Above is the typical layout of an NME magazine contents page. The masthead is featured at the top of this page in the same font and colour as it is on the front cover. This creates a sense of structure and individuality as no other magazine would be able to feature this masthead at the top. Moreover, the masthead is not central to the whole page due to the inclusion of a band index down the left hand side. The incorporation of a band index allows the reader to choose a band they are interested in and read about them as the relevant page number is featured beside them. This is a very clever and useful tool to include as it means that the reader does not have to skim through the magazine looking for an article which they would enjoy. A further interesting element is the fact that it states 'This week' with the issue date beneath. This informs the reader of whether the stories and information they are reading are recent and therefore still relevant. As well as this, issue dates are important for those who collect their magazines as they would more than likely want to keep them in chronological order. Furthermore, the contrasting black background causes the masthead and subtitles to stand out as well as creating a simplistic and organised feel.
This contents page features 2 images relevant to this issue of the magazine which has text indented into it. This creates the impression that this magazine is aimed towards people who enjoy the informative side of music and like to learn about bands and artists rather than just listening to the music and enjoying images of their performances. This impression is created as the way in which the text takes over the image as this implies that the text is more important. The way in which the images have no border and so are positioned a few millimetres apart to allow the background to be seen further reinforces the simplicity of the magazine. However, the closeness of the two images also generates the impression that there was a lot to fit on the page, and in return a lot of information within the magazine.
To continue, this page encompasses a small paragraph which informs the reader of the most recent stand-out performances from artists relevant to this Indie genre (in this case performances from BBC Electric Proms) which begins with a dropped capital 'O'. The inclusion of a dropped capital suggests professionalism as this is something you see at the beginning of informative newspaper articles.
The contents list on this page is positioned down the right hand side of the page. As previously mentioned, each of the subtitles are printed on a black background which causes them to stand out. In addition, the side of the first letter and the top of the rest of the letters within the subtitles blend into the white background. The effect of this is originality and also the extended black box underneath the text creates a clear and neat divide between each of the sections. The contents have been organised into 5 different sections (News, Radar, Reviews, Live! and Features) which allows the reader to easily find an article they would enjoy by simply identifying the area they would be interested in. On top of this, not only does the contents list state what the page will be about in emboldened capitals, it also has a small description beneath which may intrigue the reader more. This informs the reader of the key features of the article prior to reading it and so would allow them to identify whether it is of interest to them or not. Additionally, one of the small descriptions ends with an elipsis ('...') which not only suggests that there will be more included in this article than Guns N' Roses, The Virgins and Casiokids but also leaves this on a cliffhanger which may captivate the reader and make them want to read the article to find out what other tracks are reviewed within this issue.
The list of contents formerly mentioned only includes the main and most interesting articles where as beneath there is another subtitle with 'PLUS' and the rest of the stories within. The decision to structure the contents list in this way makes the magazine appear more interesting as the main articles stand out. It is unlike other magazines where by the reader would look down the list of all of the articles looking for something that stands out, this magazine has all of these in one which makes it seem as though there is no less valued articles within. However this is not the case, they are simply featured at the bottom.
Another aspect of this contents page is the animated arrows down the right hand side and at the bottom. The black arrows point out which articles were presented on the front cover. Pointing these out to the reader is very important as someone may have only bought the magazine as they were intrigued by an article introduced on the front cover and consequently want to read it. As front covers are the main selling point of magazines this is a very frequently occurring situation and so having the front cover articles clearly marked on the contents page saves time for the reader. Also, the stories featured on the front cover are usually the ones which are the most interesting and include the biggest names and therefore more people would want to read these even if they have a subscription and this wasn't their intention of buying this issue. Due to this, having these stories, literally, 'pointed out' is a very attention-grabbing element. On top of these smaller black arrows, there is also a larger red arrow in the bottom right hand corner which states 'THE UK'S No1 GIG GUIDE STARTS p58'. Despite the difference in colour and size, this is the same style of arrow as those introduced previously which creates a sense of consistency and helps to keep the contents page looking organised. Music lovers possess a high level of interest in witnessing artists and bands perform live, and as a result this 'gig guide' would be a useful resource to them. Consequently, having this clearly indicated portrays the importance of it.
Another aspect of this magazine is the subscription advertisement. This stands out from the rest of the page as the colour scheme consists of red, white and black where as the text on this is yellow. Subscriptions guarantee the magazine company money as many people do not buy every issue of a magazine where as subscribers pay to have this delivered to their door.
