Ipad magazines failing

[fabregas]

When the hype dies down, the practical takes over.

Uh oh. Since its debut, the iPad has been variously hailed as the final nail in the coffin of all physical media and the savior of the magazine and newspaper industries. A few magazines, such as Wired, had truly impressive digital launches, with over 100,000 downloads of its first issue in June. It doesn't seem, however, that the stellar start was in any way sustainable. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which collects magazine circulation data from companies willing to furnish numbers, all iPad magazines have seen fall offs in downloads over the past few months. Wired was averaging 31,000 downloads from July through September, had 22,000 and 23,000 respectively in October and November. Other magazines have seen similar declines: Vanity Fair sold 8,700 downloads of its November issue, down from an average of about 10,500 from August through October; GQ sold 11,000 copies, its worst showing yet. Now, not all magazines release their numbers, of course -- including The New Yorker, People, and Esquire -- but the numbers we do have seem to be indicating a trend of general decline after a short burst of excitement.


http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/29/ipad-magazine-sales-numbers-show-steep-decline-over-a-few-short/

 

[jagu]

I dont see why it's failing. They are a lot cheaper. I got a whole year of road and track for $5.00.

 

[fabregas]

I dont see why it's failing. They are a lot cheaper. I got a whole year of road and track for $5.00.

Are they really cheaper? The experience is better of on paper, period. Also, isnt the magazine just a website anyway, formatted for the ipad.

 

[bibleverse]

Most of these mags are pretty useless when they offer the same content on their websites.. When there can be exclusive content offered only via app, then I think you'll see them rise in popularity. Bookmark a website, use pulse or flipbook and save a topic, so many ways to get the same content mag apps give you.. but for free.

 

[jagu]

Are they really cheaper? The experience is better of on paper, period. Also, isnt the magazine just a website anyway, formatted for the ipad.

I'll take the 60pct savings over paper format anyday. They are great to read on planes and sometimes interactive.

 

[fabregas]

I'll take the 60pct savings over paper format anyday. They are great to read on planes and sometimes interactive.

You say its cheaper, but wired magazine is $4 per issue on the ipad. The print version is $10 for 12 issues. Where do you get %60 percent savings? Can you give an example?

 

[Jagi]

Are they really cheaper? The experience is better of on paper, period. Also, isnt the magazine just a website anyway, formatted for the ipad.

not period. the problem with print is the news is old by the time it hits the stands.

I support the magazine industry for a living. and they are hurting and cant figure out why. trying to post whats in print online. not realizing that people like us are posting news as it happens not the next morning. even on bgol we tell people its old news if they posted something that happened 5 hours ago.

the official ipad news app and flipboard etc are the future services that will come out on top.

for companies like wired, the problem is business model. newstand sales are nice, but their real money comes from subscriptions, its those subscriptions that then drive companies to advertise in your magazine. sadly for companies like wired, apple holds that user data close to their chest, making it impossible for companies like wired to then go to companies like ford to give them subscription numbers to discuss advertising cost.

I'm actually very interested in what News Corp has planned for their daily news app. needs two things though. steve jobs co sign and a free lite version to entice people.

time inc is making the mistake of trying to pass off a digital copy of their print magazine for the same price.

gameindustry.biz doesnt charge for my membership, but i only get a small portion of the story unless i sign up. drives up membership/subscription... smart...

 

[divine]

True. They need to give them away and rely on advertisements.

Most of these mags are pretty useless when they offer the same content on their websites.. When there can be exclusive content offered only via app, then I think you'll see them rise in popularity. Bookmark a website, use pulse or flipbook and save a topic, so many ways to get the same content mag apps give you.. but for free.

 

[JimJones]

Wired and all those mags had to have seen this coming. Most of those early sales were due to folks wanting to see what the magazine would look like and experience it with the rest of the world. Hell, I almost bought the Wired Magazine for all the reasons I just stated and I dont read that magazine. Thus of the 60k first time buyers it turns out that only 20k of them are actually wired Magazine readers, which again to me makes sense.

 

[divine]

Let's not get it twisted. Print media was failing BEFORE the iPad.. the iPad only kept them from sinking 20,000 leagues under the sea but it couldn't save them completely!

 

[veritech]

Let's not get it twisted. Print media was failing BEFORE the iPad.. the iPad only kept them from sinking 20,000 leagues under the sea but it couldn't save them completely!

 

[divine]

Let's not get it twisted. Print media was failing BEFORE the iPad.. the iPad only kept them from sinking 20,000 leagues under the sea but it couldn't save them completely!

You disagree?

 

[fabregas]

Let's not get it twisted. Print media was failing BEFORE the iPad.. the iPad only kept them from sinking 20,000 leagues under the sea but it couldn't save them completely!

 

[divine]

Why Print Media Companies Are Failing

 

[fabregas]

Let's not get it twisted. Print media was failing BEFORE the iPad.. the iPad only kept them from sinking 20,000 leagues under the sea but it couldn't save them completely!

The ipad was never going to save print media. How could it when an Ipad magazine cost more than the newsstand version, and not everyone has an ipad. The notion that it could save print media is laughable.

