Analysis of existing magazines

This picture is of a contents page for Mizz magazine. Mizz magazine has used a range of different colours to draw attention to the reader. It also makes it more fun to read because of the different colours.
For the readers sake it has grouped the different types of articles and pages in the magazine making it easier for the reader to get to what they want to read first.
They have also used a range of pictures on some of the main articles in their magazine. This may be to get the readers to read those things first as they are the main features.
They have included on the right hand side of the page the name of their magazine, the contact details and all the workers involved in making the magazine.
Compared to Top Of The Pops it looks less colourful, with a plain background, it makes it look like its not quite finished.
At the bottom right hand corner there is an advertisement to help dyslexia. This is quite interesting as it is asking for funds and raising awareness, it is a nice gesture but in my opinion doesn't really relateto the theme of the magazine. However they have included the target audience by suggesting cake sales at their schools and all other things the target audience are familiar with.


Looking at this front cover of Top Of The Pops i can see that the target audience is for young teen-aged girls. I know this because of the large amount of feminine colours used throughout the page. There is a lot of pinks and purples, which young teen aged girls favour.
In many female magazine covers they include a main sell section on their magazine using a large number to draw the readers attention to it. However in many magazines they usually advertise quite expensive things as the target audience can afford it. In this magazine they have chosen relatively cheap items as the target audience cannot afford expensive things. This is a way of drawing the target audience in.
Compared to other music magazines they only use a couple of pictures. Sometimes only one main one like Mix Mag. However in Top Of The Pops magazine they have a substantial amount more. For every Flash and Sub Head they have included a picture to go with it. This is to make it easier for the target audience to read as its for a young audience. It also makes it more fun to read there is more pictures than text so its quite relaxing as well.
On this magazine cover there is a lot going on. In some ways it's quite a bad thing as you may feel like you have missed something out which you don't want to feel. For example in music magazines like Kerrang or Vibe they have quite a simple layout with main flashes and the whole page isn't squashed and packed with information. Usually in magazine they have a main picture and then a main flash to go with it and then usually that's the only picture on the magazine, if not they are small ones in the strip line. But in Top Of The Pops they have placed a load of pictures dotted around which makes it look quite messy.
The magazine wants to look glamorous and by doing so they have made the name of their magazine look glittery and all around the front cover they have added sparkles. This is to maybe try and relate to the reader as when your the target age of Top Of The Pops, girls usually want to feel glamorous so by helping them they are drawing them in to buy their magazine.