In addition, this simplistic colour scheme of red, white and black portrays a sense of structure and makes people identify these colours with this brand of magazine. This is essentially 'making a name for themselves' as many logos of different companies (e.g. Coca Cola, McDonalds) are instantaneously recognisable due to their colours. Although not many different colours are used on this page they are used in an effective manner. The band names in the Band List are in red where as the page numbers are in black. Contrastingly, in the contents list the articles are in black where as the page numbers are in red. The way in which this colour scheme is reversed allows the contents page to remain simplistic whilst not appearing boring. On top of this, there is not a lot of variation in the use of font included. All of the writing apart from 'The moment that...' appears to be in the same font as the masthead which once again keeps the page structured. As well as this, 'The moment that...' is a recurring feature in every issue of NME and it is seen in the same font and colour as it is in the contents page pictured above. A further way in which structure is created on this contents page is through the inclusion of black dotted lines which split the page into three columns. The first is the band index, the second photographs, an introductory paragraph and subscription advertisement and the last is the contents list.
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Next, I decided to analyse a contents page of Q magazine. The first instantaneously recognisable difference between the above contents page and the previously mentioned NME contents page is the fact that this one covers a double page spread. This creates the impression that the magazine has a lot of articles and information within and also allows more room for images to make the contents page look more attractive. Despite this, there are also many similarities between the two. For example, both magazines have their list of contents separated into categories. This Q magazine has the list split into 'Features' and 'Regulars'. The regulars list consists of elements which would be found in the magazine week on week, and may contain something which causes a reader to repeatedly buy this magazine and so having this easy to find is very important.
Furthermore, both magazines consist of the same colour scheme (red, white and black) however the above Q magazine features more red where as the NME magazine features more black. Despite the fact that these magazines use the same colour scheme, they have been able to do so in very different ways and so do not look aesthetically similar and would appeal to different people. As a result, I have concluded that it is vitally important that I take care when deciding what colours to include where in my own magazine as this can really change the whole look even if the same colours are used.
On the other hand, there is an evident difference in the number of images included on the contents pages. This magazine clearly has one main image which relates to the main article and front cover as it features Elbow, and a variety of smaller images. These images would have been used to attract the reader, which in turn would result in them reading the relevant article. This is because each of the images featured on the contents page have the appropriate page number printed on top. All of the smaller images have the page number printed as white text on a black background where as the main image has the page number printed as black text with no background. It is clear that this text has no background as features of the image are able to fall behind it. As well as this, the page numbers vary in size depending on the size of the image. This could be used to represent that the larger the image/page number, the more well known and 'big' the artist. To continue, rather than just featuring an image of the artist/band which the article will be about, the image actually features what the article looks like. This is a unique way of giving the reader an insight of what is to come and also creates a sense of professionalism.
Additionally, in the same way as the NME magazine, the masthead is featured on top of a background. Although in this case it is on a red background, where as the NME magazine used a black background, it has the same effect in making the masthead stand out and drawing the whole page together by making the colour scheme appear less random. Contrastingly, where the NME magazine featured the date of issue, this magazine has the issue number. This would have the same effect as previously mentioned with the NME magazine; it would inform the reader that the information is up to date and allow collectors to keep the magazines in chronological order.
I particularly like the way in which this page features a review, which reinforces the fact that it is a music magazine and therefore would be something that would interest the reader. I have grasped the idea that this is a recurring element on this magazine, featuring a different review in each issue. I believe this may be something which I incorporate into my own magazine as it would make it appear realistic and professional.
A further element of this magazine which I am interested in using in my own is the line of colour beneath the article title and the thinner black line above and beneath each article title and their description. I find that this feature has helped to keep the page looking neat, organised, and assisted it in avoiding looking over-crowded despite the sheer volume of images and text on these two pages. As well as this, the use of colour in this way has allowed the colour scheme to be instantaneously recognisable and maintained throughout.
On top of this, a countdown article such as '50 Ultimate British Songs' featured here could be included in my own magazine. I believe something like this is viewed by the reader as something fun and light-hearted and is usually something they share with friends. However, I could alter this to make it more appropriate for my own magazine by changing it to '30 Best Urban Outfits of The Year' where by there would be a countdown of artists/bands and their clothing. On the other hand, this could simply be a chart page such as the UK Top 40.
A unique element of this contents page is the fact that it includes an image of the front cover in the top left hand corner in a scrap book style as it appears as though it has simply been stuck on top of the rest of the contents page. I have never seen this used in a magazine before however it would be useful for the reader to remind themselves of what the story was on the front cover which they wanted to read. This would have a similar effect as the arrows on the previously analysed NME contents page. At the moment, I do not believe this is something I will include in my own magazine however if I believe there is room I may add an image of next weeks front cover as opposed to the one they are currently reading. I believe this would be effective as it would inform the reader of who will be in the next issue and would therefore guarantee sales.
