Alternative Press is an American music magazine founded in 1985 that provides interviews, photos, release information and music charts on alternative rock bands. It struggled financially in its early years but grew in popularity and circulation in the 1990s as it covered well-known groups. By 2005, it had expanded to 112 pages on average and launched a radio show and sponsored tours to promote alternative rock music to its target audience of teenagers and young adults aged 15-30.

2. History and Success Alternative Press is an American music magazine. It provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea. The first issue was just a photocopied fan magazine, handed out at concerts in June 1985 by Alternative Press’s founder, Mike shea. In it’s early years the magazine suffered form financial problems and by the end of 1986 publication had stopped because of this, and wasn’t resumed until the spring of 1988. In the early 1990s circulation increased, and by 1994 the magazine was doing cover stories on many well known groups. By 2005 Alternative Press had grown to an average size of 112 pages. It has also put it’s name on a radio show aired on XM Radio, and it is a major sponsor of Warped Tour, the Taste of Chaos tour, and has started its own “The AP Tour”.

3. Target Audience The target audience for alternative press seems to be teenagers and young adults, aged 15-30. Also, we think that the magazine could be aimed at males more than females. This is because of the colours used and also what’s inside the magazine. For example the competitions, reviews, adverts, etc. This magazine used informal language which indicates that it is for younger people. The genre of music that this magazine focuses on is all alternative, rock/pop music form groups such as paramore, fall out boy, the used, ect. The types of people that you would normally associate with these groups are teens and young adults, which helps us determine the target audience .

4. What it offers to media consumers There are many different things in this magazine. Such as band interviews, concert info, the latest music updates, competitions, etc. These things are all put into the magazine to keep the readers interested and entertained so that they want to read on and even buy the next issue. The goal of Alternative Press is to keep it’s readers up to date with the latest music updates and stories. It likes to keep the readers up to date with what's going on, and give them info on what goes on behind the music to give the groups inspiration.

5. Plans for the future Alternative press has grown a lot since it first started in 1985 as a small fan magazine. It has now got it’s own website, it has got it’s name on a radio show, and is also starting it’s own tour. In the future alternative press could improve by having online editions, these would be popular because it would save people having to go out to buy their magazines. It could also get together with apple to create it’s own app so people can read the magazine on their ipods/iphones. This is more convenient for the reader and could help to make it more popular and well known.