History of Billboard magazine front covers 2009-2012

Billboard magazine 2009-2012

                                        

2009 Billboard magazine front cover. The masthead is "Billboard" and is behind Lady Gaga as it is a big magazine company everyone knows what it is, it doesn't have to be clear and stand out - there are a blue and yellow colour in the Billboard masthead to add a bit of colour. All the writing is in sans serif so it basic and easy to read. The background colours are grey and black which makes the main image of Lady Gaga stand out. Lady gaga is placed directly in the middle of the magazine in order for the main focus to be on her. Her hair is the brightest colour on the magazine so she stands out so she is the focus of the magazine.

                                         

2010 Billboard magazine front cover. The masthead would be "Billboard" and is big and bold with different colours on it to stand out. Not a lot of colours were used on magazine covers in these years and below as it was expensive for the company to print in colour, this is why the main image of Drake is a black and white image as it cost the company less money to produce. All the writing is in sans serif which seems to be a reoccurring idea in this magazine so far. However the main attention is on Drake as it has his name in larger writing with a little bit about him, the main image is of him in order for the main attention to be on him. In contrast to the front cover of Lady Gaga the masthead is in front of Drake which implies he is not as known as Lady gaga as the masthead is behind her. Drake is a new Hip-Hop rapper and is not well known so needs the masthead of the big company to be over his head to attract attention to him to expand his audience. 

2011 Billboard magazine front cover. It is in this year where a lot of colour is now used in the magazine, in the years below they mainly used black and grey with no bright colours due to the expenses of them. By bringing colour into their magazine it now looks bolder and brighter and more appealing to the audience. Black and grey are not used on this magazine cover at all which makes it look like the whole company has had an image change. The masthead is still "Billboard" and the use of colour in the masthead is still the same to add consistency to the magazine. The writing is in sans serif mainly in a small font but in a larger font serif writing is used to attract attention to the swirls and what it is saying. The main image is of Beyonce and unlike previous front covers she is not looking straight into the camera and is placed at a different angle, although at a different angle she is still the focus of the   front cover as she draws you in with her eyes.

2012 Billboard magazine front cover. Images of the celebrities are always the size of the magazine so we can denotate that the image is roughly the size of A4. Like the 2009 front cover of Lady Gaga, Adele is also in front of the masthead which shows her big status and that she herself is bigger than the magazine so is the main focus. Drake and Beyonce were behind the masthead which implies they were new coming artists who needed the magazine masthead to gain attention. Unlike other front covers, the writing in this one is mainly serif with a lot of swirls and colours included. Although there is a lot of detail on this front cover, Adele is still the main focus as she stands out as she is looking directly into the camera lense which instantly draws your attention to her. From 2009 to 2012 we can see how Billboard magazine has developed over a period of years in their front covers from the use of colours they use as well as the artists they use on their front covers.

Music magazine analysis

Music magazine analysis 

Research and annotations of contents pages and double page spreads 

   

        

I have analyzed a range of music magazine contents pages and double page spreads from various genres which all include the main codes and conventions to make a successful music magazine. I have looked at their layout, colour schemes, images, content, fonts and the target audience of each magazine. 

In NME's double page spread as seen below, they use one main image to do with the story on one side which is A4 and takes up a whole page, on the other page is the story accompanied by a large serif font of the title. The image being A4 is for the image to stand out to the reader therefore would want to read the article. 

Whereas in this issue of Vibe magazine, it contains a series of small black and white images which go across the double page with a larger image on one page of the artist, who other than her name in the article is the only bit of colour on the double page, which makes her the center of attention. Around her is text, although a lot of text she is still the main focus. 

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Contents page research

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Contents pages are used in order to give a snippet of what is available to read inside the magazine. If the descriptions are detailed and interesting this excites the reader into reading the actual article. The page numbers are clear to read to ensure navigating around the magazine is easy for the reader.

Behind the artist, Kanye West, there is a large outstanding "V" as the logo to show this is part of "Vibe" magazine. It is apparent that it is the contents page as it is on the right hand side in a big, black, bold, sans serif font making it easy for the reader. The colour scheme of the contents page is black and white with a hint of red from the heart being pressed onto Kanye's heart, which adds a splash of colour onto the contents page. The contents page is simple and tells you the articles involved in the magazine and gives you a page number of where to find them. There are also sub sections such as Features and Fashion, which makes navigating around the magazine easier for the reader.

Contents page #2

From my research, it is clear that the layout is similar in every issue creating from this magazine. From the previous research into this magazine it is clear that in every issue I have studied "NME this week" is a consistent part of the contents pages. The colour schemes and layout are consistent to make the magazine well known and distinguished by the way it is set out, the layout is formed into simple sections which is easy and simple for the reader to navigate around. The colour scheme used is the usual red, white and black, white being the background, this is a successful part of the magazine as due to a result of this the colour used stands out against the white background. A part of the text which is not to do with the contents page and is about subscribing to the magazine, is done in a bold yellow and white font so it grabs the attention of the audience as it is the only different colour on the contents page therefore stands out.

