Covered - An Investigation Into Music Magazine Cover Design

CO VER INVESTIGATING THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC MAGAZINE COVER DESIGN Dominique Marshall

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'IT DEFINES A TASTE CULTURE. TYPOGRAPHY, COVER LINES, HEADLINE AND IMAGE ALL TELL ME WHETHER I BELONG TO THIS GANG.' JOHN O'REILLY, VAROOM MAGAZINE EDITOR

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COVERED E 4. Cover This!

Introducing the magazine cover 5. Our Survey Says?

What do the public think about magazine covers?

9. Viewpoints Writer, editors and designers on the importance of magazine covers 13. Deconstruct The main visual components are put under the spotlight 14. Rock Sound Magazine Visual analysis of the UK’s best independent music magazine 19. Conclusion 20. Bibliography

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COVER THIS!

“MAGAZINE COVERS ARE MORE THAN JUST ‘PAGE ONE’. THEY’RE THE PUBLIC FACE OF THE PUBLICATION. THEY ARE ITS IMAGE AND ITS MAIN MARKETING TOOL. THEY AIM TO CATCH THE EYE OF THE PASSER-BY AND TO TANTALIZE THE ONLOOKER WITH THE PROMISE OF FASCINATING CONTENT WITHIN.” ANDREW LOSOWSKY – WE LOVE MAGAZINES (pg. 34)

Reflecting the current trends and the popular musicians of the times that they are published, music magazines within over-arching genres tend to use very similar visual styles and feature similar content. However, in order to differentiate themselves from the competition and ensure their success, editors and designers have to make sure that their brand is unique and memorable. In Editorial Design (2007, p.29) Yolanda Zappaterra states that “the cover of any publication has an enormous task - it must be many things to many people.” She goes on to say “it has to be striking and stand out from the crowd, drawing the reader to it rather than to its competitors.” (p.30) The magazine cover is the first point of contact that a brand will have with consumers. As expretssed by Zappaterra, “it has to express the publication’s character as well as its content. It then has to entice potential readers to look inside.”

But can magazine covers still be seen

as an important marketing tool within magazine design today where covers have begun to look diluted amongst each other?

The aim of this report is to examine the cover designs of current popular music magazines, in particular how the visual elements such as typography, imagery and colour play important roles in attracting readers.

Questions to consider within this report: How do magazine covers function?

What attracts consumers to magazines?

What visual elements do music magazines use in order to create successful covers?

In order to answer these questions a mixed methodology has been used. Interviews and surveys were conducted with people from both ends of the magazine spectrum i.e. the people who create them and the consumers who read and purchase them.

Their thoughts and opinions have provided

a deeper insight into just how important magazine covers are.

Secondary research from texts about magazine publishing has provided background knowledge into what makes them successful or unsuccessful, what elements are important in attracting audiences, and what the general cover aesthetics are depending on the genre.

Deconstructing and analyzing covers of music magazines is another key part of this report. Comparing and contrasting the visual elements such as hierarchy, images, content placement etc will provide a visual understanding into this topic.

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OUR SURVEY SAYS? “A CONSUMER MAKES THEIR DECISION IN 1-2 SECONDS, SO YOU LIVE OR DIE BY THE COVER.” MIRANDA YARDLEY - TERRORIZER MAGAZINE MANAGING DIRECTOR

In an interview with Magculture author Jeremy Leslie, Andy Cowles, the art director of Rolling Stone Magazine, stated,

reader surveys and polls, talking directly to their audience at events or during focus groups.

“...Most consumer magazines fail because they’re not interesting enough to a big group of people. If they keep going in spite of that, then they are more of a vanity project, serving the needs of the owner or some other interested party, as opposed to the reader...”

To find out the opinions of consumers for the purpose of this report, a short survey was created and sent to a group of people who read magazines regularly.

This idea reigns true, as the main aim of consumer magazines is to sell. Without any regular readers on their side, they will fall incredibly short of achieving this aim.

