What's new
Apple iPad Forum 🍎

Welcome to the Apple iPad Forum, your one stop source for all things iPad. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Newsstand

jsh1120

iPF Noob
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
87
Location
Seattle, Washington USA
None. At least not forever. The entire point of Newsstand is to sell you subscriptions so Apple can take a 30% cut. It's called Publishers Clearing House for the iPad.
 

giradman

iPad Fan
Joined
Apr 26, 2011
Messages
8,096
Reaction score
8,717
Location
North Carolina
Well, I'm finding Newsstand to be a royal PITA! :D

Everything seems 'free' at first opening, but that is just to download the little apps for each magazine - then you have to BUY or SUBSCRIBE to the publication - well it's not free! Also, I downloaded the Sound & Vision app, a magazine that I have a subscription and get the 'hard copy' - there was no option for me to also download issues that I already bought from them - pretty primitive in my mind! (P.S. Wired did offer that option, so much inconsistency).

Now I do enjoy the Zinio app and was worried about Apple bringing out their own magazine program - how would it affect Zinio - I have 3 mag subscriptions there - sent them an email and the reply is quoted below; appears that Zinio is still a mag option (at least I hope from this response) - :)

Thank you for contacting Zinio Customer Support.

We have no current plans to integrate with Newsstand. The app is safe. You can also purchase from Zinio.com directly to avoid Apple getting a cut of the profit. We currently do not offer Nook support. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Please let me know if I may be of further assistance!

Kind regards,

Maren
Zinio Customer Support
 

thewitt

iPF Novice
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
1,627
Reaction score
73
Apple does not control the subscriptions for each content provider that has decided to support Newsstand. It's still unclear whether or not Apple will require subscriptions to support Newsstand in the future, however one of our clients has requested that we include a configuration setting for Newsstand support.

Apple policy does not allow subscriptions without Apple getting paid.... regardless of whether or not Newsstand is being used.

I think we might see a native magazine app from Apple in the future as well, though nothing has been announced
 

twerppoet

iPad Fan
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
24,132
Reaction score
15,329
Location
Milton-Freewater, OR
Apple seems to feel that if it's going to host, notify, and distribute content, that they should be compensated. Annoying to those who wish to distribute and receive free content, but not entirely beyond understanding. And there are ways to distribute free content without requiring a subscription.

As for non-free content: Well, the battle of who gets what cut has been a part of the system forever. Nothing new there. Because online distribution is new, the dogs are going to be a bit noisy until they all know who's got the sharpest teeth.

TRVL magazine (still free at the moment) has come up with an interesting solution. They will charge .99 a month, but let you choose to donate (the portion that they receive) to one of several charities.
 

jsh1120

iPF Noob
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
87
Location
Seattle, Washington USA
Just an update on Newsstand. For the third issue in a row, the background downloading of the New Yorker failed. Since this is virtually the only justification for this ridiculous "app," I continue to hate it.
 

DarkRavenMoon

iPF Noob
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
50
Reaction score
7
The only subscription I've found to be totally free is for 'The Metro' which in fairness is free to take a hard copy anyway...
 

s2mikey

iPF Novice
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Messages
1,553
Reaction score
170
Location
Upstate, NY
None. At least not forever. The entire point of Newsstand is to sell you subscriptions so Apple can take a 30% cut. It's called Publishers Clearing House for the iPad.

Yeah, and its quite cheesey if you ask me. In almost all cases, the print subscription rates are lower - considerably sometimes. Ive yet to to find a deal on a digital version of a magazine and I suspect its because of that Apple 30% cut.

Lets face it - The Newsstand is just lame and needs to die off. Magazines simply need to make their own reader apps and then sell us to us directly or whatever. Meh.
 

Kaykaykay

iPF Noob
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
6,952
Reaction score
446
You can opt to buy some online publications without using Apple apps. The Financial Times offers a Web app, for instance. I also subscribe to other newspapers and magazines and just read them online. That way, I get full content (app content is more limited, I find) and the publisher doesn't have to give Apple a cut. I'd rather support the publications directly. I don't use Newsstand at all, even though I subscribe to several publications with Newsstand apps.
 

pseudocode

iPF Noob
Joined
Jun 15, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Website
www.pseudocode.eu
I don't know if anything has changed recently, but some publications are definitely free to the end user or not purchased through Apple but still available in Newstand.

For example, The Economist is tied to their digital edition, so you subscribe on their website and your login also gives access to the Newstand version as well. For me it works fine.

The Metro is also free; when you sign up a slightly worrying box pops up asking you to share your contact details with the publisher, but it still works if you say no. I have no idea if Metro pay anything to Apple for this, but if they do it would surely be comparable with the printing cost of the paper version so the advertising funded model would still work.
 

thewitt

iPF Novice
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
1,627
Reaction score
73
Publishers are able to cut a deal with Apple to allow their subscribers free access to magazines thru Newsstand.

Several have done so, and I suspect more will over time.
 

Most reactions

Latest posts

Top