Newsstand in iOS 5 Fueling Growth of New Magazine Subscriptions

[MacRumors]

AllThingsD takes a look at how the launch of Apple's Newsstand feature as part of iOS 5 has affected subscription sales for Popular Science magazine, revealing that the prominent placement of the Newsstand app and easy access to updated content has driven a substantial increase in new subscriptions.

The chart comes to us courtesy of Mag+, Bonnier's tablet-publishing software business. And as Mag+ CEO Staffan Ekholm points out, the really promising indicator for Pop Sci isn't the one-week sales leap of 13 percent -- it's that the the magazine's growth picked up after that week, with more velocity.

Based on the graph, Popular Science appears to have been adding new subscribers at a fairly constant rate of about 700 per week during the several months leading up to the debut of iOS 5. But more than a month after the significant bump immediately following iOS 5's release, the magazine is still seeing subscription growth at nearly double the rate seen before the arrival of Newsstand.

Apple developed Newsstand as a way to allow users to keep track of what could be a large number of magazine and newspaper subscriptions, housing them all in a dedicated folder where they can be updated in the background and display the latest covers to help users identify new content.

Apple is not alone, however, in trying to provide centralized access to subscription newspaper and magazine content. Just this week, Amazon updated its Kindle iOS app to add support for its newsstand of over 400 newspapers and magazines on the iPad.

Article Link: Newsstand in iOS 5 Fueling Growth of New Magazine Subscriptions

 

[ipedro]

It looks like Apple will single handedly save print media like they did the music industry.

I'd like to see more apps work like the Newstand though. Click it and a drawer opens below for quick access.

 

[mkrishnan]

I'd like to see more apps work like the Newstand though. Click it and a drawer opens below for quick access.

I'd like to see more apps work in Newsstand. Months later, NYT is the only news app that I have that appears in the Newsstand. USA Today, WSJ, CNN, MLive, Fox, Michigan Public Radio, Valet, etc, all do not.

 

[skellener]

MacWorld? WTF?? Really?

Where's your entry for Newsstand??

 

[roadbloc]

Can't say I've ever used newsstand. I get my magazines through the post.

 

[ipedro]

I'd like to see more apps work in Newsstand. Months later, NYT is the only news app that I have that appears in the Newsstand. USA Today, WSJ, CNN, MLive, Fox, Michigan Public Radio, Valet, etc, all do not.

I agree. I thought I had few Newstand options here in Canada because well, it's Canada but you're telling me there are few publications available in the US as well?

 

[skellener]

Of course there's also Zinio which has been around much longer than Newsstand. It's also cross platform so you can read your issues on your iPad, iPhone and Mac, PC and Android phone. Plus they have a much wider selection. Still no Macworld or Rolling Stone on Newsstand.

 

[newagemac]

Of course there's also Zinio which has been around much longer than Newsstand. It's also cross platform so you can read your issues on your iPad, iPhone and Mac, PC and Android phone. Plus they have a much wider selection. Still no Macworld or Rolling Stone on Newsstand.

The problem with Zinio is the magazines in it are nothing more than PDF versions of their print magazines. The stuff on Newsstand can be entirely new concepts that are fully interactive to take advantage of the multitouch interface.

And Adobe's new Digital Publishing Suite works with it. We should be seeing some really good stuff coming out over the next few years with designers and publishers targeting the touch interface first rather than just porting print or web stuff to a digital touch based medium. Which is the same thing that made touch based apps and games successful.

 

[divinox]

Go Bonnier! Yay for Mag+

 

[jayducharme]

I'd like to see more apps work in Newsstand.

I agree. I dropped my paper subscription to Popular Mechanics and instead picked up their app. It's really well done, and now I don't have to chuck a pile of paper into the recycle bin each month. It makes a lot of sense. But it's a separate app. My Newsstand folder is still empty.

The problem with Zinio is the magazines in it are nothing more than PDF versions of their print magazines.

And that's what I like about the PM app; you get much more content (interactive stuff, videos) than you could in print form. PDFs are better for the environment I guess, but I'm more drawn to publications that know how to utilize the power of the iPad.

 

[dokujaryu]

 

[AaronEdwards]

I'm not sure if Newstand is fueling a long time growth.

The first week this app was released there were 4140 new subscribers, then it dropped to 2076 the next week. The first week of Newstand there were 3676 new subscribers, the week after that it dropped to 2125.

The average new subscriptions for the first six weeks is 1691. The average new subscriptions the first six weeks after the launch of Newstand, 1832. That's an increase of just 141 extra subscriptions per week, or 8%.

I'd wait a couple more months before declaring Newstand being a success for publishers.

Another way to make the point.

Does anyone remember The Daily? Anyone still reading it?

 

[kolax]

Great for the iPad, but doesn't really work on the iPhone.

 

[nastebu]

I'm not sure if Newstand is fueling a long time growth.

The first week this app was released there were 4140 new subscribers, then it dropped to 2076 the next week. The first week of Newstand there were 3676 new subscribers, the week after that it dropped to 2125.

The average new subscriptions for the first six weeks is 1691. The average new subscriptions the first six weeks after the launch of Newstand, 1832. That's an increase of just 141 extra subscriptions per week, or 8%.

I'd wait a couple more months before declaring Newstand being a success for publishers.

Another way to make the point.

Does anyone remember The Daily? Anyone still reading it?

Although, another another way to make the point is Popular Science not only maintained a good rate of subscriber increase, but raised that rate by 8%. Which is damn hard to do. Sure, 8% is not flashy front page sort of material, but I but Popular Science is very very happy about it and feels they've justified the investment.