Potential readers need to be engaged constantly. They need to have a good reason to want to pick up and buy a magazine, so the creators need to know what their target audience is interested in and what is popular. Research teams find out vital information through a number of different methods, such as conducting

Statistics from the survey: 23 people responded. 52.2% of these were female. The other 47.8% were male.

69.6% of respondents were 18-24 years old, 21.7% were 25-34 years old, and 8.7% were 35-49 years old.

The majority of respondents were students.

Other respondents included editorial designers, lecturers and freelancers.

The next few pages analyze responses to each question individually.

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WHAT GENRE OF MAGAZINE(S) DO YOU REGULARLY READ? As the majority of respondents were design students, this was the most popular genre with 31%. Music being the second favourite (19%) and fashion being the third favourite (17%) expresses what interests 18-24 year old’s, the top age group in this survey. The least popular genres, with 6% each, were technology, celebrity news, sports and photography. The percentages for the least popular genres indicate that the respondents do not rely on magazines to learn more about these topics. Instead they may prefer to use other accessible mediums, such as the Internet, TV, or through word of mouth.

6% 6% 9% 6% 6% 19%

31% 17%

Music Photography

Design Sports

Fashion

Celebrity News and Gossip

Games

Technology

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT USUALLY ATTRACTS YOU TO A MAGAZINE COVER? Out of the 23 respondents, 30% said the content shown on the cover was the first thing that attracted them. This was closely followed by the cover image with 26%. Without these two elements, potential readers and buyers wouldn’t know what a magazine is about or what is included inside, so they would need to be as dominant as possible. The name of the magazine and the cover design were chosen equally by 22%. These figures indicate that as long as the readers see the stories and people that appeal to them, then the actual magazine that shows them, although still an important factor, does not necessarily matter. This survey did not take into account the possibility that readers generally tend to read magazines they are personally familiar with. Where this would be the case, the name of the magazine would be more important.

30% 26%

22%

Name of the magazine

22%

Content

Images used

Cover design

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4%

22%

39% 35%

61%

39%

Magazine Name

Cover Design

PLEASE RATE HOW IMPORTANT THESE FACTORS ARE IN YOUR DECISION TO PICK UP A MAGAZINE...

A full 91% rated the content as the most important factor. 61% rated the images used and the cover design as important, and 39% were either neutral about the magazine name, or found it the least important factor. This number also saw the images used as a neutral element, despite it being the second element that attracts them to a magazine. These results reveal that it is the content that catches the readers’ eye and drives their decision to pick up and read a magazine, which in turn helps a magazine to sell.

9%

39% 61%

91%

Images Used

Content Very important

Neutral

Not important

WHAT MAKES A MAGAZINE COVER MEMORABLE? Placing all of the responses to this question in Wordle highlighted ‘cover’ ‘image’ and ‘design’ as the most popular words used to describe memorable covers. ‘Eye’ appearing here may refer to covers being eye-catching, or cover stars having eye contact with the reader.

To narrow down this investigation further, another short survey, this time focused on music magazines, was sent to consumers.

The statistics differed from the previous survey, as only 9 people responded. Around 78% were female, 22% were male. 89% of respondents were 18-24 years old, and 11% were 25-34 years old.

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37%

25%

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO PICK UP A MAGAZINE?

25%

13%

Name of the magazine

Content

Images used

37% said that the name of the magazine was the first thing that made them want to pick up a magazine. This result reflects the statement about people picking up magazines that they may like personally. According to 25%, the content and the images were equally eye-catching, which comes as no surprise as these are the dominant elements of a magazine cover. The cover design was the last thing that influenced readers (13%).

Cover design

12% 25%

37%

PLEASE RATE HOW IMPORTANT THESE FACTORS ARE IN YOUR DECISION TO PICK UP A MAGAZINE...

For 88% of music magazine readers, the content was the most important factor in their decision to pick up a magazine, with 12% seeing it as a neutral factor. This was followed by the cover design, with 63% saying it was important. 50% said the images, and only 25% picked the name of the magazine. It was interesting to find that in this survey, the cover design was more important than the images used, whereas in the previous survey they were as important as each other.