The lead article on this contents page is sectioned out to be in the center of the page, this is in order to stand out and to be the main focus, it is a big story therefore by placing it in the center automatically attract attention fully. The article is one which is very much involved with the genre of the magazine and the target audience therefore this is a story they would be interested in. It clearly states which page it is on for their target audience to read.

The overall look of NME's contents page is quite professional from the layout to the limited palette of colours used which is consistent in every magazine the company creates.

By analyzing double page spreads and contents pages I now know what layout and content I will use. My main story will be of a new album for an already known artist who will be announcing the new album. The layout I will use will be like the double page spreads I  have analyzed where there is  the article, title and quotes on one side of the page followed by the image of my artist in large on the other page. By analyzing other music magazines this will help me when creating my own as I can see all the aspects I would need to include in order to make a successful magazine in the music industry.

Magazines in stores

Music Magazines in stores

To make a music magazine successful it has to have good advertisement, so the audience know about the magazine and if it appeals to them they are more likely to buy it. The genre of the magazine, context and the front cover also makes a music magazine successful  the audience will buy the magazine if they see their favorite music artist on the front page, so if magazines change the artist and genre each week on the front pages they are more likely to have a wider audience as it appeals to various people.

Dedicated customers is the main aspect which makes a magazine successful so they will keep buying the magazine every week/month.

Other factors such as layout, a powerful story, content, design, marketing, the material used inside, accompanied by a compelling image appeal to the demographic as these are all aspects which need to be included in order to make a music magazine successful.

To make a music magazine stand out from the rest, you need to use a catchy masthead which stands out from other magazines, inside stories need to be more appealing and worth reading, powerful typography will also persuade the reader to buy the magazine. On the front cover there needs to be a good contrast of colours to make the important factors of the page stand out to the customers. The position of the artists on the front page are also important to be more appealing, and by using new upcoming or popular artists will also be eye catching for the customers as its someone they do not know. A good genre of music and using artists that create good music will make the magazine stand out, rather than using artists which are not popular within the music industry.

There are various types of genres within music magazines such as, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock, Metal, Dance, Indie, Classical and Reggae. For my chosen genre for my magazine I have chosen Hip Hop R&B, this is a genre of magazine which is most appealing to customers and will ultimately sell. The general public are fans of this genre and will be more interested in my chosen genre than any other genre that is available e.g. BillBoard magazine is a popular choice of magazine within customers therefore my magazine will be inspired by BillBoard magazine are will be targeted at the 18-25 age range. My target audience will be for those who are interested in the latest fashion, gossip and who are interested in the R&B, Hip Hop vibe.

I believe it is important for other forms of media such as radio to play the music of artists seen on the covers of music magazines as well as for television to play their music videos, this promotes their music as well as making them recognizable to not only their music but the image of them on the cover of a magazine. 

When going into shops to look at music magazines it is apparent that they are situated on a shelf which is eye level with anyone in the shop, and are the first magazines which your attention is attracted to. By going into stores and taking pictures of music magazines helped my planning of my own music magazine as I could see the similarities and differences between the magazines and the codes and conventions I need to make sure to include in my own work in order to make a successful and professional looking music magazine.

Research summary

Research summary

My research has overall helped me to create a concept for my magazine. From researching the layout and content of magazines out in the market now, I have thought of how I am going to present my magazine in layout form and the main story I am going to write about.
By researching it has also helped me think of what genre my magazine will be based around, the main colours I will use, my target audience and the codes and conventions of a magazine which I need to make sure I include.


From observing other music magazines it gives you an insight of how to do your own, I have picked my genre as being R&B Hip Hop where I have chosen the masthead to be 'Swerve' as it is a cool, relaxed name with interlinks with the genre of my magazine, also the fonts I have used are suitable for the genre of my magazine and my target audience.
I have looked at the colours which are used and in Billboard and Vibe magazine - they are usually quite bright colours which makes it more appealing, so I will use a range of bright colours as well as some darker colours throughout my magazine to make certain parts stand out from the rest e.g a bright pink accompanied with a dark grey.


The main part of research which has helped me the most would have been looking at the layout of magazines, I looked at various types of magazines such as Billboard magazine, NME and Q magazine and seen the type of layout they use and how they make their magazines stand out from the rest.
The thorough researched I have done has helped my create my concept for my magazine as well as my actual magazine. I have got an insight to how a magazine is put together and all the things which I would need to include in order to create a successful magazine.