1. The main picture used to advertise a key article is of the band The Courteeners standing on top of a hill as the scenery overlooks the British countryside which highlights their heritage and places them with national identity. The lead singer has been placed at the front of his group, posing with sunglasses on. This could indicate to the audience that he has something to hide, that something new may be uncovered in their feature or that he takes a backseat and the article is not based around him. The magazine has also dubbed itself a ‘Q Review – the world’s biggest and best music guide’ which features articles such as new albums, music DVD’s and music books. They also feature the artist known as Nick Cave where he is shown standing slightly behind a marble pillar in a purple suit. However there is no indication as to what the article is about, weather it is an interview with Cave or a review on him as an artist. This would immediately encourage the audience to flick through the magazine until they reach his article which has been conveniently placed towards the back of the magazine. Ones first impressions of the contents page would assume that Q is mainly a male music magazine, simply because only male artists have been featured in the contents page and perhaps throughout the magazine. The simplistic layout and colour scheme also suggests this. However, the use of the colour gold for the more special articles featured could suggest otherwise, as magazines such as Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar use similar techniques to grab their audiences attention however it is more common to be seen in such magazines. The main colours used are red, white and black whilst some gold is used. This is to highlight the special articles featured inside the magazine, an Oasis ‘Special’. There is also a frequent section of the magazine called ‘Every Month’ where they appear to feature crosswords, answer ‘Q Mail’ and the ‘Q50 the Month in Essential Tracks’. This is all placed at the back of the magazine along with the subscriptions as a conventional magazine does. This contents page for Q music magazine dates back to October 2008 with inter-textual links placed underneath.

2. This contents page is for a Drummer’s magazine and focuses on articles related to bands, music genres and famous drummers of the music industry. The main colours used here are orange, black and white. This is perhaps because the editors have gone for a more simplistic style and with the majority of the audience being male, it would be more appreciated. The main picture is of the drummer Dave Lombardo as he is pictured here during a concert however this has only been advertised through an ‘EXCLUSIVE’ stamp which crosses over the picture and article. However it is also shown through the page number located on the left hand corner of the photo. The pictures taken for this contents page are obviously from different sources since some have been taken at specific photo shoots whilst others have been taken at concerts or gigs. This allows the audience to identify that the magazine photographers are mobile and are in the places where their fans expect them to be. This also brings to life the magazines budget, perhaps they cannot afford to have each artists come in for a photo shoot however since they have taken photos of the artists in their element, this brings the magazine to be shown with more authenticity and perhaps presents a stronger relationship with the artists. Unusually this cover has been dominated by a pixilated look which covers the photos and is perhaps used to make the page more interesting and give it a more original feel. Unlike the Q magazine contents page there are more images used here. However they are linked to the articles advertised in the ‘Features’ section which gives the audience something else to know about the article. This contents page does have a similar layout to Q’s contents page however, which means it follows the original contents page layout since it what audiences are used to. One feature which Q and Drummer both have is a simplistic layout which refrains from any clutter and is easy for the audience to understand.

3. A unique feature about this contents page is the use of a Band Index which tells the audience which bands are mentioned or featured on each page. They are also enlisted alphabetically so the readers can find who they want easily. This puts music at the centre of the magazine, unlike Rolling Stone who branch out to films and books. This issue of NME magazine also features a small article on the contents page and a subscription section unlike Q music magazine, who have theirs towards the back of their magazine. Something else which is unique about this magazine is that they feature a crossword at the back of their magazine which is something similar to a newspaper. They also feature NME TV which would therefore provide inter-textual links to other forms of media expressed by this magazine. This also shows that they try to branch out to a wider audience by using other forms of media, thus attracting a wider audience. This layout features less pictures than Drummer or Q, and have focused more on what is featured inside the magazine without the help of photographs from the articles. This issue for NME magazine is very different from Q or Drummer as it takes an entirely different approach and has a more complicated layout compared to the other magazine contents pages. This does however show one what the entire contents of the magazine entail and therefore persuade the audience to purchase the magazine due to the heavy content. The main colours used here are red, black and white, like the Q music magazine cover. This is perhaps because they are more neutral colours since the magazine is targeted at both sexes. Unlike the other contents pages this one contains various sections such as News, Reviews, and a separate section for features. This contents page contains more article spoilers than any other as it focuses on one main feature. It also has a band index, something quite unique and therefore makes it more centred around the bands. The title tells the audience that the magazine is produced weekly, “NME This Week”.

