Analysed front cover of indie/rock magazines. I have analysed the codes and conventions that the magazines follow and I have described them.

Puff, this is a bright shape on the front cover of a magazine and is often used as an incentive. It is used as an incentive to this magazine as it says you can ‘win a guitar studio time and more!’.

Skyline, this is used to tell the reader about an interesting article in the magazine.

Masthead, this is the title of the magazine and is in large writing. Magazines mainly use a specific font for their masthead to individualize their magazine so people see that font and it reminds them of that magazine.

Main coverline, this is to introduce what the main feature article is about and is coherent with the coverstar.

Website, this is so the readers can keep updated with the news of NME and music news relevant to NME’s music genre until the next magazine is released.

Price, this is so the reader knows how much the magazine costs.

Barcode, this is for scanning the magazine and is a common code and convention of magazines.

Coverlines, these are a small insight into what some of the articles are about. They often come with a small image that goes with the article.

Coverstar, the coverstar will match the main coverline as it is a picture of the main feature article. Coverstars will face the camera or the front of the magazine.

The coverstar in this NME magazine is Dave Grohl. He has a snarl and an angry look on his face in the photo, as NME focuses on a variety of music and in particularly rock music, the aggressive picture is relevant to the aggressive genre of music as rock music is loud and could be considered aggressive

Issue number, this is the number of the magazine. For example if it was the issue number 500 then it would be the 500th

magazine released

Skyline, in this magazine it is used as an incentive to make the reader buy the magazine as when you buy it you get five free posters.

Masthead, Kerrang! Uses their own font for there mastheads.

Main coverline, this is large writing stating what the main feature article is about.

Barcode, this is for scanning and is a common code and convention of magazines.

Website, this is for the readers to be able to keep updated with the magazine and music news before the next magazine is released.

Issue number, this is the the number of magazine it is (500th

magazine would be issue number 500)

Price, this is to let the reader know how much the magazine costs.

Puff, this is a bright shape somewhere on the front cover of the magazine. A puff can be used as an incentive to buy the magazine. ‘Kerrang!’ has used it as an incentive to ‘take the K! Test’.

Coverstar, ‘Kerrang!’ uses Corey taylor in this magazine as the coverstaris a picture of who the main feature article is about. The coverstar will be facing the camera and therefore the front of the magazine.

Coverlines, these are a small insight to what some of the articles are about. In this magazine an example is ‘Your backstage pass to Reading and Leeds’.

Skyline, this sometimes tells us what little extras are in the magazine and also tells us of some of the articles in the magazinePrice, this is how

much the magazine costs

Barcode, this is for scanning the magazine and is a common code and convention of magzines.

Issue number, this is the number of the magazine. Issue number 500 would be the 500th magazine.

Coverstar, this will be a picture of one of the people in the feature articles and they will be looking directly at the camera.

Main coverline this is bold writing of what the feature article on the coverstar is about.

Masthead large writing and the title of the magazine. Often each magazine will have a specfic font to use on this.

Coverlines, these are to tell the reader about what articles are in the magazine

Website, this is put here so readers can get more information until the next magazine is released.