prefer bright colours to draw the reader's attention. However, the subtlety of this magazine definitely makes it stand out.

• The only other thing that is distinctive about this magazine's format is a flaked effect toward the bottom of the page, where several areas, particularly behind the cover lines on the right hand side of the page, have small, white shapes around the photo. The fact that this is prominent in two areas suggest that is is not a printing error, but in fact another way of enhancing the cover image. Additionally, the BBC Radio 3 advertorial looks like it comes from another magazine, which makes it stand out.

Research: Magazine Analysis

 General

•    The magazine Kerrang! is produced by the Bauer Media Group, a company owned privately by the Bauer family, since 1875.
•   The target audience for the magazine are fans of the British Heavy Metal, and Hard Rock.
•    Kerrang! costs £2.20 per issue.
•    Kerrang! is a weekly publication.
•    Kerrang! has a circulation of 42,077.

The Cover

• The Title/Masthead of the magazine is Kerrang!. It is named after the onomatopoeic sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar. The exclamation mark at the end suggests loud music. 

• The logo is distorted text, which looks like a reverberation of a sound-wave, creating a line of text. It also also covered partly by the main photo, suggesting a messy, unkempt style. It could also been seen as broken, as the title has lines suggesting it has been broken up.  

• The main graphic is of the lead singer of the band 'Paramore', holding a photo of herself, eating raw meat. The facial expression shows a look of disgust, and shock toward the photo of herself. The gaze is at the reader, as if to involve them in the shock. The body language is very closed, to further the idea of shock. The clothing is also fairly plain, which is utilized to draw the reader's eye to the face of the singer. This draws the reader in, as they feel as though they are part of the story. 

• The other images that appear on the cover are other embarrassing photos of other bands, as they are all part of the main story in the magazine. There are also photo advertisements for competitions, and free posters in the magazine.

• The content promoted by the cover lines are sets of free posters, an interview with 'Twin Atlantic', and the other artists featuring in the magazine, including 'Nickelback, Led Zeppelin, Nightwish, Muse, Tonight Alive and Huntress.'  

• The typeface utilized give the magazine a strong appearance, like the music behind it. The main title is a very edgy, Sans-Serif font, with a large exclamation mark at the end of it. The text is all in capital letters, suggesting the loudness of the title. The majority of the text on the cover is also capital, with blocking behind it. These are all either Red, Black or White text, which is accentuated by the blocking. The other style of text can be equated to a graffiti-like text, which insinuates an informal style of text. It is used at the bottom of the main story, to involve the reader in the story, and to make the story seem to have a more personal touch. The vast majority of the pictures feature the artists looking toward the reader, which draws the reader in, and makes them feel part of the story.

• The mode of address utilized in Kerrang! has an informal quality to it. The language is similar to the way people would spread a story by word of mouth. The main story also utilizes the second person, making regular references to the word "You". The text in the centre of the page also has a warn quality to it, suggesting the age of the photos that are the focus of the story, and how the artists thought they had been forgotten, or lost.

• The cover of Kerrang! is distinctive, and unique, as no other magazine uses such a layout. It has a very busy cover with a lot of different elements for the reader to look at. There is a great number of photos, and a wide range of text, spread unevenly throughout the cover, which is an uncommon feature on any magazine. Kerrang! also offers a large number of competitions on the front cover, which most magazines don't offer. 

• The front cover of Kerrang! also contains a number of quotes from artists below their respective pictures, however, this isn't a fully unique feature, as many other magazines utilize such a feature.