Front Cover Analysis: Mixmag

There is a disco ball on the floor of the image used on the front cover of Mixmag. The disco ball is an indexical sign, as it has a physical link to late night partying and music. It is also iconic of dancing and socialising.

Some of the artists on the front cover of the magazine are standing on ladders, giving them elevation over the others. This may connote that they are more important, i.e. higher up in the hierarchy, more famous or better singers. The ladders themselves are indexical of the building trade. This is something not expected on the front of a music magazine and may set out to challenge some views. They may have been used to represent the fact the group are ‘down to earth’, this is juxtaposed against the celebrity lifestyle which is associated with money and fame to the lifestyle of the everyday person. Alternatively, the ladders may represent a ‘rags to riches story’. So again it is left open to the readers own interpretations, which would be affected by their gender, culture, religion, etc.

The tittle of the letter ‘i’ is iconic of ‘DJ’s, this is because it is a physical representation of a record. It is also indexical of dancing and parting. This subtly appeals to the target market for the magazine. As the name suggests they would have an interest in mixing music. The font used is also quite rounded, again indexical of CD’s, which denotes music and holds connotations of parting and socialising