63%

63%

Magazine Name

Cover Design

12%

50%

50%

88%

Content

Images Used

Very important

In this particular survey, it was interesting to find that the name of the magazine was just as important as the content displayed.

This indicates that readers tend to be aware of what to expect from the different magazines available, and will pick up those that appeal to them personally.

Overall, the number of respondents that saw the cover design as the least important factor was quite surprising. Every magazine has its own individual style that makes them recognizable. However according

to the results from both surveys, these design styles are not as important as they may seem. Would blank magazine covers attract more attention from readers?

With cover images being a very vital part of music magazines, the respondents saw it as one of the top things that they were attracted to. As images are always printed full bleed and are always of popular musicians that would appeal to a large number of people, it would have been a strange result if the cover image was not

Neutral

Not important

seen as an important factor.

While the small sample sizes of these surveys might not be indicative of choices within the much larger consumer market, it has provided a good insight into what grabs the attention of magazine readers.

It would be interesting to see how these statistics would differ if there were a larger group of respondents.

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VIEW POINTS

“TRADITIONALLY, 50% OF THE MAGAZINE’S IMPACT IS DOWN TO THE COVER.” DAVID HEPWORTH - THE WORD EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

With the magazine industry becoming jam packed with new publications, it is becoming more important now than ever to have a distinctive cover.

There is no doubt that the creators of magazines aim to make sure that target audiences are attracted to them and not to competitors. So what do those within the industry think about the importance of magazine covers? I got in touch with the following editors/art directors/designers from various magazines in different genres to find out their views.

INTERVIEWS WERE HELD WITH: Andrew Losowsky Writer & Editor of We Love Magazines and Magtastic Blogsplosion Jeremy Leslie Magazine Creative, Author and Writer of Magculture David Hepworth The Word Editorial Director [music] James West Dazed & Confused Art Director [fashion] Paul Pensom Creative Review Art Director [design] Ed Le Froy Big Cheese Designer [music] Miranda Yardley Terrorizer Managing Director/Publisher [music] John O’Reilly Varoom Magazine Editor [design]

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HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK THE MAGAZINE COVER DESIGN IS IN TERMS OF ATTRACTING A TARGET AUDIENCE?

“The magazine is the essential sales tool for a “Traditionally, consumer magazine. It is a 50% of the poster for the issue, and thus magazine’s vital, the only thing a potential “It depends on how a impact is “Vital. magazine is distributed, buyer will judge an issue on. You down to the Covers sell have to get the reader to and in what form. If you’re cover.” pick up a copy and flick handing it out at Tube magazines.”

“It defines through. And that’s stations, not so much; if it a taste culture. the cover’s job.” Typography, cover comes free inside a newspaper, “Critically. almost not at all. If it’s on the A consumer lines, headline and makes their decision newsstand, or to be picked up image all tell me in 1-2 seconds, so whether I belong to for free, then it’s extremely you live or die by this gang.” important.” the cover.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK CONSUMERS ARE MOSTLY ATTRACTED TO: THE MAGAZINE NAME? THE FEATURES DISPLAYED? THE COVER IMAGE? “We flick “Different groups before we buy, will be attracted to different Image attracts “It depends on things. Regular readers might but stories tell me the market. If a loyal look for the logo or shelf position, whether this is reader, the name counts casual browsers who don’t know the relevant.” for a lot (i.e. The Economist). publication might be attracted by the “There But if its a weekly celebrity cover image or cover lines. But then is no single answer; “Branding and cover regular readers will also be attracted magazine, the face and some are attracted to the image, need a face on headline matters more, by these. So it’s a combination of name, but the fact that they that audience are more the cover. You should also things. A striking image is most don’t subscribe suggests that identify your 4-5 types of promiscuous.” important.” they still need to be persuaded reader and ensure the by the stories within. Others are cover caters to each pure dilettantes, picking up only key group.” what interests them, when they have a need for something to read.”

