To understand the codes and conventions of a music magazine, I have analysed the cover of Q magazine. The main feature in this magazine is an interview with the lead singer of the band Coldplay, Chris Martin.
Representation of Image
The central image is a close up shot of Chris Martin's face. His facial expression shows that he is very interesting and outgoing, this is shown by his mouth being wide-open, his head is tilted back and his eyes are squited which makes it seem as if he is shouting. His hair is cut short which suggests that he is quite clean cut, however his facial hair contradicts this as it makes him look quite scruffy and makes him seem quite rebellious as he feels he doesn't always have to look his best. Also in the photo we can just see the top of his clothes, he seems to be wearing a black shirt which makes him look quite smart and sophisticated.
Font, Text and Language
The main headline is just the name of the band, Coldplay, this shows that the band is the most important part of the magazine. This headline is written in bold, capital letters and the font seems to get larger towards the end of the word, this makes it seem as if he is shouting as it is written across his open mouth. The caption underneath the main headline uses the word 'barking' in capital letters and an exclamation mark is used to emphasize the word, this also links to the fact that he is shouting.
Dotted around the page is quotes from the interview, this gives the reader a sneak preview of the interview and makes them want to find out more. The quotes that are used are all personal issues that the artist has had to go through including 'I thought I was gay' which was obviously a very personal matter for the artist which makes the interview seem like he is opening up exclusively for this magazine.
At the top of the page is a cover line saying 'Glastonbury: 8 page special' this is also written in capital letters which suggests that it is another important part of the magazineand the word 'Glastonbury' is written in red to make it seem more important.
Colour
The colour scheme for this magazine is very plain, the main colours used are black, white and beige, there is also the 'Q' logo which has a red background and some of the other text is also written in red.
The connotation of these colours are:
Black - style, rebellion. This is to show that the artists featured in this magazine and the readers are quite rebellious but also make this seem stylish.
White - simplicity, cleanliness. This shows that the artists are very clean cut and that there is no profanity featured in the magazine.
Beige - simplicity, tradition. This also links back to the simple theme and it shows that the artist's music is seen as 'traditonal' which suggests that it is very well known and popular.
Red - energy, excitement. The colour red is used to show that as well as being quite simple the artist is also very exciting and interesting. Red is also very good for attracting attention to the magazine.
Layout
The masthead is located at the top left of the magazine cover. This is because it is the most important part of the magazine as it shows people what magazine it is. The central image is only slightly overlapping the masthead, this suggests that the magazine is already very well-known so the name would be recognised even if part was covered up.
The headline is written across the centre of the page which shows that this is also a very important part of the magazine.
The quotes from the interview are all scattered randomly across the page, this has been done to suggest that the artist himself is quite random and unpredictable.
Under the masthead is the date and price of the magazine. This is because they don't want the price to be one of the first things the readers see, they want the readers to have a chance to read the front cover before thay see the price.
Mis en scene
The lighting used is shined on the front of the artists face to make him seem illuminated and shows he has nothing to hide, also there are no props in this photo which suggests that the artist does not anything to make him more interesting.
Genre
The genre of this magazine is very general, including evidence of both pop and rock genres. However, this issue focus' on the alternative rock/ indie genre. This is shown through the artists facial expression which suggests that he is loud and rebellious which has been linked to sub-genres of rock because of the traditional rock and roll attitude.
Target Audience
The target audience for this issue of the mgazine, and the magazine in general, is young adults/teenagers. This is shown mainly through the main image as the facial expression of the artist suggests that he is quite rebellious and loud which teenagers can relate to as they are normally full of energy and get bored easily. Also the band members themselves are quite young which makes the magazine seem more personal to its readers as they can relate to the band because they are in the same generation.
The text used also is used to attract it's target audience, an example would be where it says 'Glastonbury' at the top. This is used as the main audience for Glastonbury and other music festivals is young adults, the same audience as the magazine which means that by seeing that there is a feature about a music festival, this may convince someone to buy the magazine. Also the target audience may be able to relate to some of the quotes taken from the interview in the main feature. This is shown by the quotes 'I thought I was gay' and 'I only lost my virginity two years ago' as many young people can relate to these situations which means that they may be persuaded to buy the magazine as they can relate to the artist.
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