Apple buys iPhone and iPad digital magazine subscription service Texture

Posted:
in iPad edited March 2018
Apple is reinforcing its services for readers with the long-running Texture digital magazine service, for terms as yet unknown.




"We're excited Texture will join Apple, along with an impressive catalog of magazines from many of the world's leading publishers." Apple Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said in a statement about the buy. "We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users."

Once called Next Issue, the digital subscription service runs about the same cost as five annual subscriptions to magazines, and moves the reading of a choice of about 200 magazines from paper to an iPad or iPhone.

"I'm thrilled that Next Issue Media, and its award-winning Texture app, are being acquired by Apple," said Texture CEO John Loughlin. "The Texture team and its current owners, Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Rogers Media and KKR, could not be more pleased or excited with this development. We could not imagine a better home or future for the service."



The Texture app is free, with two tiers of subscription. A $9.99 per month tier gives a choice from over 200 monthly titles, with a $14.99 giving you the monthly titles, plus some weekly ones, like People, Entertainment Weekly, Time and others.

The terms of the deal, or Apple's intentions for the service are not yet known. Texture has never disclosed its valuation.

AppleInsider is at the SXSW event, and will be attending Cue's talk on "Curation in Media - Why it Matters."

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,139member
    ...I only gave this subscription up because there was no mac desktop app - offer this and it will be a most welcome thing...! Excellent news I'd say...!
    urashid
  • Reply 2 of 14
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Wow, my mother uses this, they're really good at what they do.

    With music, video/film, music, they could offer and unbeatable bundle of media content and become a media powerhouse.

    People who poo pood Apple going into media content will be eating their shorts.
    edited March 2018 racerhomie3tmaystanthemanlolliver
  • Reply 3 of 14
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    I thought the part critical to magazines was the subscriber data. Doesn’t this publishing consortium lose that critical element post-sale to Apple?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 14
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    Apple needed to modernize with subscriptions across the board, this purchase accomplishes that for news/magazines.

    It’s a good move by Apple.  Once it’s better integrated on the IPad, I might give it a try...

    I think this will be especially appealing for older people, that grew up reading magazines and newspapers.  I wonder if they’ll give discounts for “seniors”.  It would be a good tie-in to the Apple Ecosystem.  Next up... books and movies.
    stanthemanwatto_cobralolliver
  • Reply 5 of 14
    urashidurashid Posts: 127member
    ...I only gave this subscription up because there was no mac desktop app - offer this and it will be a most welcome thing...! Excellent news I'd say...!
    Exactly the same reason I stopped my subscription.  I even offered to build the mac desktop app for them, never got a reply.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 14
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
     urashid said:
    ...I only gave this subscription up because there was no mac desktop app - offer this and it will be a most welcome thing...! Excellent news I'd say...!
    Exactly the same reason I stopped my subscription.  I even offered to build the mac desktop app for them, never got a reply.

    if they work it into iBooks or build a Mac News app you have your wish
    edited March 2018 watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 14
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,153member
    I thought the part critical to magazines was the subscriber data. Doesn’t this publishing consortium lose that critical element post-sale to Apple?
    Probably not. Apple shares some user data with publishers using Apple News already, tho it's rarely discussed or acknowledged 
    edited March 2018
  • Reply 8 of 14
    FolioFolio Posts: 698member
    Apple needed to modernize with subscriptions across the board, this purchase accomplishes that for news/magazines.

    It’s a good move by Apple.  Once it’s better integrated on the IPad, I might give it a try...

    Yes, and a SUPER move if you can cull what's of interest. Can you tap old issues? A wealth of info in BloombergBusinessWeek, New Yorker, Bon Appetit etc in their historical databases. Apple could train Siri on them too. Not sure if the magazines will be giving that capability away. Hope Eddie negotiated something there.

    For current users, young and old, now that you can easily annotate and highlight your reading with iOS 11 it's even more compelling. Brilliant!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 14
    FolioFolio Posts: 698member
     Next up... books and movies.

    Yep. As much of what I see in U.S. media is click bait and highly focussed on entertainment and lacking in international coverage, I often check overseas sites, including NHK, Deutsche Week, S. Korea's Arirang, Japan's NHK, etc. Perhaps Mr. Cue should look into aggregating that content, including excellent videos on travel, science, etc.


    (BTW I'd posted previously about getting content from MHz World. But I see Amazon has already a deal with them. Not sure if exclusive, but anyway world is producing plenty of excellent content outside of Hollywood. Curated documentaries, international thrillers, universal comedies...etc)
  • Reply 10 of 14
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    gatorguy said:
    I thought the part critical to magazines was the subscriber data. Doesn’t this publishing consortium lose that critical element post-sale to Apple?
    Probably not. Apple shares some user data with publishers using Apple News already, tho it's rarely discussed or acknowledged 
    Source?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 14
    I love Texture and think the acquisition was a good move for Apple. The app for Apple’s new Texture magazine service should also allow magazine articles to be READ ALOUD by Siri — essentially by upgrading the reading service available in Accessibility options. Every iBook should offer reading services, too. Audio should be a free option if the reading is done by a computer instead of a human.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 14
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,153member
    gatorguy said:
    I thought the part critical to magazines was the subscriber data. Doesn’t this publishing consortium lose that critical element post-sale to Apple?
    Probably not. Apple shares some user data with publishers using Apple News already, tho it's rarely discussed or acknowledged 
    Source?
    https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/General/Conceptual/News_Advertising/WBHelpAdandCampaignDetails.html
    as well as:
    • Other Segments: For specific advertising campaigns, advertisers may match information they have about users with Apple’s information to create segments, which must contain at least 5,000 people. Advertisers can use an Advertising Identifier,  or other information they have about users, such as a phone number or email to match users to segments on Apple's advertising platform.  During the match process, these identifiers are obscured to limit (not prevent?) personally identifiable information being disclosed. To choose which segments they match users to, Advertisers may use information they have from interactions with users. This information is acquired and used subject to the Advertisers’ own privacy policies.

    Apple does not know or make available to advertisers information regarding your sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or political affiliations. No Apple Pay transactions or Health app data is accessible to Apple's ad platform, or is used for advertising purposes.

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205223

    edited March 2018 [Deleted User]
  • Reply 13 of 14
    farmboyfarmboy Posts: 152member
    In a nod to Eddie's former co-worker, Scott Forestall, each Apple-produced show will be visually framed by an on-screen, perfectly rendered, exceptionally black, film-sprocket border, with each sprocket hole perfectly displayed with rounded corners the precise size of the square of 1000 argon molecules, or the mean crumb size of a Pepperidge Farm Sausalito Dark Chocolate Macadamia cookie.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 14
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,896member
    I think Apple is after the mangers who work for Texture and who made some great partnerships with top line magazines.  
    watto_cobra
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