MAGAZINE EDITORS WORRY MORE ABOUT THE COVER THAN ANY OTHER PART OF THE MAGAZINE…” HOW FAR WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT? “Disagree.

Publishers tend to “They often worry about covers more don’t, but it is than the content; for editors, central to any it’s an important element, “Agree.

The cover is editor’s role to but not their main the magazine’s face.

It’s produce a killer preoccupation.” how people get to cover every know you.” time.”

“Yes, totally.

We can spend days on it.”

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“THE MAGAZINE COVER IS THE GREATEST SALES PITCH OF ALL” - WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS STATEMENT? “The greatest sales pitch of all? Its the most overwrought and over-worked sales pitch that’s for sure, editors and art directors agonize over every decision. And then its passed to the publisher who changes “Different things it all. The volume of shouting and selling will attract different on covers has surpassed what’s readers. But above all the necessary and become a chaotic cover is definitely one of the babble. Sadly. Perhaps a blank most important selling tools cover will stand out better and can make or break now?” an issue, regardless of what’s inside.”

ARE THERE ANY RULES THAT THE TEAM WORKS BY WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING THE COVER FOR EACH ISSUE? “Nothing is “Yes. For our explicitly ruled out, audience the image but apart from that the “The covers follow a is most important, main concern is to try to general design template, the headline and title represent and appeal but the concept for the cover sit behind it. Everything shoot and story will be discussed to each strand of our revolves around foregrounding the each issue – but the cover stars readership during the image.” year.” and photographic treatment “Make it will both be something that is different from considered to be of interest the one before! Got to the Dazed reader.” to be ‘understandable’ from 20ft away.”

ARE ANY RESEARCH METHODS CARRIED OUT IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS ATTRACTED TO? “We do carry out market research, “Yes, both though not as regularly or informal (talking to “Not really, as comprehensively as people at shows it’s usually who is some magazines and interns) and guaranteed to sell the most formal (end of do.” amount of mags - usually by year poll)” having a new album / tour. As far as market research goes it’s usually the PR companies that pre-warn us of what’s going to appeal to their target audience, “If they buy i.e. ours.” the magazine,

they like it!”

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WHAT PERSONALLY ATTRACTS YOU TO A MAGAZINE? “I’m a geek so I’m brand “The sweet spot where content, loyal to geek mags. But the design and image sync cover is important (lesson here: I “Cover up to say something. once bought Classic Rock because image!”

That said a fabulous it had an iconic Hendrix picture on image, or even a creative “Anything that the cover, the Hendrix content was “The typographic treatment suggests that cover, and also a single album in an admittedly would push my the inside content sizeable “100 Best” feature.)” recommendations buttons.” might surprise from others.” me.”

WHAT MAKES A MAGAZINE COVER SUCCESSFUL?

WHAT MAKES A MAGAZINE COVER UNSUCCESSFUL?

“There is no exact science.

Research shows that eye “Success = the “It catches the contact sells magazines, but buyer picking up and eye, it surprises, then that’s a very general becoming a reader. So it evokes a statement and might not whatever it takes to influence reaction, it apply to all titles and that decision. Again, if you’re intrigues.” audiences, or covers.” an Economist reader, a photo of

Cheryl Cole and a flouro headline “One criteria is will not work. But equally an does it get attention? illustration and polite list of Take the recent Rolling Stone subjects won’t work for cover. The media attention Heat.” makes it immediately iconic, the cover becomes its own free-floating signifier, detached from any story it “...On the other is representing, discussed and hand the Varoom cover, by argued over in the mediasphere.

James Joyce, which was That cover also keeps the selected by Creative Review in its ‘outsider’ status of RS awards, synced story, image and going which ticks boxes headline, in a way that that expressed important to that title. something quietly enigmatic. Sometimes Loud and Direct... engima works too. Really good covers always push the very edge of failure…of just being wrong. The RS True Blood cover would failed by doing too little. The Varoom cover would have failed by doing too much. ”

The general consensus was that magazine covers are a vital selling tool. As stated by Jeremy Leslie, “it is a poster for the issue,” and without it, potential buyers won’t have a quick insight into what is inside a magazine. Andrew Losowsky highlighting that “it depends on how a magazine is distributed, and in what form” was something no-one else stated directly.

