Hints of Magazine Subscription Service Spotted in Apple News in iOS 12.2 Beta

[0388631]

Oyster's all too common fate of running up against the Amazon behemoth wasn't the main point. Instead, Your point was that monthly subscription services aren't " a viable model," and that Oyster's failure with e-book subscriptions was proof. I simply wanted to point out that Oyster was not analogous to Texture in any meaningful way, (including your implication that Google bought it, and shut it down later because Google couldn't make it work when Oyster announced it was selling just it's IP assets to Google and shutting down).

It isn't a viable model. Even Scribd gets routine investment injections. Oyster sold its IP, it's employees and its founders to Google. When people question the viability of services such as Spotify or even Netflix, it warrants questioning of smaller scale services such as Oyster or in this case, Scribd.
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Increasing magazine and newspaper distribution, while allowing them to not only keep but increase their advertising revenue, and now Apple's apparent plan to massively increase that distribution, is a very different model from Oyster's failed model. Doesn't mean Apple will be successful, but Oyster's failure is not instructive. It's also very different when a company like Amazon or Apple can leverage a service, such as magazines, with its ecosystem. Oyster was a one trick pony, living off its share of the monthly subscription. Apple and Amazon don't have to make any money off of their services as long as they enhance the overall value of their services.

If it's a failed model then so is Scribd, Kindle and others on non-native platforms. It's as obtuse as the claim from a few weeks ago by another member harping on how Netflix removing subscription ability from inside the iOS app will be their downfall, because Apple brought Netflix to people's attention and Netflix should be grateful to them.

The KU platform is a failure in that it fails to maintain a constant subscriber base, the ability to sort quality written works from trash which it still hasn't and Amazon has been dealing with fraud issues since its inception, and the fact it caters to mostly romance readers.
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It's for another forum, but this is why most people are overvaluing Netflix, which is actually in a very precarious position. Netflix is competing against an ever growing number of massive companies that have multiple sources of income in an industry that is largely becoming commoditized in the sense that there is nothing "unique" in what any of them are doing and there is lots of good to great content; so consumers are going to be very price sensitive going forward. As they are all competing for the same group of actors, directors and producers, the costs are skyrocketing, but they are constrained from raising prices to keep up with those rising costs. Netflix is in the worse position in that type of environment.

Not debating you here. They'll be investing hand over fist like Amazon to get ahead. How many years they'll have to do this is anyone's guess. Disney and its upcoming platform is going to be a major player, but I don't have too much faith in Disney executing their plan efficiently.

 

[truthertech]

It isn't a viable model. Even Scribd gets routine investment injections. Oyster sold its IP, it's employees and its founders to Google. When people question the viability of services such as Spotify or even Netflix, it warrants questioning of smaller scale services such as Oyster or in this case, Scribd.
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I am not sure you're understanding the point which is not that Oyster had a good business model, it didn't, but rather that comparing the economics of an e-book subscription service, where the only source of income is subscriptions, to an magazine/news subscription services where ad revenue is going to be a major source of income, in addition to the subscriptions, is a poor comparison. It is an especially poor comparison when comparing companies that have no other source of income to that of the company with the most revenue in the world which can add an e-magazine as another value add to its vast ecosystem without having to make a profit on the service.

 

[0388631]

I am not sure you're understanding the point which is not that Oyster had a good business model, it didn't, but rather that comparing the economics of an e-book subscription service, where the only source of income is subscriptions, to an magazine/news subscription services where ad revenue is going to be a major source of income, in addition to the subscriptions, is a poor comparison. It is an especially poor comparison when comparing companies that have no other source of income to that of the company with the most revenue in the world which can add an e-magazine as another value add to its vast ecosystem without having to make a profit on the service.

Ad revenue belongs to the magazines. Any external ads outside of the magazines will go to Apple. Do you honestly think Apple can ask for more than a few percent? These models are never viable without big money backing it. Your other arguments were defeated. If Texture was so viable, why would they have sold out to Apple? What benefit apart from a greater customer base? Why not sell to Amazon, who has a much larger Kindle book purchaser base?

At this point Apple is a glorified distributor. Don't prop Apple's market share up as a savior to Texture. They aren't. If Google had bought Texture, would you have the same feelings then or not?

You had all day to come up with an actual rebuttal that would merit some time to think through. Your post reeks of blind faith in Apple's ability to push out a product because of their global reach.

Believe it or not, ad income is a fraction today of what it used to be. Don't be surprised when Texture is eventually absorbed into iBooks.

 

[cmaier]

I cant imagine paying for this unless it’s a throw-in to a subscription service that includes the new TV programming, music, etc.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

How about the news app in the nordics...thanks