Data shows circ declines for subs, sharp declines for singles; digital still insignificant

Canadian magazine circulation declined 5.7% for the six months ended December 31, according to Alliance for Audited Media data. Paid subs were down 5.4%; single copy sales down 12.7%. 

Of 61 reporting titles, the leading publications were Chatelaine (523,942, down 2.3 from the previous year, same period), Canadian Living (520,239, up 1.4%), Reader's Digest (396,692, down 16.1%), Maclean's (295,888, down 5.2%) and Style at Home (237,862, up 2.1%).  

Digital circulation for 50 titles reporting it showed a tripling to about 125,00 circulation or 1.6% of total, paid, verified and analyzed non-paid circulation. Leaders in digital circ were Reader's Digest (34,117), Canadian House & Home (11,045), Maclan's (7,807), Selection Reader's Digest (6,035) and Chatelaine (5,590).

AAM data about the circulation of American magazines in Canada in the first half of 2013 shows National Geographic on top with a total paid and verified circulation of 300,744, down 2.37% from 2012 same period). Other leaders were Cosmopolitan (184,569, down 16.5%),People (134,980, down 8.03%), O the Oprah Magazine (129,356, down 0.29%) and Woman's World (119,485, up 3.29%)

The total circulation of U.S. consumer magazines decreased 1.7% in the second half of 2013 compared with the same period 2012. According to a report from the AAM, the decline was mostly in single-copy sales, which fell 11% from 25.4 million to 22.6 million. Paid subscriptions fell from 264.9 million to 262.8 million. Digital circulation growth pulled the numbers back up by increasing 37% to 10.6 million copies; still, a relatively small (3.4%) of total circulation.

Latest numbers for ad sales of U.S. business-to-business publications are part of a long trend showing almost no rebound from the recession. Data published by the American Business Media shows that ad sales were down 7.5% for the year 2013 to August, the fourth year in a row where paves have not recovered from their zenith. (see graph below). The hardest-hit categories were automotive, aviation, banking and retail, with declines of between 11 and 23%. (There's a good article by D. B. Hebbard of TalkingNewMedia about this.)