Paywatch ($$$$): GQ – $2.99 and It’s Yours on an iPhone/iTouch
Last modified on 2009-12-25 13:03:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Just when I thought the iPhone/iTouch might be a bit wee for magazines to use as their interim un-walled tablet (as opposed to Kindle, etc.), I’m reminded that hot babes nearly nude, especially famous ones, sell. On just about any-size screen.
So, 4 $$$$s to Conde Nast for naming a price and charging it! $2.99 and you can download the January issue as an app to your iPhone or iTouch.
This makes so much more sense to me than having to buy another device, like a Kindle or e-Reader, etc.
Size is an issue, though, isn’t it? Checking out nearly-nude Rihanna on a little screen is one thing. Business Week won’t have the same advantage.
We need something in-between a little phone and laptop.
Can we get something fold-able and real thin? Like a little electronic pocketmap computer we can unfold when needed?
Meanwhile, Apple, we’re waiting. Surely you’ve got something juicy for us.
As Peter Kafta (@pkafka) at All Things Digital reports, they’re getting serious about this at Conde. Not just a one-off. Starting in March “you’ll be able to buy new copies of the magazine ‘in app,’ meaning that you won’t have to download a new app from iTunes every time a new issue comes out. GQ may also tweak pricing and/or offer a subscription instead of one-offs,” Kafta reports.
Check out his piece (click here). I totally agree with him that this is important. While lots of folks are talking about what they’re going to do (I’ve written about a bunch of them already: Sports Illustrated, Bonnier, News Corp), Conde is actually DOING IT!
Foldable. Think about it. That’d work, right?
Paywatch ($): BBC – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Last modified on 2009-12-25 13:03:59 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The full story from today’s UK Guardian (above) is here.?? Bottom line: Mr. Smith runs the commercial arm of the BBC (not the public one) and, basically, said out loud he supports Murdoch’s plans to charge for content.
This means something coming from anyone whose biz card reads BBC, commercial or otherwise, since the BBC conjures such forceful images of free content.
But this only ranks one $ because he’s not putting his money where his mouth is.
As noted in the article: “BBC Worldwide does not have any plans for a paywall for any of its sites at present. However, it will watch closely as the market develops and ensure it has the appropriate revenue model in place,” a spokeswoman said.
Cluck cluck cluck….
Paywatch ($$$$): News Corp — Murdoch Making Good On Promise To Charge
Last modified on 2009-12-25 13:05:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
News Corp and Sony hugged today. Very shortly, after you buy Sony’s e-reader for $399, you can pay some more ($14.99/month) to get the WSJ on it, some more ($5.00/month) to get a little extra at day’s end (WSJ PLUS), some more ($10.99/month) for MarketWatch, and some more ($9.99/month) to get the NY Post.
Hey, that’s $30.97/month all in. Awesome.
One thing though: it looks like _ _ _ . Anyone seen what some of the other folks are throwing around, visuals-wise, in these demos for new readers? Check out http://bit.ly/67YAtp and http://bit.ly/67YAtp for a quick look.
Still, four-$$$$’s-up for putting a price on the content and actually charging. I’m already a paid subscriber and don’t feel like lugging around another tablet-sized gadget so I’ll probably go oh-ten without this, but I hope lots of people sign up!
December 16, 2009
FT.com
Because We’re Worth It: FT.com Going Even More Premium — that’s the headline from this PaidContent posting today @ http://bit.ly/7f2BH4. Lead paragraphs:
“The Financial Times website sought to show off its long-time paid content credentials as Murdoch made his volte face this summer – effectively: we’re awesome and indispensible, so people will buy us.
Now it’s adding what it hopes will be more reasons to take out its $99-a-year subscription.
A monthly Editor’s Newsletter from FT ed Lionel Barber, highlighting big themes for the month ahead and providing updates and insights on new site features.
Page-turning electronic editions at www.ft.com/FTePaper
FT Newsmine: a Friday email ‘that abstracts hidden nuggets from FT articles’”.
December 16, 2009
YouTube
According to Reuters on Dec. 15th, 2009:? “YouTube is considering offering users the option to pay for subscriptions in a bid to encourage more media companies to license premium TV shows and movies to the popular online video site, a senior executive said.”? Click here for full article.
—–
December 11, 2009
You’ll Pay for This!? (Hopefully.)? Welcome to Paywatch
(Baywatch, above.? Not Paywatch, but close)
By now you know I don’t believe in free.? I think it’s ridiculous and unsustainable that so much great content is available for nothing online.? If it costs money to create something, people need to pay to get it.? Otherwise, it must go away.
We don’t live in a volunteer world.? Ever heard of a charitablistic society?? Not found on Wikipedia.
Speaking of which, even novelty has? a limit.? The digital do-gooder of all time, Wikipedia, can’t keep people working for free.? They lost more than 49,000 editors (the volunteer breed, not the kind that actually edit for a living) in the first quarter of 2009 compared to a net loss of 4,900 during the same period a year earlier.? I read this in the November 27, 2009 Wall Street Journal (to which I subscribe and for which I pay to access online).
So, consider this the first installment of Paywatch.? I’m on the lookout for content that’s kicking the free train.? Brave souls willing to get clobbered in the near term while you try to, get this, GET PAID for your work, I support you!? I highlight you here:
1)? Variety
Variety Nixes the Free Model for Web Stories, Will Resume Charging
That’s the headline from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, which goes on to note, “Hollywood industry publication Daily Variety plans to resume charging for access to its stories online, a bold step that some others in the media business have been considering.
The Variety Web site was almost entirely reserved for subscribers until the fall of 2006, when it lifted the pay wall to boost traffic. Readership rose, but it didn’t translate to a spike in advertising revenue.”
Hear that?? Variety knew it all along.? Welcome back, friends.
2) Adweek
Did? you see yesterday’s announcement that e5 bought Adweek and some other Nielsen trade pubs?? Never heard of e5?? It’s Pluribus Capital Management and Guggenheim Partners together with a new name.? What do you suppose folks with names like that are interested in?
They told Adweek that “in addition to adding significant editorial resources to each of the brands across print, Web and mobile platforms, the new company would add paid content portions to each brand’s Web site.”
Ahhhh.? Paid content.? Welcome, friends.
Stay tuned for more.? (And please, let me know if? you hear of any more paid content in the make.)