Magazines are distributed in a number of ways, and as pointed by Losowsky, their covers in one place, such as a Tube station, are not as important as they may be in another, like on a newsstand.

“First failure: the buyer doesn’t buy.

But jump that, then second fail: a promise not kept inside.”

“An image that is “Lack not engaging on some of conviction. level. You can also ruin a Falling in between delivering the formula cover by plastering it with cover lines. But then that and breaking the works well for some kinds of formula.“ magazine. It all depends on your audience.”

The general opinion about consumer attraction was that different people will be attracted to different things. “It all depends on if they are loyal readers or casual browsers,” as pointed out by James West. The cover image was noted as a crucial element, which backs up the results from the reader surveys, as the cover image was the main contributing factor to people picking up magazines.

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DE CON STRUCT

“YOUNG IS BETTER THAN OLD. PRETTY IS BETTER THAN UGLY. RICH IS BETTER THAN POOR. MOVIES ARE BETTER THAN MUSIC. MUSIC IS BETTER THAN TELEVISION. TELEVISION IS BETTER THAN SPORTS. ...AND NOTHING IS BETTER THAN THE CELEBRITY DEAD.” DICK STOLLEY, PEOPLE’S MAGAZINE 1980

Like any other selling tool, magazine covers function in a way that will help to draw in readers at newsstands. The fundamentals of a magazine cover are universal, but depending on the genre and content, editors and designers have the ability to bend the rules to suit their magazine’s purpose. The main components of magazine covers are:

MASTHEAD This is the name of a magazine. The typeface used for the masthead is often chosen to reflect the style of the magazine, and is usually one that makes the name very recognizable and unique. The masthead also acts as the visual branding for a title, and will most likely be used as a logo for advertising purposes.

SELLING LINE This sets out the magazine’s main marketing point. It is usually placed underneath the masthead, as if to act as an explanatory line. However on most magazines today, the selling line is covered by the main image and may not be repeated anywhere else inside the magazine. When a magazine gets a redesign or starts to follow a new trend, the selling line may be changed accordingly to reflect this.

DATELINE Includes the month, year and price of the publication. This is usually placed next to the barcode, but on some covers it may appear underneath the masthead. The brand’s website may also be included.

THE LEFT THIRD The left third is a very vital section, as this is the part that is on display when magazines are stacked next to each other on shelves.

The left third will usually include flashes that will attract the attention of potential readers, and these can range from ‘free’, to ‘new’, to ‘exclusive’. Short cover lines may also be included here, and these need to be quick and easy to read. The beginning of the masthead is also important here, as it needs to be easily recognizable within a huge display of magazines.

MAIN COVER LINE An important element that attracts readers to pick up a magazine. This usually consists of two or three layers: the kicker - the name of the cover star(s); a quote - pulled from the feature inside; and the explanatory line - a quick insight into what the feature is about.

COVER LINES These are distributed around the main image, and are typically placed in three areas: in the left third of the cover, the right third, and above the masthead.

Some magazines also include them at the bottom to give maximum coverage.

On music magazines, the cover lines tend to be just the names of bands that are featured, although some of these are written in a larger typeface and also include an explanatory line. Colour is also an important aspect of cover lines, as it helps to break them up from each other, as well as make them stand out against the background image they are placed on and around.

MAIN IMAGE This consists of one single image, most likely a photograph of a celebrity (dependant on the genre of the magazine).

Eye contact is the most important feature of a cover image, as it is used to attract readers in on a more personal level. It is a simple way of getting them to feel like they are connecting to the person shown on the cover. The image is placed always at full bleed with no border, with the face placed underneath, or sometimes over the masthead and selling line.

To show these fundamentals in a visual manner, various covers of music magazine Rock Sound have been deconstructed on the next few pages.

