What So Young Magazine does

So Young Magazine is a UK-based, privately-held independent creative platform founded in 2013 that documents and promotes underground guitar music and illustration. The company publishes a fully illustrated, limited-edition print magazine every two months (six issues per year), reaching 63 issues as of August 2026, and has built sub-brands including So Young Records (an adjacent wholly-owned record label), So Young Live (live events and the recurring monthly "We Are So Young" showcase at The Social, London, plus festival appearances at Green Man, Truck, Wide Awake, Latitude, SXSW and The Great Escape), and the curated Spotify playlists "The So Young List" and "So Young Records." Customer segments are individual music enthusiasts, emerging artists seeking exposure, collectors of limited-edition merchandise and prints, and live-music attendees; the company states it has featured artists such as English Teacher, The Last Dinner Party, Wunderhorse, Been Stellar, Heartworms, Divorce and mary in the junkyard before their mainstream recognition.

The business model combines recurring subscription revenue with transactional sales. Subscriptions are priced at £5/month for UK customers and £10/month for international, with an annual membership at £60 that bundles six issues, a members-only T-shirt, limited-edition prints and a 20% merchandise discount. Single issues retail at £3–14 and branded apparel (T-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies) at £24–45, sold through a Big Cartel direct-to-consumer storefront (shop.soyoungmagazine.com), physical venue and stockist sales, and live-event retail. So Young Records contributes licensing and royalty revenue from artist releases, while live events generate transactional ticket sales. Distribution operates from a single London hub and is global via e-commerce, with no disclosed institutional ownership, funding rounds, or enterprise customer concentration.

Operationally, the company runs with 16 employees, a hybrid community-led / event-driven / direct-to-consumer go-to-market motion, and partnerships including Arts University Bournemouth (annual GradList illustration feature), Speedy Wunderground (shared artist development), and Chrpr Studio/Chaptr (website design). The technical stack is non-software-centric: no proprietary platform, app, API or disclosed AI/ML capabilities exist; the digital footprint is a content website, an Instagram presence, and curated Spotify playlists. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no patents or trademarks, and no regulatory actions, and it is wholly owned by its founders/editorial team.

Name

So Young Magazine

Legal name

So Young Magazine

Website

https://soyoungmagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

So Young Magazine is an independent UK-founded creative platform (2013) publishing a bi-monthly print magazine on underground guitar music and illustration, operating a record label (So Young Records), live events, merchandise and subscriptions serving alternative music enthusiasts, emerging artists and collectors globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Music & Culture Magazine

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

Keywords

• Independent music publishing
• Alternative music journalism
• Underground culture magazine
• Independent record label
• Music merchandise retail

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Print Magazine Sales: Sale of limited edition print magazine released every two months (six issues per year). Individual issues priced at £6-14 depending on format and edition.
2. Subscription Revenue: Monthly membership subscription at £5/month (UK) or £10/month (International). Includes welcome package with latest/back issue, exclusive members-only T-shirt, limited edition print with each issue, 20% off clothing, and regular goodies from partners. Annual membership at £60 includes six issues, one members tee, six prints, 20% off clothing.
3. Merchandise and Clothing Sales: Sale of branded clothing including t-shirts, long sleeve tees, hoodies, and collaboration pieces with featured artists. Price points range from £24-45 per item.
4. So Young Records: Record label operation with DIY ethos and collaborative spirit, releasing music from featured artists. Includes singles and records from artists like YHWH Nailgun, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, and Westside Cowboy.
5. Live Events: Revenue from live shows and events, including ticket sales for 'We Are So Young' nights and festival appearances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

So Young Magazine is a UK-based independent print magazine published bi-monthly (six issues per year) since 2013, focused on underground, alternative, and emerging music alongside visual arts, fashion, and culture. The publication delivers long-form journalism, artist interviews, and reviews, and is supported by a digital edition, an annual subscription membership, and an integrated portfolio of side offerings including a record label (So Young Records), recurring live events (We Are So Young nights at The Social, London), and branded merchandise.

Product overview

So Young Magazine is a creative platform focused on underground alternative music and visual arts, founded in 2013. The company operates across multiple channels: a print magazine published every other month featuring emerging guitar music acts and illustrators, So Young Records (an independent record label), live events including the monthly 'We Are So Young' showcase nights, and an online editorial platform. The business also generates revenue through merchandise including branded clothing (t-shirts, hoodies, long sleeve tees), limited edition collaboration pieces via the Artist Series, art prints, and subscription services (monthly at £5 UK/£10 international, or annual membership at £60). The company also curates Spotify playlists and produces compilation releases. The magazine issues are available as zines with prices ranging from £3-14, while clothing items range from £24-45.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• So Young Records: Record label with DIY ethos and collaborative spirit, joining the journey of bands and introducing them to wider audiences through recorded sound and curated visuals
• So Young Live
• We Are So Young
• The So Young List

Products and services

• So Young Magazine (bi-monthly print issue)
• So Young Magazine subscription membership
• So Young Records
• We Are So Young (monthly live event series)
• So Young branded merchandise (apparel, prints, zines)

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Arts University BournemouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSo Young partners with Arts University Bournemouth for their annual GradList feature, showcasing Illustration course graduates in the print edition.
• Speedy WundergroundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared artist relationships with Dan Carey's Speedy Wunderground label; both platforms feature emerging artists including Honeyglaze, Lime Garden, and others.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Drowned in Sound: Pioneering UK independent music publication known for championing emerging indie and alternative artists. Historical peer with overlapping editorial mission though primarily digital-first.
• The Quietus: Long-running UK independent music and culture publication covering alternative, experimental, and underground music. Comparable to So Young in editorial focus on alternative music scenes, though more text-heavy and broader in cultural scope.
• DIY Magazine: Independent UK music publication focused on emerging artists, with print issues, digital editorial, and live event programming. Overlaps directly with So Young's artist-discovery remit and audience of alternative music enthusiasts.
• Crack Magazine: UK-based independent print and digital music publication covering emerging alternative and electronic music with a similar editorial sensibility and D2C merchandise offering. Directly comparable in audience, format, and business model to So Young.
• Loud and Quiet: London-based independent music magazine featuring emerging and established indie/alternative artists, with print and digital editions and subscription products. Operates in the same niche as So Young with comparable business model.
• Upset Magazine: Independent UK magazine focused on emerging punk, indie, and alternative music with print and digital editions. Comparable format, audience, and editorial scope to So Young's underground guitar music focus.
• The Line of Best Fit: UK-based independent music publication and label covering emerging artists with a similar mix of editorial, music videos, and artist development. Comparable audience and editorial mission to So Young.

Broad incumbents

• NME: Iconic UK music publication with global reach covering alternative, indie, and rock music. Comparable in editorial remit to So Young but operates at much greater scale with broader genre coverage and a digital-first model.
• Pitchfork: Major global music publication covering indie, alternative, and emerging artists at scale. Operates in the same editorial category as So Young but with vastly larger reach, broader genre coverage, and a digital-first business model.

Emerging players

• So Young Records peers: Speedy Wunderground: Small UK independent record label with shared artist roster and DIY ethos. So Young already has informal partnership/coverage overlap; comparable as a label-and-curation platform serving the underground scene.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/SoYoungMagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/so-young-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about So Young Magazine