Layout for front cover

This is a rough layout for my front cover; I will use this as a template so I know where to place things when it comes to piecing my magazine together. I used the research I had done on other music magazine to help me decide where to place things. I don’t want my front cover to look over crowded and liked the minimalistic look of the Hip Hop Connection magazine.

Masthead
I will place my masthead at the top of the page so that it is easily noticed and will attract my target audience. I knew my magazine was going to be based around pop music so had to think of an appropriate name for my magazine. I didn’t want a long title; I wanted something short and snappy. Here are a few ideas that I came up with:-

Connected this links with music instruments being connected to amplifiers and the artists themselves being connected with their fans.

Network when I was thinking about this title I was inspired by the way the music industry distributes their music, through a network of music shops, magazines, the internet and radio.

TMG (The music generation) this title could be aimed at any age, it would be up to the person reading the magazine if they were the music generation.

Rhythm this title has an obvious link to music and would maybe appeal to someone involved themselves in creating music, whether professionally or in an amateur way.

Sound bite is something that represents the whole of something in a short and snappy way. This title uses the word sound which obviously links with music but in a more general sense conveys a meaning of lots of information being given in a simple way.

Main image and Main Headline
I will place the main image right in the centre of the page; images are normally the things on magazines that draw the attention of the audience first. Therefore it is important my image is a good and eye catching photograph. I will position my main headline through the centre of the page and make sure it links in with my main image. My main image is going to be of a new girl band called “Masquerade” who have just had a number one hit but have had little media attention up till now and will be giving their first big interview to my magazine. I will make sure my image represents a successful girl band so that my magazine will appeal to the right target audience.

Sub headings and plugs
The subheadings and plugs will be tasters of what is to come in the magazine and will help attract a larger audience. If the main topic was not of interest then one of the other articles mentioned in the subheadings could appeal to the audience instead. I will place the sub headings down the side of my front cover and make sure they don’t obstruct my main picture. Also I will include a barcode, price and date as these are all conventions that appear on all music magazines.