MIXMAG MAGAZINE ANALYSIS 

codes & conventions /  institutions

MIXMAG- is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine. The product has been launched in 1982 and it covers the newest dance events, hottest music and club night reviews. The first Mixmag publication was in a newspaper format, however due to the house music development the product turned into a DJ magazine covering variety of dance music as well as introducing the clubbing culture. During this time Mixmag was owned by EMAP company.   Soon enough the DEVELOPMENT HELL bought took over the product. Furthermore, the magazine's target audience is based upon 12-24 years old male as well as female with clubbing interest. In conclusion, the product's individualistic specialisation made the magazine unique within the market scale. 

 

FRONT COVER:

 

This is the front cover of the 'MIXMAG' magazine.

 

One of the first things which catches the readers attention is the masthead 'MIXMAG'.  The font of the masthead is very curvy. This gives a modern look which successfully reflects the genre of the magazine. In comparison to other magazines, for example; New Musical Express, the masthead is spread across the width of the page, presenting a full brand name, not an acronym. As a result of this, the title can be easily read from a far distance on a shop shelf. Additionally, the simplicity of the masthead makes it more attractive and eye catching due to the clear colour and form. The masthead does not contain any 'fancy' graphics, as it's in clear and solid white colour. This makes the title very contrasting against other visible images or text found within the front cover. Another element which is worth mentioning is that the masthead of the magazine is placed behind the main image. This is used as the magazine is well known and does not need it's full name to be shown in order for the consumer to recognize it. The main image overlaying the title allows the front cover to be more interesting.

 

The main cover line has been placed in the middle of the magazine frame, which looks like a rectangular graphic shape. The font used for this cover line has been specifically chosen to be sharp and squared, as this makes the text stand out. The black filling of the graphic shape has brought the text even further onto the foreground due to the contrast within these two elements.  The main cover story  'SUB FOCUS' is the name of a famous electronic music producer. The text has been placed within the image. This automatically communicates to the readers that this is the main focus of this particular issue.  The rest of the cover lines is spread around the page. This has been done on purpose to make sure that the cover lines would not affect the main image. There is no text overlapping the photograph, allowing the image to bring attention of the readers. Furthermore, some of the cover lines are similar to the main cover line layout due to the black background. This makes them look quite abstract, reflecting the modern audience and music type. Additionally, the text becomes more presentable due to the contrasting background.

 

The header of the magazine has been positioned above the masthead - ''The Worlds Biggest Dance Music and Clubbing Magazine'. This makes it very eye catching, allowing the readers to automatically spot it when looking at the masthead of the magazine. The language used in the header is very persuasive. This makes the audience buy the product as well as see the magazine as value for money. Additionally, the header describing the magazine in this particular way makes the readers view the magazine in a more prestigious way. This may lead to a higher consumption.

 

 The centre of visual interest on the front cover of this magazine is definitely the main image. It is set to bleed with the margins, filling up the whole page. As a result of that the magazine does not include any negative space. This makes the magazine look more attractive and professional. The effect which has been applied to the image makes it look like as if it has been lit up by multiple colour lights. This effectively reflects the portrayal of clubbing which the magazine is based on. Additionally, the image is very bright. This can be linked to the club setting. 

 

The barcode of the magazine has been placed in the right, bottom corner horizontally. It is important for the magazine to contain a barcode in a visible place as it needs to be scanned onto the database while buying the product. It's an essential detail the magazine has to contain, otherwise the sale of the magazine would not function properly. Additionally, the barcode contains key information including the date or price.

 

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD:

 

The readers attention within the double page spread is brought towards the 5 images. Each photograph represents a party setting in which the people are smiling, dancing or even making hand gestures. This demonstrates clear fun and enjoyment. This might build up a positive opinion about clubbing within the readers, as well as it might encourage the audience to join. Furthermore, the image on the far bottom right presents a POV image which portrays a close-up of a young adult dancing.  The image has being taken form a point of view perspective. This could make the audience think that they are on the dance floor while looking at the photograph. This makes the magazine more interactive. Furthermore, this particular image is slightly blurred. This signifies  that the person was still in the motion while the image was taken. This makes the image look more realistic.  In addition, that all of the images have a callout written on each of them, presenting a quotation of the people who were present in the exact party.

