Hearst Magazines Join Apple's 'In App Subscription' Program

093804 esquire popular mechanics o

The Wall Street Journal reports that Hearst Corporation has agreed to Apple's terms for in app subscriptions, making plans to begin selling subscriptions to several of its magazine titles beginning with their July issues.

Starting with their July issues, iPad apps for Esquire, Popular Mechanics and O, The Oprah Magazine, will be available through a service from Apple that allows customers to sign up for subscriptions inside the apps and get billed automatically. Subscriptions to all three publications will be sold for $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year.

Only a few publications have begun using Apple's iTunes subscription service, launched in February. Hearst is the first major magazine publisher to commit to selling subscriptions to multiple titles through it.

Hearst noted that it will also offer subscription access to its newspaper titles and other content in the future.

The development marks another significant victory for Apple in its push to bring magazine content to the iPad. Just days ago, it was revealed that Apple and Time Inc. have struck a deal to allow subscribers to the print editions of Sports Illustrated, Time, and Fortune to access the digital editions of those titles on the iPad free of charge. Time has yet to commit, however, to offering standalone iPad subscriptions for those titles.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
vision pro video recording

WSJ: Some Apple Vision Pro Buyers 'Feel Total Regret'

Friday May 16, 2025 7:43 am PDT by
Apple's Vision Pro headset has left many early adopters expressing dissatisfaction over its weight, limited use cases, and sparse software ecosystem, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal. In the year following the device's launch, user feedback suggests that it has failed to meet expectations for comfort, software support, and social acceptance. In interviews conducted by T...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Could Debut Advanced Silicon Battery Tech

Friday May 16, 2025 8:00 am PDT by
The upcoming all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air could become the first Apple smartphone to adopt advanced battery technology, with Japanese supplier TDK preparing to ship its new generation of silicon-anode batteries by the end of June. According to DigiTimes, TDK CEO Noboru Saito revealed in a recent interview that the Apple supplier has accelerated its production timeline, moving shipments...
fortnite apple featured

Apple Says Fortnite for iOS Isn't Blocked Worldwide, Just the U.S.

Friday May 16, 2025 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today clarified that it has not blocked Epic Games from updating the iOS Fortnite app in the European Union, but it is not planning to allow Epic Games to offer Fortnite in the United States App Store at the current time. In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said that Epic Games tied its U.S. App Store submission to the update that was also being submitted to the Epic Games Store for iOS ...

Top Rated Comments

steviemax Avatar
183 months ago
Zinio

How is that economically viable when you can purchase Ipad subscriptions, through Zinio, for $8 (Esquire) and, $12 (Popular Mechanics) ??
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
grahamwright1 Avatar
183 months ago
It's still a tough sale when you can get a year's subscription to the print edition for $6 to $10, so I'm not interested in paying $19.95 for a year's subscription that eliminates the paper and physical distribution costs. Until the annual iTunes subscription is in the same range as the discounted print subscriptions, the market is going to be limited here.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fjfjfjfj Avatar
183 months ago
It's still a tough sale when you can get a year's subscription to the print edition for $6 to $10, so I'm not interested in paying $19.95 for a year's subscription that eliminates the paper and physical distribution costs. Until the annual iTunes subscription is in the same range as the discounted print subscriptions, the market is going to be limited here.

Absolutely right. And what I hate to see is these companies come out in six months and say the iPad model does not work. There will be low demand because people aren't willing to pay $19.99 a month for something they can get for $10 a month and the consumer knows the publisher is able to produce it a lower rates.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdowns Avatar
183 months ago
These companies don't get it. Their readership is aging and dying. They're trying to attract a younger audience by offering them digital subscriptions at a higher rate than print subscriptions. Do they employ marketing people?

Here's my free marketing advice to these idiots. We know your money is made based on selling reader demographics. Offer the subscriber something (longer subscription, exclusive content) in exchange for them agreeing to provide demographic information.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lesser Evets Avatar
183 months ago
They don't understand: what do they provide that people would pay for?

Who buys magazines anymore when the news/info they give is sloppy, old, and an excuse to have ads on every other page? $5 a pop or $1 a go, it's intrinsically worthless. They need to try harder with what they provide to set them apart from flyers delivered for free in my mailbox.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
183 months ago
Wow... Pricing structure...
Short. Sighted.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)