Understanding genre in music magazines

Genre is the basis of the design of a music magazine. The layout, colours, main image, language and font are all influenced by the music genre of the magazine and the people it’s aimed at. There are many different music genres, and here I will be exploring a few of them and the stereotypes they hold that effect the design of a magazine.

Emo and Punk music genres are presented in similar ways. The music magazines themselves tend to feature a lot of dark colours and bold, distorted fonts. The artists are typically presented wearing dark eye make-up and black clothing, with large amounts of leather and studded & spiked items. Their hairstyles are often messy and some extremely unique, creating a statement along with their many facial & body piercings and tattoos. These characteristics reflect the rebellious, rough and typically negative stereotypes of punks and emos, further emphasised by serious and moody expressions.

Heavy Metal and Rock genres overlap slightly with Emo and Punk in the way they are portrayed. Artists are commonly presented wearing dark colours, with long, messy hairstyles, however they lack the dark eye make-up and shocking body modifications that emos and punks are typically seen with. This reflects the slightly aggressive & angry stereotype of metal and rock music, effecting the magazine in the type of language used (quite explicit) and the colour scheme (dark).

Indie and Alternative stereotypes are not as easily identifiable. People of an indie style typically do not follow mainstream trends and dress slightly quirky and different. Indie/Alternative music magazines have a laid back, casual style. Artists tend to be presented wearing smart/casual clothing, looking relaxed and relatable. The general design of indie music magazines tends to be simple, with no bright colours or extremely bold text, reflecting the general relaxed approach of indie artists.

The way pop music is portrayed in music magazines makes it tend to appeal to a younger audience. Pop is a mainstream culture, and in music magazines it is represented using bright colours, a busy layout, and lots of variation in fonts, shapes etc. The models tend to be presented with happy/smiley expressions, wearing coordinated clothing. The language used on the covers of pop magazines and inside them is often very upbeat and enthusiastic, keeping the magazine exciting to the reader interested in pop.

Hip-Hop/Rap artists tend to be stereotyped in the media and music magazines, being frequently associated with crime, drugs and violence. Most hip-hop & rap artists are black and are often shown in music magazines with serious/stern expressions, wearing jewellery (chains), caps and sunglasses. Many are also pictured with tattoos visible. Language used on the covers and inside of hip-hop magazines tends to be quite explicit, reflecting the rebellious stereotypes of the rap industry.

Dance, dubstep and clubbing music magazines tend to appeal to an older/young adult audience. This is reflected through the style of the magazine - they often have a tidy, clean layout, with minimal variation of colour, shape and typefaces. The main images quite frequently capture the subject mid-motion, reflecting the energy and movement of dance music. Dance music magazines tend to have quite a muted colour scheme and use modern, stylish typefaces for the text. Language used is often explicit, but this appeals to the target audience.