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Document-sharing service Scribd expands its subscription offering with the addition of premium magazine articles from Time, Fortune, Silver, Bloomberg Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Foreign Police, Newsweek, New York magazine, Atlantic, and others. The inclusion of these items complements the company’s existing content, including audio and traditional books and, of course, documents.
For $8.99 per month, users can load up on content and stories from multiple sources, with content rivaling that of Flipboard, Apple News, and even Amazon to some extent. Scribd’s goal is to provide engaging reading for educated professionals through a model similar to what Netflix has done with subscription video, chief executive Trip Adler explained.
Through its app, the company provides access to articles that would normally only be featured in the print version of magazines. While some will be “real-time” articles, Scribd is moving towards longer and even less time-sensitive articles as it seeks to differentiate itself from the news apps that have flooded the market.
“We’ve always envisioned Scribd to be the reading destination that connects readers to the best written work, and magazine articles have been one of our most requested features,” Adler said. “By connecting books, audiobooks, documents and now articles around areas of interest, our members are now free to browse trends or dig deeper into any topic.”
Available exclusively through the company’s subscription service, the offer will allow users to select the articles they wish to read. What makes this interesting is that the articles are released the same day the print magazine hits newsstands. Scribd won’t charge you extra to read these stories, and publishers will be paid either upfront with license fees or through a pay-per-read model – the exact payment model will vary by publisher.
Another thing that will vary depending on the publisher is how Scribd will handle past issues. At launch, you’ll see at least the latest edition of the magazine, but not all will allow you to browse past issues.
Scribd also leverages its interest-based algorithm to display content for you. Its editorial team can highlight documents relating to this week’s email scandal involving Secretary Hillary Clinton, but the service will also show relevant books and even magazine articles centered on the issue, providing you with more material. reflection to consume.
You will be able to digest these magazine articles on the web and on any mobile device.
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