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ROCK SOUND

“IT’S THE FIRST THING A POTENTIAL BUYER WILL SEE SO IT NEEDS TO SHOUT/ CATCH THEM AND DRAW THEM IN.” DARREN TAYLOR, ROCK SOUND EDITOR

Launched in March 1999 by French publisher Freeway Press, Rock Sound is the UK’s leading independent alternative music magazine. It prides itself on bringing its readers the best ‘New Music First’, and is published on a monthly basis. The latest underground and less commercial bands are discussed in each issue, as well as more well known acts that readers are familiar with.

DARREN TAYLOR: Rock Sound Magazine Editor How important do you think the magazine cover design is in terms of attracting your target audience?

DT: “Very important. It’s the first thing a potential buyer will see so it needs to shout/catch them and draw them in.”

What do you think consumers are mostly attracted to: the magazine name? The features displayed? The cover image?

DT: “The brand name is important and we have regular people who purchase on a monthly basis but at the end of the day the cover band is the most important factor and many people will buy it for that reason alone.”

Magazine editors worry more about the cover than any other part of the magazine…” How far would you agree with this statement?

DT: “This is essentially true - the cover is the major selling factor for the magazine but having strong content inside the mag once a potential reader has made the purchase is also just as important.”

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The cover below (issue 5, August 1999) has been kept fairly minimal and seems to follow the universal conventions of a music magazine cover. The masthead has been written in a lowercase serif typeface, and is placed on a bright red background.

The selling line, ‘Music With Attitude’, is underneath this, acting as a explanatory line alongside the date. The cover image and main cover line take precedence over everything else on the page, with the top part of the image covering part of the masthead and selling line. This would indicate that the cover image is a very important visual element here. The left third, taking into consideration possible

LEFT THIRD KEY

Masthead Selling Line Flashes

CENTRAL THIRD Cover Image Main Cover Line Explanatory Line

shelf position, contains the flashes which tell potential readers that they can get a ‘free CD’, ‘2 giant posters’ and ‘win’ festival tickets. The majority of type is in the right third, making it the busiest section. The main cover line is made up of two sections instead of three, the kicker and explanatory line, and stretches out across all three thirds. The subsequent cover lines are in the same style, but only go as far as the central third. The colour scheme is very bold but basic. The main cover line directly contrasting the masthead helps it to grab the readers’ attention, and the cover lines being white and yellow helps them to stand out against the image.

RIGHT THIRD Cover Lines Barcode Dateline

With Rock Sound focusing on ‘Music With Attitude’, and with heavy metal and other sub-genres being very popular at the time, the cover stars, Metallica and Monster Magnet, were a perfect fit and would have drawn in a large number of readers.

Anyone who wanted to find out more about bands outside of the mainstream, like the ones on this cover, could view Rock Sound as a magazine that wasn’t afraid to focus on the bands that were producing noncommercial music. This in turn would have contributed to the overall success of Rock Sound during its early years.

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The design of the Rock Sound covers changed over the years, as evident with the cover below (issue 78, November 2005).

The masthead became more grungier, and the bright red background was reduced to just an outline. There is no visible selling line, and the only flash is placed above the masthead. The colour scheme on this cover is the same as the 1999 issue, but with the background image being darker, it makes the text a lot more dominant.

On the 1999 issue the cover lines were solely in the right third, however here they

are split between the left and right. The majority of cover lines are at the bottom in very small type. This means more names are shown in a way that doesn’t bombard the whole cover, making the design subtle.

LEFT THIRD

Are there any rules that the team works by when it comes to creating the cover for each issue?

DT: “Having a strong image for the cover is essential. The band on the cover need to have good eye contact with the reader too. Then we building everything else around the image including a strong quote/cover line to attract the reader to want to investigate further.“

CENTRAL THIRD

RIGHT THIRD

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LEFT THIRD

CENTRAL THIRD

For the 100th issue (September 2007) the cover design became brighter, bolder and jam packed. The masthead has gone through a major change; it is now sans-serif, in block capitals, and has a complimenting selling line underneath. It has also been placed on top of the main image, so as to be more noticeable. The editorial philosophy of Rock Sound changed at this point to ‘New Music First’.