4. The colours used here are red, green, white and black. The date of issue and issue number are placed conveniently at the top of the page which is helpful to the audience members. They layout is also simple for the audience to read and understand, more so in fact than the NME contents pages. From this I have understood that simplistic contents layouts are easier for the audience to understand. This contents page for Mojo music magazine does not look a the original conventions of a music magazine contents page since it contains images from all locations and time frames. This could be intentional as it may be themed to be set several years ago even though the issue was released in 2004. the collection of images may be to being back nostalgic memories for the audience, even though Mojo music magazine generally aims their audience members at slightly older audience members and so look at older bands/solo artists.

5. This contents page for Rock Sound music magazine is again something completely different from any of the other magazine contents pages I have discussed so far. This is because this particular contents page has used only one main image of two members from the band Fall Out Boy, dressed in boxing outfits and looking directly into the camera. Beside them is a direct quote from the band’s guitarist ‘I have no tolerance for anything right now’ which could explain the somewhat angry portrayal of the band members. Since their image dominates the page the other articles featured in the magazine have a place in the bottom right hand corner in red and white. This is by far the most simplistic contents page and perhaps the most interesting as it is clear and informative for the audience however it is also interesting enough even though they have only used one image. The simplistic look gives the magazine a more sophisticated look, something one might find in Rolling Stone or Q Magazine. This is clearly the way to attract ones audience, by using the idea that ‘less is more’.

6. The colour scheme used here is mainly black and white however the heart which is placed on Kanye’s clothing is bright red. The title for the contents page has been laid out in an original format separating certain letters of the word. The other features in the magazine have been labeled to the side similarly to the Rock Sound contents page. This music magazine however has a separate place for fashion related articles, something that is not often instantly related to music but strongly support it. This contents page is similar to the one from Rock Sound as it contains only one main image and with a less cluttered feel appears to be more sophisticated for the audience and gives more of a high-class feel. The main image here is of Kanye West and a woman’s hand which appears to be reaching out from behind him and reaches to grab a metaphorical heart placed in his pocket. This could be to promote his album ‘808s & Heartbreak’ which features the song ‘Heartless’ which is what could be indicated by this image.

7. Again there is another section for fashion in the right hand corner of the page however the contents page for this issue looks as though it has come directly from a fashion magazine. From the somewhat suggestive body language of the female artist, one would assume this is aimed at a male audience rather than a female one. However, they may be interested in the fashion aspect of the magazine. This issue has the main featured artist laying on the floor with her legs dangling in the air. Here, her outfit is one of the most important aspects of the contents page as it makes the magazine looks less like a music magazine and even more focused on fashion. The layout is similar to the Kanye West contents page since they are from the same magazine however this contents page has not been featured in black and white but in colour, with white, brown, black and beige being the main colours used here.

8. This contents page for NME is similar the others and presents a more cluttered look which is not ideal for an audience who do not spend a prolonged amount of time reading music magazines. Something which differs from the other NME contents pages is that the main image is not of a band but of a location, The Astoria. Such a landmark is related to the world of music as it has held a number of music concerts there over the years. Like the other NME contents pages there is a section for subscribing to NME weekly whilst saving money, and even inter-textual links via the internet and mobiles. However something that is different is that there are more arrows used here pointing to different articles featured in the Live!, Reviews, News and Featured sections of the magazine. Like other contents pages this one contains a band index and the colour scheme here is the same as previous contents pages.

9. This contents page from Q music magazine differs from the other contents page as it contains only one image. The image takes up the entire right side of the page however unlike the Rock Sound contents page it lacks in something which would excite the audience as this image is nothing out of the ordinary. The colour scheme here is white, red, and black. At the bottom of the page is a banner for another article featured on page 10, something one would not normally find in the contents page. Unlike the NME contents pages, Q music magazine tends to make each one a little different which is more interesting for the audience who perhaps are more familiar with the magazine and would spend more time reading it. However for those who are also constant readers of NME they might be used to the same layout of the contents page as it resembles a newspaper, something which often looks the same.