Apple is buying Texture, the digital subscription service for magazines

Apple is buying Texture, the all-you-can-read subscription service (sometimes dubbed the "Netflix of magazines") that lets users in the United States and Canada call up digital editions of more than 200 magazines for a flat fee. 

The enterprise, which started out as Next Issue Media, launched in 2012, is owned by a consortium of big U.S.-based magazine publishers (along with a $50 million chunk owned by venture capital company KKR.) 

Rogers Media launched Next Issue Canada (later Texture Canada) soon thereafter, adding many Canadian titles to the menu offered to subscribers -- along with the U.S. titles. According to a story by Peter Kafka on Recode:

"Apple hasn’t disclosed a price but I’m told KKR will at least get their money back and that the publishers who started the company — Conde Nast, Hearst, News Corp and Meredith (which now owns Time Inc., another founder) — are happy with the deal."

Apple Media boss Eddy Cue said 

“We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users.”

[Apple doesn't usually announce smaller acquisitions, but apparently made an exception in this case because Cue was speaking at the South by Southwest conference this week in Austin, Texas.]

Multi-title digital subscriber service Texture certified by AAM

Magazines that get a lot of their readership through digital subscription service Texture can now claim them as certified by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). The decision followed creation of a new circulation strategy that recognized growing participation in such all-access "Multi-title Digital Programs" as of the first  half of 2016. 

“The Texture model is changing the way that magazine consumers read content and how publishers are selling media,” said Steve Maich, senior vice president of digital content and publishing, Rogers Media. “With services such as Texture, we’re able to get our premium content in the hands of paying consumers in a way that is completely measurable, making our story more attractive to advertisers.” 

“Texture’s decision to become AAM certified represents a crucial step for the entire industry,” said Tom Harty, president and chief operating officer of Meredith and director on AAM’s North American board. “It has showcased the value of premium content, showing that magazines can maintain readers and reach new consumers in new and innovative ways.”

Texture is an all-you-can-read subscriber service from Next Issue Media in the U.S.A. and from partner Rogers Media in Canada. 

The new audited category was first tested out over three years as clients' experience determined how best to qualify issues and verify and report them. Each request was at first counted as a newsstand sale. Now they will be reported as paid subscription sales, including such key metrics: 

• Average number of total requests by paid subscribers to receive a digital issue
• Average number of times issues were opened
• Unique and total opens