Magazines go online in iTunes-esque move

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By Ciara O'Brien, ElectricNews.net • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 27th September 2007 09:42 GMT

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A new online newsagent is hoping to galvanise the Irish publishing market by selling magazines online.

Mymagonline.com, which is based in Dublin, is hoping to become the iTunes of the publishing world by offering readers PDF versions of Irish publications. These can be downloaded directly to a PC. The magazine appears on screen the way it does in hard copy format, and any interactive content is also provided.

The site is trying to tap into a growing audience. According to recent Nielsen/Netratings research, 83 per cent of readers reading downloaded magazines online have never purchased a printed copy.

Current titles on offer include Irish Garden, PC Live and Car Buyers Guide, and the magazines are available for a discount, typically up to 40 per cent.

"The service does for magazine publishing what iTunes has done for music, delivering magazines to readers in minutes with just the click of a mouse and providing publishers with a shop window on the web," said Barry Baker, chief executive of Mymagonline.com.

"Our aim is to deliver a wide range of quality magazine content to a time-poor target market, on a highly accessible web platform that has been designed to grow as our business does. Our offering complements traditional media outlets and allows content providers access to greater readership and expanded advertising."

The project has been set up with the cooperation of the Periodical Publishers Association of Ireland (PPAI), and will launch in the UK in 2008.

"Digital downloads is one of the new growth areas in content delivery. Whilst print is always at the core of our business, this service will make it easier for publishers to attract a new type of online reader, providing new opportunities for generating revenue through online sales and enhanced advertising," said Richard Power, chairperson of the PPAI.

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