Skip to main content

Zinio acquires Audience Media, looks to expand digital magazine lead

zinio-ipad
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Zinio, the leading magazine app in mobile, has just acquired Audience Media, and plans to be the first magazine content aggregator to make white label, branded apps for consumers.

Digital magazines are big business. According to the Magazine Media Factbook 2013/2014 more than 90 percent of adults in the U.S. still read magazines and a growing proportion of them are doing it on tablets and smartphones. More than 1 in 10 tablet owners read digital magazines daily, and magazine apps frequently top the iPad charts in categories like Lifestyle, Health and Fitness, and News.

Recommended Videos

“Mobile is the future of digital publishing, and this acquisition reinforces our ability to work with more magazine publishers to deliver premium content to an expanded audience of users,” said Joan Solà, EVP, Chief Global Markets at Zinio. “There is a growing consumer appetite for high quality magazine content, and this acquisition will make it possible to develop apps for long tail content in specific niches. We are eager to serve the needs of online magazine readers in creative new ways.”

Zinio is the leading platform for digital magazine subscriptions, offering more than 5,000 publications, including titles like Hello, Wired, National Geographic, GQ, and Tatler. It offers free apps for Android, iOS, and Windows, as well as a desktop PC reader.

Audience Media provides a multi-channel SaaS solution that enables publishers to push content out in print, on the Web, and through apps from a single content management system. Clients include Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and Marie Claire.

Putting the two together will enable Zinio to offer publishers an easy one-stop-shop for the transition from print to digital. It will continue to offer its newsstand apps alongside individual branded apps for specific magazines.

“We are increasing our footprint to become the leading mobile first player for digital magazines” explained Joan Solà.

Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
Samsung could reinvent the S Pen for its next foldable phone
Rear view of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.

Samsung is reportedly making a major stylus input change for its next book-style foldable device as it moves forward in pursuit of slimmer phones. According to a report from ET News, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will switch the stylus input to a format similar to that of the Apple Pencil.

Citing industry sources, the Korean outlet mentions that Samsung has decided to remove the digitizer element from the upcoming phone’s display assembly. The digitizer is a pressure-sensitive layer that converts the physical input from a stylus and converts those strokes into digital information.

Read more
The Kindle Paperwhite just got a rare discount for Presidents’ Day
An Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2024 on a table.

Amazon rolled out several Kindle deals for Presidents' Day, including this gem: the ad-supported Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2024 at 16% off, bringing it down to a more affordable $135 from the e-reader's original price of $160. The $25 in savings may not look like much, but you still wouldn't want to miss it because a discount for this device rarely happens. The offer will only be available for a limited time though, with stocks possibly running out even before the holiday arrives, so hurry with your purchase if you want to take advantage of this bargain.

Why you should buy the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2024
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2024 received an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5 stars in our review, catapulting it to the top of our list of the best Kindles. The first thing that you'll notice about the e-reader is its sharp and high-contrast e-ink screen that makes reading extremely comfortable to the eyes, especially since it also has glare-free properties. The 7-inch display also has adjustable warmth that you can customize depending on the time of day, and since the device is ultra-thin and waterproof, you can bring it with you wherever you go.

Read more
Tired of downloading terrible apps? This Google Play Store update will help
A person holding an Android phone while on a bike. The display shows the Google Play Store.

The Google Play Store has an estimated 3.3 million apps available, but they most certainly are not all created equal. Some are no longer updated, some don't work the way they're meant to, and others are just plain terrible — but a new update to the Play Store could make finding the diamonds in the rough much easier.

This update is already live for some users, but it's still rolling out to others. When browsing the Play Store, warnings will appear just below the app information and provide a high-level overview of its performance. For example, it might warn that an app is frequently uninstalled, or the app might not get as much engagement compared to others, according to Android Authority.

Read more