This reflected the new waves of music pouring into the alternative scene at the time. The supporting cover lines are bolder than on previous covers, with the colours red and black working well against the white in the image. Despite the colour

RIGHT THIRD

LEFT THIRD

scheme still being very minimalistic, the elements being ‘in your face’ worked well in attracting audiences.

This style and layout is continued two years later on the February ‘09 issue, with the main difference being the choice in typeface. A handwritten style is used in favour of the chunky sans-serif, which gave the cover a fun, relaxed vibe. The cover image here is also covering up most of the masthead, making itself instantly more important. These covers appear very crowded due to the cover lines filling any empty space. This is something that most music magazines utilize as it means that more bands can be shown on the cover.

CENTRAL THIRD

RIGHT THIRD

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LEFT THIRD

CENTRAL THIRD

On the latest magazine (February 2011, issue 144), the layout pulls different aspects of older issues into one, which in turn results in a visually eye-catching and engaging cover. The main cover line is in very bright, bold type, making it look slightly more dominant than the masthead, which has been positioned on top of the main image but has a dark transparency. There is no selling line on this cover, and the flash has been placed above the masthead in the same colour as the cover lines, creating a form of unison. The design style of this

RIGHT THIRD

cover is incredibly different to the design style of the 1999 cover (p.15) despite them having very similar layouts. The colour scheme here reaches out, grabbing the reader’s attention with ease. Even though this cover isn’t as cramped as those from 2007 and 2009 (p.17), aesthetically it is very effective in grabbing the attention of the reader, with the main cover line giving them reason to want to pick up the magazine.

The cover image compliments this, with singers from various popular bands holding strong eye contact.

In a design climate where it is very important to have a magazine cover that stands out from any competition, Rock Sound has been able to keep the design of the brand fresh and innovative, continuously drawing in new readers with the current scene, whilst appeasing regular readers with traditional aspects.

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CONCLUSION Having addressed the visual elements of magazine covers, finding out what consumers and creatives in the industry think, and analyzing a range of covers produced for one brand, it is safe to conclude that music magazine covers are indeed important. Without a cover a brand would not be able to have its own unique voice amongst the competition.

But with the number of publications available growing rapidly, will it ever get to a point where covers will in fact look exactly the same? Doubtful, as designers will always continue to be innovative with their creations. As long as readers pick up and purchase a magazine, then the cover has completed its main aim of attracting consumers. With this, magazine covers can continue to be seen as one of, if not the most important tool in magazine design today.

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BOOKS Zappaterra, Y (2007) Editorial Design.

Laurence King Publishing Loswosky, A (2007) We Love Magazines.

Luxembourg: Editions Mike Koedinger Taylor, S & Brody, N (2006) 100 Years of Magazine Covers. Black Dog Publishing Rivers, C (2006/2008) Mag-art: innovation in magazine design. Mies: RotoVision Losowsky, A (2009) We Make Magazines: Inside the Independents. Luxembourg: Editions Mike Koedinger Crowley, D (2006) Magazine Covers.

London: Mitchell Beazley Renard, D (2006) The Last Magazine.

New York, NY: Universe Pub

Rock Sound’s Photos - Buzznet <http://rocksound.buzznet.com/user/ photos/list/> [Accessed 5 October 2010]

Leslie, J (2003) Mag Culture: New Magazine Design. Laurence King Publishing

[2010] Rock Sound < http://www.rocksound.tv/magazine> [Accessed 5 October 2010

INTERVIEWS All interviews were conducted by email between Dominique Marshall and mentioned recipient between November and December 2010.

Smith, D (2010) Spotlight: Darren Taylor Editor, Rock Sound < http://www.spheremag.co.uk/ spotlight/84-industry/1219-spotlightdarren-taylor-editor-rock-sound> [Accessed 14 October 2010] (2010) Mojo Covers Archive < http://cover.mojo4music.com/Default. aspx?year=2011> [Accessed 16 November 2010]

Covered [23]

OC REV