Future Predictions of Digital Editions - 75% of the Magazine Market

Being an avid reader of all things media and publishing, I look forward each day to Bob Sacks commentaries and summaries of key news that affect the publishing industry.  I have also had the pleasure of listening to him speak at conferences about the future or publishing and the changes that need to occur in an evolving digital world.  He is always thought provoking and a true visionary. 

Today I came across news about the launching of a new research and advisory service that Bob Sacks is part of called mediaIDEAS.  Interestingly, they include a sample research paper brief (they call TH(ink) Notes) on the definition of print and digital magazines.  This is a question often asked and discussed.  They come up with 6 key characteristics of magazines that they believe define magazines today and into the future.  These include -  metered (ie divided into pages), edited, designed, date-stamped, permanent, and periodic. 

Digital editions of magazines fall squarely into this definition, and in fact mediaIDEAS stress how the pagination of a magazine "provides a certain tempo that promotes discovery: the reader is presented with a manageable set of new articles, images and, increasingly videos and sound."

Further, the research goes on to say how digital editions will reach 30% of the magazines market over the next 15 years, and 75% within 25 years. 

At Advanced Publishing, we certainly believe this to be true and are committed to continuing to evolve the digital magazine experience to help readers and publishers embrace the benefits that digital magazines provide, while retaining the tempo and experience that browsing print magazines allow.