Music Magazine Conventions

The general conventions of music magazines. 

On the Cover of all music magazines, regardless of what genre it is have an image or logo header which is usually found at the top of the page; it must be suitable for the genre and target audience. The colours used are also extremely important as it has to appeal to the audience by standing out from other magazines and catching their eye; they have to reflect the genre of the magazine. The fonts must be eye catching and vary so that the magazine appeals to the audience; these have to reflect the genre of the magazine.

Also the Mode of Address is very important as it is how the text communicates and forms a 'relationship' with your target audience. It is most common for direct address to be used where the main star looks out directly out of the magazine, to the audience. However indirect address can be used and even though it has been used on covers before , it isn't the norm. The shot of the star is usually a medium shot. The Mode of Address is also about how the magazine addresses the audience; this is generally direct and informal, using 'you'.

All magazines have stars and celebrities on their covers to sell their product and make money. These stars are admired by the audience and relate to the genre of the magazine.

There are also other conventions including straplines, a leading caption and subheadings; all of these are located on the cover. 

The Contents Page of a music magazine needs to be have bright, eye catching colours to keep the reader interested.

The images on the contents page usually dominate the page; these images have a number on them to allow the reader to graze through what they think might appeal to them without having to look through the entire contents or flick through every page. It is popular to use direct address in all of the images.

The title/header appears on every single page; usually at the top.

There is obviously a list of contents; usually split up into different topic areas.

The Feature Article of a music magazine has headlines and subheadings; this is to quickly explain to the audience what the article is about and catch their interest. Usually these are based on the artists new album or tour. 

Images dominate the feature article and there is always one large image surrounded by smaller images. These are generally set in different locations.

The style of writing depends entirely on the audience but it is always clear and easy to follow and also directed at the audience.

There are also text grabs which are there to to encourage the audience to read the article; they are generally controversal,  funny or even rude. Text grabs split the columns up in the article up so it doesn't look so long and daunting.