Analysis of Front Covers

Analysing a music magazine cover

Here I am going to analyse a few covers of music magazines that are current today. By doing this I will be able to get an idea of what I need to include in the magazine I create and what the conventions of a front cover are.

NME MAGAZINE

Colour Palette

The one thing that stands out to me the most when I look at this magazine cover is the bright red that is used all over the page. With NME’s logo being red they usually continue using that colour with the text on the page. I think this makes the cover look packed with bright headlines and information that makes the reader want to buy the magazine to follow the stories that are inside.

Also white text has been used which is also another colour that stands out against the darker image placed behind.

Image

The image used is a simple shot of the band members back to back. I think this image shows the laid back attitude of the band and also the magazine. The image also has a dark contrast, which portrays the type of music they make, for example if a pop artist was on the cover the colour palette would probably be more bright and refreshing like their music. Also the darkness make the text on the cover stand out a lot more.

Logo

The NME logo is featured on every cover of the magazine as usual. It is a big and bold type of font that stands out to the reader so that you notice it instantly when it is on the shelf.

Other features

I like the use of the banner at the top of the cover that sits behind the logo. This highlights another important part in the magazine that may grab the readers attention as well as the big, bold text that is in the middle of the cover that gives information about the featured band.

I must include a bar code in the corner of the cover that I will create and also a price and date. This will make it look authentic and is a typical convention of a front cover.

Also the cover includes certain words that grab the readers attention, for example “first major interview” and “shock new album.” These words exaggerate and make the reader want to buy the magazine so they don’t feel as if they are missing out on any news.

ELLE MAGAZINE

Image

I chose to analyse the cover of this magazine because I like the use of three images of the same cover girl on the page. I think this is quite different from the typical set out of a magazine cover and makes it look a lot more eye catching and interesting. I think that this use of three images would look good on the cover of my magazine.

The model isn’t wearing clothes that have too many accessories or make the image look too much on the page, which is why I think it works well. Also the text on this front cover is very simple compared to the NME front cover. I do like this style however I don’t think it would apply to my magazine as I need to follow the typical conventions of music magazine not a fashion magazine like this one.

Logo

Again the logo is big and stands out on the page, this one actually spreads across the page which make

s it look at lot more dramatic. I also like how logo is placed in front of the image yet we can still see all of the shot.

Colour Palette

The colours used on this front cover are very simple, black and white and the clothes of the cover girl also apply to this. I think this makes the magazine look very chic and elegant. However I think that the magazine cover that I create will have more colours used on it to make it look like a current music magazine and also so that people recognise it is a music magazine, not a fashion magazine.

CLASH MAGAZINE

Colour Palette

The colours used on this music magazine are different to the NME magazine that I have analysed. For starters the background includes pink, a very bright and feminine colour to link with the featured artists, Duffy. The bright white font is eye catching and clear to read.

Logo

Again the bright white font is used in the logo which makes it stand out against the background. The font is quite soft and feminine which reflects the feel of the magazine. The banner at the top ‘BEST IN MUSIC AND FASHION’ also represents this. This shows that the magazine is mainly aimed at women and that’s why the colours and female feature artist have been chosen.

Image

The image used reflects what the featured artist does (sings) with the microphone and her facial expression.