Finally, the use of font is very simplistic as it appears as though only 2 different fonts have been used. This prevents the magazine from looking messy and would suit the affluent target audience as it creates a professional feel.
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Finally, I have chosen to deconstruct a Billboard contents page. The first thing which grabbed my attention about this page was the chart list down the left hand side. This has been made separate to the rest of the page in the same way as the Band Index on the first magazine I analysed. As a result, this suggests that this is an element which appears in multiple music magazines and therefore should be something I consider using in my own. As well as this, the use of this chart list would inform the reader about how well certain artists and bands are doing and may attract their attention to an album/single they have not yet hear which could later result in a purchase.
Furthermore, in contrast to the two previous contents pages, this one features the logo of the magazine very small and it is not included in the masthead of the page. This could be because the masthead was easily recognisable on the front page and they do not feel it is necessary to remind the reader which magazine they are reading. Therefore, the masthead of this contents page is simply 'CONTENTS'. This is simple yet effective as it is in large writing and so would be instantly noticed by the reader. It is also clear that the font used for the masthead and subheadings such as 'NO.1' 'CONTENTS' and 'HOME FRONT' is consistent throughout which creates a sense of structure and organisation. Despite the fact that they are all in the same font, the masthead is in black where as the other two are in white. This causes the masthead to stand out from the rest and would allow the reader to instantly recognise it.
This is the most colourful contents page I have looked at so far however it is able to remain organised as these colours are also featured in the logo of the magazine. The inclusion of these various different colours makes the page aesthetically pleasing and would appeal to the generally young target audience.
In a similar way to the previous contents pages, this magazine features images at the very top of the page, directly beneath the masthead. As this appears to be a typical convention of a music magazine this should be something I think about when designing the flat plans for my own magazine. Furthermore, all of these images are the same size and the same distance apart which makes the page appear organised. This would be necessary for a page including so much colour as having the images in a scrap book style would appear as messy and over the top. The main image used fits around the text and blends into the background as the sky in the photograph is white. This feature, once again, has allowed the page to appear neat despite the inclusion of so much colour. In contrast to the Q contents page, all of the page numbers are the same size despite the varying image sizes. The choice of colour is very simple (black and white) and the colour which would stand out best on the image has been used for each. This is very important as it would be difficult for the reader if the page number was hard to make out.
Another feature which this Billboard contents page has in common with the other two is the fact that the contents are split up into various categories (Upfront, Features, Music & In Every Issue). As this has been a recurring feature across the board I feel that this is a convention which I will definitely consider including in my own magazine to allow it to look professional. A particular category which I am interested in including in my own magazine is 'Regulars/In Every Issue' as I believe it is important that magazines have something which make them unique and therefore include in each issue.
Finally, this contents page has a feature which the other two don't which is the fact that it advertises their website at the bottom. As the Internet is becoming an increasing part of everyone's daily lives, particularly the young audience of Billboard magazine, I believe this is a clever feature to include. They have stated various different things you can find online such as exclusives and touring and even included a direct link to this page rather than just the website.
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MY MAGAZINE
After analysing these music magazine contents pages I have picked out some features which I would like to include, or at least consider including, in my own magazine:
- Arrows or a change of colour in the text to indicate which articles were introduced on the front cover. I believe it is important to have this articles clearly marked as many people purchase magazines due to a headline or image they have seen on the front cover which has grabbed their attention.
- Have the contents list organised into categories, especially 'Regulars/In Every Issue'. The reason some magazines sell more than others is because of special features they have in them which others don't. Therefore, I believe it would be important to make these features stand out for those who read the magazine regularly or have a subscription. As well as this, having the contents list organised ensures that the page looks neat and professional.
- A countdown of '50 best...' '50 worst..'. This is light-hearted fun which would give the reader a break from the informative articles included.
- A small review of a performance, single or album to add depth to the contents page. This could be something which would be featured in every issue which would add structure.
- Thin lines above and below each article title and article description. This was used on the Q contents page and I feel as though it makes the whole page very neat and aesthetically pleasing.
- A band of colour running along the top of the page to give the masthead a background. It brings the whole colour scheme together if all of the colours are used at the top of the page in the text and the background and I believe it would make my magazine appear realistic.
- A small image of the front cover of the next issue. This would inform the reader of who will be on the front cover which may guarantee them purchasing it.
