Magazine Analysis

Language: The image in this cover is a conventional medium shot. The subject is looking at the camera which speaks to the reader as they will feel like she is looking directly at them. However, the way the subject is holding her coat over her face can give off the impression that she has a secret to tell the reader, and this is also conveyed with the way she is staring at the camera. This will entice the reader to buy the magazine so they can read about what the secret she has to share is. The cover has a colour scheme of red, black and white and this is consistent throughout the text. The colours of the image and the text connote winter, as the subject is also wearing a black coat and the background is white such as snow. The text on top of the image is white so stay with the colour scheme, and to allow the reader to see it clearly. The text over the main cover image also is over the image to show that they are related, and that it is the main feature story as it is in the middle of the cover, and it larger than the rest of the text. The text on the side stays consistent with the red and black colours. The masthead is placed appropriately at the top of the magazine in bold lettering. However, the masthead is slightly hidden behind the main cover image and this may be because they feel like the magazine is well known enough, that readers will be able to recognise it by what they can see. The issue, barcode and date are all at the bottom smaller than the rest of the other text/images. All these follow the magazine conventions. 

Insitution: Billboard is a magazine that was established in 1894, and is owned by Prometheus Global Media. The magazine is headquartered in New York City. It originally focused on bill posting and outdoor amusements, but then switched over to music and the entertainment business. According to their website, they are 'a primary source of information on trents and innovation in music, serving music fants, artists, tour prodcers, etc..'. They are seen as a popular magazine for music fans. Billboard also talks about current events and news other than those in the entertainment business. This makes the magazine a bit more formal and modern. This is seen in the cover throughout the lack of many different colours other than in the masthead, and the way the whole cover is structured. This gives off a more serious modern vibe. 

Ideology: This cover gives off a very serious air to it. This is because of the way the subject is holding herself and the clothing she is wearing as it is a black coat which is covering most of her, including part of her face. This can be seen as somewhat sexual as she is looking at the camera, inviting the reader to find out what she is hiding from us. Most of this cover however, is not promiscuous, as it can promote business as it looks as if she is on her way to her next project. This cover can also show how a women doesn't have to be revealing herself to look pretty as she is doing it by only showing part of her face. Overall, this cover shows off how sometimes music can be serious and professional, whilst still being fun which can be seen through her eyes. 

Audience: Billboard's audience is 'key executives in and around the music business' and 'music fans and artists' according to their website. This particular cover doesn't seem to be targeted at a certain gender, as she is wearing gender-neutral colours and there isn't anything suggesting it is more geared towards a certain gender. The sophisticated clothing and layout shows that this is targeted at an higher social class or age. The artist is popular, so this will mean a younger audience or other social class might buy this magazine as they will want to read about the artist.

Representation: This cover, looking very sophisticated, represents a more upper class and professional. The artist's clothing also gives off a professional air. The pose that the artist is in, and also with the black man-like coat, it shows how women are empowered and can make it big in career. The way the artists make up is done shows that even though women are in a high position, they are still beautiful and still should be looked at in the same way no matter what their job is. 

Language: This cover page follows most of the traditional contents page conventions. Down the left side of the page, has the top artists and songs for this edition of the magazine. Since this is a popular music magazine, the top charts is a very good thing to have because the readers will most likely enjoy it. The articles are all under headings so the readers will easily find the articles they are wanting to read. The bigger articles include pictures of the artists, and they have bigger and bold page numbers which will attract readers to that page. The pictures will also make the contents page more interesting, so this will allow more readers to look at this page. The masthead is quite small which shows that they feel as if they don't need to show what magazine they are as they are already popular enough. At the bottom of the page, they have the other editions of the magazine, and explain how you can view the magazine on the internet, which may be beneficial to people who use the internet a lot. They also have a section for events happening, which readers may want to know about. There is no letter to the editor however, which is quite unconventional. They might have thought that they if they added that to the page, it may have looked like there was too much on the page, and readers would find it cluttered.

Representation: The style and presentation of this contents page shows how it is a successful and professional magazine which knows how to have fun. This is shown by the way the page is laid out in a conventional way, yet the colours and text used show that it can be anything but boring. All of the colours in the images used in the page are darker colours, which shows how the magazine is a professional one. However, the images are ones that are appealing to look at which will intrigue the reader.

Language: This is a conventional double page spread. The image spreads over the two pages which is normally used for a double page spread. This creates continuity across the pages and shows that the image is related to the article.  This allows the reader to immediately know that the article is going to be about the artist in the image. The feature story title text is bold and big, directing the readers attention to the name of the article. The title also uses red behind the black text allowing it to stand out. The text is in one column, which helps the reader read the article. There isn't much article, which suggests that there will be another page for the reader to read. The overall look of the double page spread is quite minimal, but sophisticated and enjoyable to look at. The different colours used make the article look fun, yet they are used minimally so that it still looks professional. The clothing of the subject in the image match the minimal colour scheme of the article, which helps it look more professional. The use of a drop cap allows the reader to know where the article starts, and helps to make it look professional as well. The only convention they haven't followed is that they haven't used columns, but that is because they only have one. 

Representation: The colour scheme and minimal use of the bright colours make the magazine look professional and fun. The subject in the image is holding a guitar, which reinstates that she is in a musical career, which reinforces that the magazine is a music magazine. The clothes that the artist is wearing also show that she is younger and fun, which appeals to the younger readers of the magazine.