Magazine industry... will it survive?

[!on]

The future isn't rosy for mags or CD's. These people keep going by embracing the very thing that took most of their business - the internet.

As long as people are interested in the subject matter, then there is hope. Having websites means people will go there, so advertising will keep them afloat. There are no adverts on CD's, so they'll go quicker than mags (nearly all major music stores have closed here in the UK). Mags have adverts, but you still need to buy it to see them. Hence the need for websites (see above).

Mags will keep going longer than CD's as it's something to read on the train or at home. Music can be downloaded before you go out.

I worked for a newspaper / magazine wholesaler & they had their boom time. People got laid off & magazine distribution was consolidated.

 

[mikedt]

The future isn't rosy for mags or CD's. These people keep going by embracing the very thing that took most of their business - the internet.

As long as people are interested in the subject matter, then there is hope. Having websites means people will go there, so advertising will keep them afloat. There are no adverts on CD's, so they'll go quicker than mags (nearly all major music stores have closed here in the UK). Mags have adverts, but you still need to buy it to see them. Hence the need for websites (see above).

Mags will keep going longer than CD's as it's something to read on the train or at home. Music can be downloaded before you go out.

I worked for a newspaper / magazine wholesaler & they had their boom time. People got laid off & magazine distribution was consolidated.

I think I stopped buying music on physical CDs back in 2000, when Napster came out and I bought my first MP3 player, a 64 megabyte Diamond Rio 500. I've not owned a CD or a DVD player for about ten years now, apart from what came with some laptops. I still sometimes buy paper magazines though, although this is more for Chinese reading practise rather than the actual content. One thing with a real dead tree magazine, you can't block the adverts like with it's on-line counterpart.

Sure where I am CD*, DVD*, magazine and newspaper sales are still very strong because only a comparative few own PCs and have fast internet access. Although the popular low cost Android tablets may well change that.

* CDs and DVDs are usually pirated and really cheap.

 

[Bob Maxey]

One thing with a real dead tree magazine, you can't block the adverts like with it's on-line counterpart.

Yes, but those darn micro-encapsulated perfume inserts and blow-in cards. I always hated those. Just like popup ads and such.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I'm not judging here, but I think we all can name a "magazine for airheads" from US magazine to the Robb Report.

Once they've gone electronic, does it really make sense to keep on obeying the magazine format? I don't see why. No doubt the word will morph into another meaning, and e-magazine publishers will wise up and increase their market penetration by going to a web format. It's silly to hitch your wagon to a certain e-book vendor when you can self-publish.

i'll defend the Robb Report to my dying day. Before you say it, I'll defend the Dupont Registry as well. For any number of reasons I will not go into. Nothing about the RR is for airheads. That aside, I do wonder what magazines will survive and which will die.

Before the Internet and we had vast numbers of interesting magazines, the chance that a new magazine would fail was extraordinarily high. Lots of things are needed for a successful magazine. Readership and ad revenue being the most important things.

You asked why publishers continue to publish printed volumes along side the e-version? Well, it is because they make money. The publisher can have an online version, but as long as the print version sells, it remains. and it might make more profit than the online version. Online versions are expensive to create and sometimes, they fold.

Millions of people love their magazines.

 

[Bob Maxey]

The Year The Newspaper Died - Business Insider

Newspaper Death Watch

Newspapers fold as readers defect and economy sours - CNN

BAD: The loss of something millions love to read . . printed paper magazines and newspapers

GOOD: Writers will still be paid.

 

[Speed Daemon]

Nothing about the RR is for airheads.

By the same token, nothing about snobbish consumerism is particularly smart. And that is, after all what those magazines are peddling. By definition, conspicuous consumption has no utilitarian purpose. IJS

 

[Bob Maxey]

By the same token, nothing about snobbish consumerism is particularly smart. And that is, after all what those magazines are peddling. By definition, conspicuous consumption has no utilitarian purpose. IJS

This is America, and we have the right to be snobbish and if we make it big, we have a right to spend our cash with wild abandon and toss all reason out the door.

You most likely do not need an "expensive" Android phone, but you likely have an one. Why not use a dumb phone? You do not have a $350,000.00 gem encrusted model you might find in the Robb Report, so what about you? You are free to be a snob.

We are all snobbish at some level and the RR serves those people just like craigslist serves those that want a fancy, used phone at cut rate prices.

Sometimes, we should forget what we need and buy something we do not need. Hopefully, one day you can afford to buy something like a half a million dollar phone. My guess is if you win the lottery big time, your views will change and you will fill your life with pricey baubles you do not actually need.

 

[Stuntman]

I think I stopped buying music on physical CDs back in 2000, when Napster came out and I bought my first MP3 player, a 64 megabyte Diamond Rio 500. I've not owned a CD or a DVD player for about ten years now, apart from what came with some laptops. I still sometimes buy paper magazines though, although this is more for Chinese reading practise rather than the actual content. One thing with a real dead tree magazine, you can't block the adverts like with it's on-line counterpart.