This is all particularly true since the app and subscription model is still very new. If the app hits critical mass, it's a good bet that this relatively small increase will blossom exponentially.

 

[AaronEdwards]

Although, another another way to make the point is Popular Science not only maintained a good rate of subscriber increase, but raised that rate by 8%. Which is damn hard to do. Sure, 8% is not flashy front page sort of material, but I but Popular Science is very very happy about it and feels they've justified the investment.

This is all particularly true since the app and subscription model is still very new. If the app hits critical mass, it's a good bet that this relatively small increase will blossom exponentially.

Newsstand is new, so achieving this kind of increase shouldn't be that hard, the important thing is to be able to keep it.

There's no sign that it has maintained a good rate of subscriber increase, it has only been six weeks since the launch of Newsstand.

Like I wrote, I'd be waiting a couple of months until I would call it a success (or a failure for that matter). Six weeks is nothing. Will the number of subscriptions continue to fall or not? At what number will it stop falling?

Only time will tell.

 

[DocNYz]

Newsstand is new, so achieving this kind of increase shouldn't be that hard, the important thing is to be able to keep it.

There's no sign that it has maintained a good rate of subscriber increase, it has only been six weeks since the launch of Newsstand.

Like I wrote, I'd be waiting a couple of months until I would call it a success (or a failure for that matter). Six weeks is nothing. Will the number of subscriptions continue to fall or not? At what number will it stop falling?

Only time will tell.

I agree we have to see if this is just an initial spike that will peter out soon.

Either way, at least it gives me hope that some portion of the general public has some desire to learn about science and the possibility that that number is growing is enough to give me hope for a few days ...

 

[Piggie]

It looks like Apple will single handedly save print media like they did the music industry.

I'd like to see more apps work like the Newstand though. Click it and a drawer opens below for quick access.

I thought Apple was out to destroy the print industry?

How does offering electronic (valueless) versions or currently printed media help the print industry?

Companies like Apple are doing everything they can to destroy other people's jobs to increase their own profits.

 

[thewitt]

In spite of the vocal minority who dislike Newsstand, it has been very well received to date. Our clients who converted to Newsstand support from their stand alone app all report significant increases in new subscriptions.

It's a great vehicle for making content easily available to the end user, which is what matters.

 

[vrDrew]

I thought Apple was out to destroy the print industry?

How does offering electronic (valueless) versions or currently printed media help the print industry?

I'm a digital NY Times subscriber. I wouldn't subscribe to the paper version for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is there is no daily delivery in the city I live in. I'm also able to enjoy my subscription anywhere in the world, rather than letting copies pile up on my doorstep or in my mailbox.

A couple of million people like me add up to half a billion dollars a year in revenue for the NY Times they simply would never be able to capture without the iOS subscription model. That half billion or so is the difference between the Times being a viable top quality newspaper, or having to slash its editorial and news gathering budgets.

Newsstand may not be perfect, and undoubtedly publishers have some details to work out, but long term I see it being a major plus for journalism.

 

[stevenshizzle]

Newsstand makes the difference

Newsstans's consolidation of magazines makes this a pleasurable process. I didn't even consider magazine subscriptions until iOS 5.

 

[JHankwitz]

It would be interesting to see results for non-technology publications. Popular Science would be on the pub list of every iPhone user.

 

[Hammie]

I wish I could add my other magazine subscription apps to the NewsStand folder... People magazine, Life, Men's Health, etc.

Sort of sucks that I have to maintain two folders for the same type of content.

 

[JAT]

Like I wrote, I'd be waiting a couple of months until I would call it a success (or a failure for that matter). Six weeks is nothing. Will the number of subscriptions continue to fall or not? At what number will it stop falling?

Only time will tell.

Probably more time than that. 1 year subs, right? Need to see what happens 1 year after this surge.

I thought Apple was out to destroy the print industry?

How does offering electronic (valueless) versions or currently printed media help the print industry?

Companies like Apple are doing everything they can to destroy other people's jobs to increase their own profits.

Wow. I haven't subscribed to any magazine for over a decade (since I find them pointless regardless of format) and even I have a better view of magazine apps.

The "print industry" needs to realize that paper is going away in many ways. They need to understand they are the "news industry", and if people choose to get news in another format, they'd better provide it. Some appear to be doing so.

 

[Piggie]

Wow. I haven't subscribed to any magazine for over a decade (since I find them pointless regardless of format) and even I have a better view of magazine apps.

The "print industry" needs to realize that paper is going away in many ways. They need to understand they are the "news industry", and if people choose to get news in another format, they'd better provide it. Some appear to be doing so.

Each to his own I guess.

I don't like, enjoy, or want to read print on a tiny iPad screen glowing in my face.

I want to hold, view, read a proper magazine of paper, where I can move to any page, bend it, roll it up, scribble a note on it, cut out a voucher, throw it on a table, give it to a friend when I've finished reading it.

I've never read any book or paper (apart from the novelty, ohh look at this) on the iPad. It's horrible device for that.

It's way too heavy, too fragile, too expensive, it runs out of battery, you can't leave it outside without overheating.

Terrible cumbersome and far worse that paper medium we have enjoyed over the decades.

Yes, it's flexible as a device, but it's worse than what we have now from a reality point of view.

 

[JAT]

I'm at a loss. I suppose "to each their own" works. But pretty much none of those things are true about the iPad. Sounds like preconceived notions and placebo effect.

Maybe the 'give to a friend' item is a real problem, you can loan with Kindle, but probably not with other apps and periodicals.

The whole notetaking thing is why I'm actually beginning to consider an iPad for me. Many apps do this, now. I haven't had use for one before. And Newsstand is carefully hidden away in a folder on my phone.