Existing Indie Album Covers

Badlands (Halsey)

BADLANDS uses a colourised style, which is a little posterised. The BADLANDS text is covering her eyes, which could symbolise how the audience is listening to her description of the 'badlands'--everything wrong with society--through her eyes. The obscuring of the eyes could also represent that she is nobody in comparison to the atrocities of the badlands and that she can't do anything about it.

Room 93 (Halsey)

ROOM 93 uses a similar colourised style, using cyan and magenta. The image is small, like looking through a window. It could symbolise Halsey inviting the audience into her world. Her name is prominent on the cover, and the colours are inverted when the text obscures the window to create contrast. The cover is slightly distorted.

I Of The Storm (Of Monsters And Men)

This cover is made up of a simple logo on a textured background. The logo is a sharp eye, representing the idea of the 'eye of the storm' referenced in the title. The group's name isn't used on the cover--only the stylised acronym.

We ♥ Pop—Analysis

Research #6—NME Magazine Double Page Spread

Codes and Conventions

Still Graphics

The left page is completely taken up by a medium shot of the artist. The image is desaturated, but recolourised so that it fits with the colour scheme of orange. The only other image on the spread is the square in the right-hand column, which shows a performance.

Written Language

An important pull quote is placed in the centre of the page, with the surrounding text wrapped around it. Consequently, important words within the quote are emboldened and enlargened. Drop capitals are also used.

Layout

Both pages stick to the rule of thirds:

• The title text on the left page is centered:
• IN spans the middle column
• GOOD goes from the edge of the first column to the beginning of the third
• HEALTH spans the entire page

Research #5—NME Magazine Contents Page

Codes and Conventions

Still Graphics

The main image on the page is one of a featured artists, spanning what would have been two of the thirds on the page. The other image is one of the front cover of the issue, promoting the subscription.

Written Language

The description of the main article is the longest, and typeset in heavier and larger font to emphasise it as the main feature. The language is informal, with brackets and rhetorical questions which sound conversational. Red, black, white and yellow text is used, with yellow used exclusively in the promotion to make it stand out.

Layout

The layout is loosely based on the rule of thirds, with the three visible columns being unevenly spaced. The contents tables are in the first and third, with the main article and promotion in the second.

Research #4—NME Magazine Cover

Codes and Conventions

Still Graphics

The main image on the page is one of Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys. He's holding a record, which relates to the topic of their article: "The Record That Changed My Life".
Computer generated graphics include the RECORD STORE DAY 2012 banner, which is stylised to fit with the black, white and red colour scheme. Blue is used elsewhere for emphasis.

Written Language

The NME text is layered behind the model, while the artists' names are in front. This creates a sense of depth to the image. Every other name is emboldened.
The colour scheme used is red, light blue and white.
The Record That Changed My Life is in a brushlike font, perhaps connoting creativeness and messiness.
The question at the bottom of the page prompts the reader to think, and may make them more eager to buy the magazine.

Layout

The cover follows the basic layout conventions. It is split into thirds, with the model taking up the middle third, and the font in the left third is the biggest, as that would be the side which would be on display on a magazine rack in the shop. The layer with the masthead is behind the one with the model.

Research #3—Q Magazine Double Page Spread

A double page spread from the October 2010 issue of Q magazine.

Codes and Conventions

Still Graphics

The left hand page is taken up by a close-up of the featured artist, Jay-Z. The image is colourised: red on the left half, a lighter blue on the right.
The Q logo, as usual, is in the bottom left corner of the right hand page.

Written Language

In the bottom left, the issue number and date are displayed.
A pull quote is used on the left hand page, as well as a short caption.
Each section is begun by a serif drop cap.
Layered over the text is a large red J, to indicate Jay-Z.

Layout

The right hand page is split into two columns, which is conventional for a magazine article.

Research #2 — Q Magazine Contents Page

Research continued with the analysis of the contents page of a 2008 issue of Q magazine.

The contents page of the Oct. 2008 issue of Q magazine

Codes and Conventions

Still Graphics

The single image of The Courteeners dominates the page, taking up the top two thirds of the centre and right-hand thirds. This displays them as the primary focus of this issue of the magazine—or, at least, a prominent feature.
In the Review panel, Nick Cave takes up a single ninth of the page, as the secondary focus.

Written Language

In the top right, the issue number and date are displayed.
Down the left-hand third, the articles in the magazine are listed, followed by a short description of the feature. There are thirteen of them in this issue.
The Every Month section displays the usual features of the magazine, such as the crossword.

Layout

The page adheres to the rule of thirds reasonably well:

What can I use from this?

I can implement the article preview/summary feature in my own magazine, and use a main image of another act besides the one which the double page spread is focused on.

Research #1—Q Magazine Cover

Research began with the analysis of the cover of a music magazine. The magazine which was chosen was a 2008 issue of Q magazine, which is a magazine which focuses on indie music. The purpose of analysing magazine covers was to pinpoint their conventions and to identify techniques which could potentially be implemented in my own music magazine.

The August 2008 issue of Q Magazine
(http://i28.tinypic.com/314v90g.jpg)

Becky and myself analysing the cover

The TAPE analysis

Codes and Conventions

Still Graphics

The Q magazine logo is displayed prominently in the top left corner, as this is the place where most people first look when reading a magazine. The logo itself is simple: a white capitalised Q on a red background. Because it is so simple, it is easily recognisable.
The two featured artists, Mark Ronson and Ricky Wilson, take up most of the cover. The shot is a medium shot, which is used to show the two men's body language and clothing. Studying their proxemics reveals that the two are close to each other, which could hint at the intimacy of their interview in the magazine. They also have direct eye contact with the camera.
In the top right corner, there is a small banner of The Ting Tings, another group which is featured in the magazine.

Written Language

The colour scheme used for the typography is a metallic gold and white. The gold indicates sophistication and rarity, while the white is used for contrast against the white background.
Several different font weights are used on the cover: the heaviest for the word "DUETS", the medium weight for the names of the other artists featured in the issue on the right hand side ("MADNESS", "THE ZUTONS"), and the lightest for the subtitles. Font weight is generally used to draw the audience's attention to certain aspects of the cover.
Superimposed on the Q logo is a sticker-like graphic, proclaiming that the issue is a "196-page bumper issue" in a heavy font weight. This is a promotional move which encourages the customer to buy the magazine, as it has more content than usual.

Layout

The cover has a subtle three-column layout, which may not be immediately noticeable, as some of the text on the cover spans two of the columns. The main text spans the left two columns, and information such as the secondary articles take up the right third.

The rule of thirds, as demonstrated by this cover

What can I use from this?

When I create my own magazine cover, I will ensure that my model has direct eye contact with the camera in order to create an intimate mood. I will also use the rule of thirds for the layout, with the magazine's logo in the top left and the masthead occupying the rest of the top third.