Sure where I am CD*, DVD*, magazine and newspaper sales are still very strong because only a comparative few own PCs and have fast internet access. Although the popular low cost Android tablets may well change that.

* CDs and DVDs are usually pirated and really cheap.

2 years ago, I converted my entire music collection over to MP3 format, so I can play it on my phone. My phone had an FM transmitter, so I can play it over any FM stereo. I still purchase music in various formats. If not already in MP3 format, I will convert it.

 

[dan330]

2 years ago, I converted my entire music collection over to MP3 format, so I can play it on my phone. My phone had an FM transmitter, so I can play it over any FM stereo. I still purchase music in various formats. If not already in MP3 format, I will convert it.

What phone has an FM transmitter?

 

[Frisco]

What phone has an FM transmitter?

Probably means one of the many kits out there for FM signal propagation and reception.

 

[Stuntman]

What phone has an FM transmitter?

Nokia N97. It is my first smartphone. It sucks in general, but has some really cool features for its time. One of those features is an FM transmitter. After I switched to Android, I kept this phone around as a music player. It comes with 32GB of storage, so it can hold my entire music collection.

My previous car did not have BlueTooth audio, so in order to play my music, I just set my phone to transmit to the FM stereo. It worked pretty well. The only issue was the difficulty in finding an unused FM frequency. It took some time to find a few to avoid any interference. The transmitter on the N97 was rather weak. Sometimes when I drove close to another car who is also using an FM transmitter, I hear that car's music. Overall, it worked pretty well when trying to play music over legacy devices. Right now, I can play my music over my portable stereo at home. I don't own any HiFi devices that can connect with my phones via BT or anything else.

I recently got a new car which has BT audio, so I don't need to use my N97 in my car anymore. I keep my music on my SGS3 as well for playing in my car. My N97 is relegated to playing music over my home stereo systems only now.

 

[mikedt]

What phone has an FM transmitter?

Lenovo P700. There's a few phones that have FM transmitters, but it's not very common though. The SQ is not very good, it's really just a convenient way of playing songs from your phone in your car in the absence of a physical connection or Bluetooth.

 

[SiempreTuna]

D'you know: I'd completely forgotten about FM transmitters!

I tested a phone for Nokia a few years back that had one. Worked reasonably well - though not perfectly - in the car I had at the time (A4). Really nice feature - I remember thinking my next phone definitely had to have it. Then along came Android and I forgot all about it.

My current car (bottom of the range 3 series) has BT but it doesn't support music playback, only phone calls. Sure, it has an Aux jack so I can play back via a cable, but an FM transmitter would be way cooler ..

 

[Torn Prince]

Its kind of the same with music... A lot of people prefer to electronically purchase music tracks then physically buy a CD. Quite a few companies have went into administration possibly over sales going down? Anyway as far as magazines I don't think they will disappear I'd rather physically read a magazine then read it on my tablet. There's tons of people without the capability to e-purchase a magazine and id rather pay with money at a store then use my credit card online.

 

[dan330]

i guess there are still many people out there that prefer it on paper. and as long as there are this market and are willing to pay... there will be supply for the demand. I think demand is shrinking.

but..
for those that prefer it digitally... the question to you is:
why pay for a digital magazine when the same information/news/articles/subject is available free on the internet/apps/blogs ????

 

[Speed Daemon]

for those that prefer it digitally... the question to you is:
why pay for a digital magazine when the same information/news/articles/subject is available free on the internet/apps/blogs ????

For those who fail to understand the difference between good and thoughtful journalism, no doubt "some guy with a blog" will seem like a tremendous bargain. But for people who follow specific writers, and have certain expectations of getting information that has actually passed some test for accuracy and validity, some random person's blog will not be enough.

When the excellent Byte magazine went to the web to die, those of us who had formed semi-personal relationships with Jerry Pournelle over the years (he is faithful in his correspondence) visit his Chaos Manor often. In cases like that, there are more personal relationships, loyalties and unspoken rules of conduct to be kept "in the loop" with great writers. Sometimes it's a voluntary payment, which IMO is a good and fair way to do it.

In the end, you do get what you pay for. And because discretion is the better part of valor, those who pay some price (if only in knowing the product, and searching for the best one) will get the better deal.

Those who are satisfied to listen to those who shout the loudest, and wouldn't dream of spending anything for their own enlightenment will certainly get the value that they seek.

 

[dan330]

SD.. interesting point. point taken.

but some of these excellent paid for articles are also available free on the web.. through apps like "Flipboard"

news can be read from feeds that come from NBC News, CNN, and such...

of course you as the read should use your own judgment on what to believe and what to do more research on. the internet is what it it is.

 

[Speed Daemon]

of course you as the read should use your own judgment on what to believe and what to do more research on.

If I had to have a tattoo on my forehead, that's what I'd choose to put there. Well said!!!