Apple introduced quite a few new features with its iOS5 update. However, it is Apple Newsstand which is giving digital publishers a very
valid reason to rejoice. According to a new report, the feature has helped digital magazines in increasing their subscription numbers. Conde Nast, for one, has reported 268 percent increase in the subscription numbers for nine of its digital magazines, since the introduction of Newsstand. The single issue sales have also soared by 142 percent. These magazines include Wired, Vanity Fair, Golf Digest and Allure.
Conde Nast is not the only publisher to benefit from the new change. Other publishers such as Exact Edition have also reported increase in the download of their freemium issues. Another publisher Future, claimed that it sold more digital copies in the four days of Newsstand debut than it used to do in the entire month.
Digital publishing has largely been loss making propositions for the publishers. While, digital editions do well on free mode, these editions have not been able to sustain themselves, once the publisher decides to charge for them. Though, Newsstand augurs well for the publishers, but it is yet to be seen whether it would lead to any long term, permanent changes in the way digital magazines are viewed by the readers. The initial bump may prove to be permanent or it may just be a temporary phenomenon, which will vanish once the novelty of Newsstand wears off. Currently, Newsstand is collaborating with 295 magazines.