Stephen Fortner Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 Some of you might notice that the keyboardmag.com website is still showing January (and previous) articles for the most part. Up to now, we've been pretty much getting an issue's content online right when the same month begins, which also happens to be when that issue hits newsstands. Recently, it was decided across MusicPlayer that this is kind of giving away the store and not exactly great for subscriptions or single-copy sales on newsstands. So now, we're going to wait 30 days or so. You'll see February content March 1, March content April 1, and so on. We're still going to post all the online extras like audio examples and videos that go with a given article. That's the stuff we call out in those little "More Online" strips with screenshots in them. Our aim is to have those pages (the ones called keyboardmag.com/january2011, /february2011, etc.) up when the issue mails to subscribers from the printer. That date always falls in the first week of the month *before* the issue month. So if you have a mag in your hands, you'll be able to get to the multimedia extras. It's just that we're not going to post full articles until the magazine has been out for a month. Speaking of online extras, what do you think of those "More Online" graphics (we call them dashboards) in the mag? Helpful? Too repetitive? Would you prefer all that stuff on one "this month online" page? To be honest, I swing back and forth about how I feel about them. Stephen Fortner Principal, Fortner Media Former Editor in Chief, Keyboard Magazine Digital Piano Consultant, Piano Buyer Magazine Industry affiliations: Antares, Arturia, Giles Communications, MS Media, Polyverse
Joe Muscara Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 It's just that we're not going to post full articles until the magazine has been out for a month. Speaking of online extras, what do you think of those "More Online" graphics (we call them dashboards) in the mag? Helpful? Too repetitive? Would you prefer all that stuff on one "this month online" page? To be honest, I swing back and forth about how I feel about them. I feel the same way. I guess when I'm reading the issue and going thru several articles, it seems silly to keep seeing that. OTOH, when I just read the one article, it can be a useful reminder. It's also nice to see *what* extras are available for that article. As far as the "delay" in the full web content, I guess if you must. Perhaps you're going to do this, but maybe teasers for the articles on the home page and even article pages would be good. I tend to think it looks bad to go to a magazine's web site and the site doesn't have *any* info about the current issue. If you had a way to say "coming next month or buy the issue on stands now" that might be good. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI
Theo Verelst Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 Well, then I suppose the EE manages good ?
Sven Golly Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 For what it's worth, I like the way Sound On Sound does it with their "eSub" feature; subscribers have password-protected logins that give them access to the digital edition (or you can subscribe to just the digital edition, if you so choose). The digital content is available immediately to subscribers, and (I believe) after a period of time it's available to the general public. The incentive to subscribe is pretty obvious.
stillplaying Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 +1 for the SOS model. I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books.
allan_evett Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 +1 for the SOS model. 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon!
JpScoey Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 For what it's worth, I like the way Sound On Sound does it with their "eSub" feature; subscribers have password-protected logins that give them access to the digital edition (or you can subscribe to just the digital edition, if you so choose). The digital content is available immediately to subscribers, and (I believe) after a period of time it's available to the general public. Quite right Sven - I might be wrong & would have to check, but I believe the 'period of time' is one month for all the articles to become accessible online. Seems to me like a good system. John. some stuff on myspace Nord: StageEX-88, Electro2-73, Hammond: XK-1, Yamaha: XS7 Korg: M3-73 EXpanded, M50-88, X50, Roland: Juno D, Kurzweil: K2000vp.
Sundown Posted February 13, 2011 Posted February 13, 2011 I like the Sound on Sound model too... And I'm pretty sure at least some of the eSub material stays eSub forever. You can look up old gear reviews, and unless you have a subscription, you still can't view some of them. In SOS's case, I'm pretty sure they put the whole magazine up on web, as opposed to just add-on features. I'll occasionally read it on my lunch hour, which allows me to enjoy my subscription more. Sundown Finished: Gateway, The Jupiter Bluff, Condensation, Apogee Working on: Driven Away, Backscatter, Eighties Crime Thriller Main axes: Kawai MP11 and Kurz PC361 DAW Platform: Cubase
NoahZark Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Is an iPad app too much to ask for? Pretty please. With sugar on top. I'd pay double my current subscription rate! Mostly, I'd love to be able to get all of the content in a single place (instead of feeling like I do today that I get half the content in the print edition and need to go to the web for the other half). Noah
Joe Muscara Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 What Noah says about an iPad *app* is true. I hadn't thought of print+web in one place like that. That would be uber-cool. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI
Ken Beaumont Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Yes! an iPad app would be great. Look at the Daily for an idea how it should be done. Video, Text even ads, it looks like and reads like a magazine only in multimedia. Now I would pay a couple dollars for the app in addition to the regular print subscription. And to be honest I normally pay $12 a year by paying online. Add $2 to that and I would be happy to pay $14 annually for both print and the app versions. Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell
MoodyBluesKeys Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Don't have the iPad, but I do like being able to download the mag content as a PDF - I do subscribe to the printed edition - as my way of paying back a little for this group of forums. Any player not doing that should consider what would be their comfort level if these forums disappeared and HC was the remaining choise. I do save the mags, at least for a while, but I can save the digital mags in a relatively small amount of space on the computer. I like having both available - and don't mind paying for that. Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Jim
kanker. Posted February 15, 2011 Posted February 15, 2011 Honestly, I would much rather a non-print version of the magazine. I buy my music off iTunes, movies too. I'm much more interested in digital delivery than print media. Get me a web only subscription, even for the same price as the print subscription, and I'd be a very happy camper. The material cost difference between simply publishing to the net vs. printing doesn't bother me. I'd rather the magazine keep down the costs by NOT going to print while charging me the same and delivering all the great info we've come to expect from Keyboard. A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable.
Tonysounds Posted February 15, 2011 Posted February 15, 2011 What the hell am I supposed to do in the bathroom without Keyboard? Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me.
kanker. Posted February 15, 2011 Posted February 15, 2011 What the hell am I supposed to do in the bathroom without Keyboard? You don't take your laptop into the bathroom? A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable.
Sven Golly Posted February 15, 2011 Posted February 15, 2011 What the hell am I supposed to do in the bathroom without Keyboard? iPad.
Marzzz Posted February 16, 2011 Posted February 16, 2011 Recently, it was decided across MusicPlayer that this is kind of giving away the store and not exactly great for subscriptions or single-copy sales on newsstands. So now, we're going to wait 30 days or so. You'll see February content March 1, March content April 1, and so on. SOS keeps non-subscribers waiting for 6 months, I have no problem with that and as a result I am an eSub. Gotta admit, having all the Keyboard content immediately available on-line is a disincentive to subscribe. I would make it at least 3 months and see how it works.
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