 

[moblack]

The internet did print media in.

 

[divine]

I didn't say the iPad was going to save print media.. my point was print media was dying before the iPad and the iPad helped a little but couldn't save them. I'm not saying the iPad was going to save them.

The ipad was never going to save print media. How could it when an Ipad magazine cost more than the newsstand version, and not everyone has an ipad. The notion that it could save print media is laughable.

 

[divine]

The internet did print media in.

yup

 

[Drayonis]

Let's not get it twisted. Print media was failing BEFORE the iPad.. the iPad only kept them from sinking 20,000 leagues under the sea but it couldn't save them completely!

This nigga is delusional.

 

[divine]

This nigga is delusional.

No you just have some reading comprehension issues nigga!

 

[moblack]

This nigga is delusional.

I seriously doubt avid readers of a magazine said wait let me stop buying my monthly magazines and go spend 500 bucks on an iPad to read them on there because they're sooooo cool. Then pay whatever it is to read them on there.

 

[Drayonis]

I seriously doubt avid readers of a magazine said wait let me stop buying my monthly magazines and go spend 500 bucks on an iPad to read them on there because they're sooooo cool. Then pay whatever it is to read them on there.

You know? I have an Ipad and the I wouldn't pay for magazines on it. Dude has no credibility whatsoever.

 

[Drayonis]

No you just have some reading comprehension issues nigga!

I can read and write better than you can. Go back to copying and pasting apple articles spammer.

 

[divine]

Oh I will keep posting them.. trust! You promise to keep visiting ?

I can read and write better than you can. Go back to copying and pasting apple articles spammer.

 

[Complex]

Is a magazine subscription cheaper on the iPad?

Because if it's not, it's a rip off

 

[jagu]

Is a magazine subscription cheaper on the iPad?

Because if it's not, it's a rip off

Yes it is. I got road and track for less than $6 for 12 month subscription in October.

 

[stick.man]

You say its cheaper, but wired magazine is $4 per issue on the ipad. The print version is $10 for 12 issues. Where do you get %60 percent savings? Can you give an example?

This
Most of the magazines I already subscribe to want to charge around $4 per issue for the same content. The reason there aren't more subscribers has more to do with corporate greed than any limitations with the iPad.

 

[mrcmd187]

Why pay for Ipad or paper media since it ends up online the same day it comes out. Paper media is only good when a historical event happens other than that pretty much useless. I only buy the Time/Life year in review.

 

[divine]

Yes it is. I got road and track for less than $6 for 12 month subscription in October.

This
Most of the magazines I already subscribe to want to charge around $4 per issue for the same content. The reason there aren't more subscribers has more to do with corporate greed than any limitations with the iPad.

Some are cheaper some are not. Per issue is usually always more expensive than subscriptions.

 

[Rembrandt]

I got road and track for 8 bucks for 2 years like 3 years ago so it's not cheaper, it's about the same price. I think magazines are good for in-depth reading that you don't get from blogs and etc. The problem is most people now don't appreciate that writing and depth of the articles, they want a quick blurb and opinions. Putting the same stuff on the website does hurt if you're not driving people to subscriptions. You have to be able to get exclusives and first run content without being subscribers, even if they make it cheap since they don't get printing costs and charge their same advertisers.

 

[divine]

I got road and track for 8 bucks for 2 years like 3 years ago so it's not cheaper, it's about the same price.

Some are cheaper some are not. Sometimes you can find specials/deals on certain "print" magazine just as sometimes Zinio offers specials/deals on electronic magazines. Last month they were offering a great deal on National Geographic Magazine for the iPad.

 

[Tha Baldavenger]

I've said it before...you can "App" the web...Apple has convinced many that optimizing content for their products in the form of Apps is better for the all around experience. instead of Apple creating products that deliver web content in all it's glory...FLASH...it has convince many that they need to work by Apple's rules.

They makea great product, but this philosophy will not work for long

 

[divine]

Some apps (they are optimized for mobile products and use less resources) are better than the website. Just a reality.

I've said it before...you can "App" the web...Apple has convinced many that optimizing content for their products in the form of Apps is better for the all around experience. instead of Apple creating products that deliver web content in all it's glory...FLASH...it has convince many that they need to work by Apple's rules.

They makea great product, but this philosophy will not work for long

 

[gman2k4]

They makea great product, but this philosophy will not work for long

They said the same shit in 1976 ...

 

[Jagi]

This
Most of the magazines I already subscribe to want to charge around $4 per issue for the same content. The reason there aren't more subscribers has more to do with corporate greed than any limitations with the iPad.

pretty much.. dumb ass time inc wants to charge you one price for digital and one price for print.. oh they are debating knocking off a dollar if you subscribe to both and they wonder they their number of ad pages are getting smaller every month they'd be done in if it wasn't for their competitors doing much worse.

Time Inc is sports illustrated, life, entertainment weekly, people, instyle, cooking light, health.

fuckers are more interested in paying 400 million for an exclusive picture of some rich white womans baby than creating new methods to distribute digital content at appealing prices. their just now figuring out how to utilize twitter