 

The overall layout of the double page spread is quite deliberative. The level of text and images is balanced making the double page spread more interesting for the audience. The column gutter  shows a suitable level of space which allows the reader for easy reading. Additionally, the sans serif text is very simple allowing the reader for fluent and error-less reading. As the text is in black colour, the white background makes it more contrasting. This creates a good colour scheme which again makes it easier for the audience to read.

The header "The Big 3"  introduces the readers to the page content. The header is written in a fancy font  which follows the style used within the masthead of the magazine. Additionally, the header is  placed against a black background and is surrounded by a thick white outline. This significantly makes the header stand out within the double page spread.  There is also a text underneath it saying "The best parties of the last month". This is considered as the caption as it explains to us what the title means.

 

Subheadings visible on this page including "Party Maison" or "Scouse house" have been written in a bold font which increases the visibility against the simple background. This empathizes the titles and brings them to the front. By their side we can see a retro-looking numbers which rate the nightclubs from 1 to 3. The retro font  underlines the party theme the magazine is advertising.  Right above the subheading there are = address information of the clubs, written in small text. However, it  has been highlighted using a yellow colour. This specific colour has not been used anywhere else within the page, therefore it makes the small text more eye catching.  As a result the reader can acknowledge where the club is placed and might record it for it's own personal use.

An exclusive feature which I have not seen in any other magazine other than this is one, is the "Need to know" column. This column presents to the readers the key information about the club or about a tour. This benefits the reader as he/she is told the latest facts around the specific genre, but also beneficial information about the venue he/she is reading about. Pink colour has been used to make this column stand out within the double page spread.  It represents energy therefore it relates to the energetic dance music, however  it also attracts the target audience as the information is bright and eye-catching.

  

CONTENTS PAGE:

 

Once the readership is looking at the content page, the first thing that catches their eyes is the main image within the page spread. The image represents a woman dancing in a nightclub, wearing a bikini top which portrays her in a flirtatious way. This might increase the consumption of the magazine from the male audience as they will be automatically attracted to the content, already from the very first page. The photograph is very clear and sharp however the background of the image is slightly blurred, which combined with the body movement  tells us that the character is having fun. This reinforces the idea of enjoying the time spent in a night club.

 

Towards the bottom of the image, there is a large page number designed in white, solid colour. The page number tells us that the content which is presented by the image can be found on page 109. Furthermore, there is a callout placed under the page number. This explains to the readers what type of content can be found on this particular page. This benefits the reader as it allows them to stay informed, as they are aware of what the magazine consists. Then, they are able to skip pages which don't interest them.

 

On the top right hands side of the main image we can spot the title of the page. It has been placed there for a  purpose as  it creates an introduction to the page spread. The headline titled "Contents" has been surrounded by a black box. A similar use of highlighting text can be seen on the double page spread of the magazine. This suggests that the magazine carries a consistent corporate image throughout the pages. This might be an example of the magazine's house style, which is consistently brought up every few pages. Furthermore, the  "Content" has been written in yellow filled text which has been also used in the double page spread when marking out valuable content.

 

On the bottom of the content page there is a section dedicated to "Your Free CD". It can be clearly seen that it has been selected out of the magazine frame as it has been separated from the rest using a thick black line. The text "Your Free CD" has been placed in the yellow section of the line which again reflects its importance to the magazine.  The columns below the line talk about the CD you gain with the magazine as well as presenting the track listed one by one. A free sample has been a favourite amongst various music magazines. The audience is more likely to purchase the product as they feel that they not only pay for the magazine but they also gain something back from it.

 

The overall layout of the contents page is quite simple but effective. The content is sorted into sections which makes it easy to understand,  not only by its target audience, but by anyone who picks up the magazine. The large amount of negative space makes the content page very simple and plain which allows the text to be easily seen, improving its clarity. In my opinion the editors of the magazine have done this on purpose, making the magazine look very professional.

 

Lastly,  the index of the features which can be found within the page, is positioned on the right of the contents page.  The subheadings of each topic are written in a bigger, bold font whereas their description is written beneath them in a thin, slightly smaller font. The readers become attracted by the subheading and then the topic is explained to us via the caption. The page numbers are written in the same font that has been used for "Contents" title.  Its style is pretty curvy giving them a slight retro look which as well represent the funky mood that can be found within the night clubs.