Analysis of Music Magazine Double Page Spreads

Below is my analysis of two double page spreads from two separate music magazines:

To conclude I have learnt that:

• The colour red is again important and should probably be used in my article. 
• A stand first is vital to provide an easy entry point into the body text for the reader. 
• White text on a coloured background is once again very effective. 
• A sidebar adds variety to the article and also acts as an entry point. 

Analysis of Music Magazine Contents Pages

I analysed two contents pages to give me a good knowledge for when designing my own pages. The two contents pages are below, with the first being from a magazine with only one contents page and the second with two. (Click to enlarge)

Key learning point: Using two pages for the contents section makes for a much more spaced, attractive layout with also more information- I should use two for my own work. It's also important to have a continuation from the cover, whether this be the colour scheme, fonts or logos. I should employ at least one of these in my pages. A variety of shot types have also been employed to make the page more interesting, which again I should replicate in my own individual work. 

Exploring a Feature Article

Following analysis of a feature article from Kerrang, I recognise the key conventions to be -

Side bar

Pull quote – interesting and dramatic

Subheadings

Layout – Columns – conventional?

Body text

Images – key image, m-e-s reflects journalistic slant of article

                - additional smaller image

Intertextual references – refer to other bands or musicians to connect audience

Stand first – opening sentence that summaries content

Headline – catchy / wordplay

Captions to anchor image

Often jumps back to journalistic pros- though still embedded quotes – present tense?

I then mocked up my own title for the same article:

'MCCRACKEN MAKES MAD MUSIC' - With the extensive alliteration creating connotations of insanity and also being catchy and rhythmic to read. 

I then created my own stand first to go with it:

'Insane new album ‘Lies for the Liars’ by The Used injected with honesty, exclusive interview below.'

- I carried on with the semantic field of insanity by actually using the word and introducing a paradox, with honest lies. 

I then used these skills to analyse a two page feature article, shown below:

Final learning point: I should include a range of the key conventions stated above to create a convincing and intriguing feature article which could slot easily into the Kerrang music genre of rock punk. 

Analysis of Music Magazine Front Covers

Below is my analysis of the front cover of music magazines 'mixmag' and 'Q'.
The key learning point is...

In summary I have learnt that's its extremely important to have a clear masthead to give the magazine identity, and this can be executed effectively by using white on a coloured background- this is something I should include in my work. Something I also wish to use in my cover is the choice of red, as this clearly stands out of the black and white and would be very eye catching on the shelf.