Magazine Comparison Lesson 1

We began our project by comparing the difference between set magazines. We Chose "mixmag" magazine and "NME". These two magazines are fairly different however if i had chosen "record collector" or "Gramophone" i would have found more differences, in layout and information more easily. I am aware now as a student different magazines have different forms and convetions because each magazine varies in target audience.

Title Mixmag
Genre of music Dance, techno, trance, house
Audience (demographic and lifestyle) Young adults who enjoy partying / clubbing in various destinations across the globe such as Ibiza, Includes brief update of tech.
Form and Conventions: Cover Masthead at the top of the page in sans serif font, emphasis on youth. Main sell is Ibiza in different font to the headline. Freebie includes a free CD. Series of cover lines promoting what is in the magazine helping attract audience.
Screamer of music madness, Money sums up what the magazine contains.
The model used is in a Medium shot, wearing same outfit as readers of this magazine would. Colour scheme is lemon yellow and blue. This helps connote a sunny environment which is associated with such locations as Ibiza.
Form and Conventions: Contents Page Main sell is pictured as a medium close up, This is the largest image on page helping emphasize its importance to this issue.
Many cover lines with strap lines which helps the reader establish what else is in the issue giving them further reason to purchase the magazine. The colour scheme has turned to a darker tone, with black clashing heavily to the bright yellow. This helps connote the more evening party life that this magazine features.

Types of cover spread in magazine Series of interviews, reviews, double spreads Many advertisements
Form and Conventions: Double Spread Rogues gallery – Series of competing outfits.
Label mountain – series of different music labels.
The big 3, Big parties.

Publisher Development Hell Ltd




Title NME
Genre of music Indie
Audience (demographic and lifestyle) Aspirers, radicals, the audience could be of any age, interested in a mix of genres of music.
Form and Conventions: Cover Layered photo revealing several distinctive artists from many well known bands. Colour scheme of red, white and black and gold. Pyramid build up of all the artists with Oasis the most famous in the largest font. This offers wider artists choice for readers. Individual screamer is used. By having only one screamer the magazine emphasizes this feature. Quite a informal, basic layout which people who buy this magazine can relate with.


Form and Conventions: Contents Page Colour scheme of black red and white linking with the cover and NME’s logo. These choices of colours also reflect on the genre. Red is an upbeat vibrant colour and the black and white clashes with this in a sinister manner. There is a advert for the subscription to this magazine on the bottom left corner of the page. Band index which is neatly tucked into the left side of the page. This is away from the main story but also is short cut for people who bought the magazine for a specific purpose/band.
In contrast, the introduction to the magazine is placed on the right side of the page. (serif font)
This leaves the main sells to be placed in the middle with images of the articles which shows their importance and the fact they are the main selling point to this magazine.

Types of double spread in magazine Top gear available of stuff “they love”
Series of interviews and images with the hot bands of 2008
The photo yearbook of 2008
Form and Conventions: Double Spread Double page I have chosen is the interview from The Last Shadow Puppets. The font is Large helping signify this chapter’s importance. The red white black clash of fonts is re-used. Serif font is used under the title, helps relate to the audience. Cooler font which is less informal, than other fonts.
Publisher NME

I think we did this task to help our understanding of the different genres of music magazines and for research into their content. This also helps our selection process of what genre we can focus on for our magazine.