Ready for the iPad Magazine Revolution? It Won't Come Cheap

by Matthew Zuras on June 1, 2010 at 04:05 PM

Maybe you remember this guy named Steve Jobs who was all like, "I've got this new device and it's magical and revolutionary." The iPad will save the print industry, Jobs told us, because all of the world's gasping magazine publishers will hop on the third-device bandwagon, and save long-form journalism and glossy celebrity gossip. You'll be able to walk around with a year's worth of magazine subscriptions in your tote bag, we thought, because the iPad would be the next revolution in cheap and accessible content. Haha! Not so.

iPad editions of magazines have been somewhat slow-coming since the device's launch, and, in general, they have not exactly impressed. The recession is a culprit, as is the ad implosion that either sent many a mag scrambling for new sources of revenue, or into the great recycling bin in the sky, never to return. Since iPad editions don't waste tree pulp or ink -- or incur the same kind of distribution costs -- we all assumed that digital mags would be cheap and plentiful when the iPad came to market. But now Bonnier -- publisher of Popular Science, Popular Photography and Sound & Vision -- has announced that the iPad versions of its mags will cost at least twice as much as their print counterparts. Say what?

Those three mags are slated for a June release on the iPad and are priced at $29.95 for a year's subscription. Compare that to the $12 cost of the print subscriptions advertised on their sites, and the still cheaper deals available elsewhere. So why the high price tag? Editorial, creative and development costs are high in the initial stages of these new editions; these are, after all, uncharted waters for every publisher. And if Bonnier is planning for each issue of their digital publications to look like this, we can understand that it's not a simple copy/paste job to translate from print to 'Pad.

Still, it's going to be touch and go for most publishers as they navigate this new market. They have to create a dynamic, legible and interesting product in a cash-strapped economy. While some are rabid for the iPad, the device won't see the same kind of mass implementation as the iPhone for a little while yet. On the one hand, we'd say that iPad magazine subscriptions, much like the first iterations of the device itself, may only be suitable for early adopters with some cash to burn. On the other, we fear that horrible initial sales figures might dissuade or delay publishers from either putting out a good product or finding a price scheme that doesn't make our heads spin. [From: Business Insider]

Tags: app, apple, bonnier, deathofprint, DigitalMagazines, ipad, ipad magazines, IpadApp, IpadMagazines, itunes, magazine, magazines, PopularScience, print, SteveJobs, subscription, tablets, top

Comments

KoleckaiJun 1st 2010 5:31PM

Neutral

Individual Apps will be more expensive but they usually provide more interactive content as well. These may well be the way of the future and redefine the magazine industry in the long term. However if you go through a service like Zinio (http://www.zinio.com/) with their free iPad app, then you can get many of today's magazines digitally at the same cost. Works like iBooks or the Kindle for iPad software.

I have decided not to purchase paper magazine (or newspapers) anymore due to the environmental issues of paper. This provides a good outlet where I can get the whole magazine and still support these companies.

Anyway, I can't wait for more digital magazine and newspaper content on my iPad. Yeah, it will be more expensive at first but most things are until enough people make the paradigm shift to make it worthwhile.

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RudyJun 2nd 2010 9:35AM

Neutral

I am also a very long time user of Zinio and I am glad to see they have made an ipad app which I do use. I think the Zinio priceing is and has been very fair and much better then what I am seeing from the stand alone mag apps. In time I hope their prices will be more inline with Zinio or the standard supscription prices.

I was happy to see News Week app and they have an ok per issue price of $2.99 much better then everyone else asking $4.99 for each issue.

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JonathanJun 3rd 2010 3:34PM

Neutral

I'm not a very sophisticated user. I enjoy my ipod, and now my ipad. A mix of work and play, but mostly work in the form of organization and Internet based tasks. I also like to read the odd magazine and carry a few subscriptions for home.

For me, I would give up all of my paper in a instant, but not if it costs more. I already spent more than I should have on the device. Now, the subscriptions must be on par. If not, paper still works and the kids can still clean up the house and recycle. I sometimes share a magazine with students at school and they've returned the favour. Why would I pay more? Case and point. Wired. Looks amazing, but $4.99 an issue with no break for subscription? Sorry, I'll keep my $1 an issue subscription price for the paper/sharable version. Why is no one getting this?

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