After months of being an open secret, News Corp’s iPad-only Newspaper, The Daily, is finally here… along with iTunes’ new in-app subscription API that will allow the Daily and other e-publications to finally begin to prosper. We’ve got the full details.
The new In-App Subscriptions API is detailed thoroughly in iTunes updated Terms and Conditions, explaining that in-app subscriptions auto-renew and then directing users to how that auto-renewal can managed and turned off. It also states that Apple may provide personal information to third parties for marketing purposes, but this is opt-in: a user can decline sharing that subscriber information with third-parties but still subscribe.
The Daily’s entire business model will be driven by this new in-app subscription system, at least at first.
Unveiling The Daily this morning, Rupert Murdoch said that the publication aims to capture “the serendipity and surprise” of traditional newspapers, but on the iPad. “New times demand new journalism.”
(Serendipity and surprise are adjectives I would personally be more inclined to apply to the iPad over the decomposing, near-extinct colossi of print newspapers, but I digress…)
The Daily is navigated by “carousel” with stories visually represented on tiles that can be swiped through or shuffled. Other features will include panoramic, 360-degree photos, interactive content, HD video and the usual legacy content of newspapers like weather, crossword puzzles, and horoscopes.
Sharing is key: all of the Daily’s content will be easily shareable via Facebook, Twitter or email. You can even submit text or audio comments for a story.
The Daily, as rumored, will cost $0.99 per week, with the two first weeks free thanks to a partnership with Verizon. Yearly subscriptions will cost $40. Content will auto-update every morning, with breaking news updates also happening occasionally, according to the demands of the news cycle.
For right now, Apple’s new in-app subscriptions service only works with the Daily, but Apple promises support for other applications coming soon.
As for the Daily itself, it also won’t remain exclusive to the iPad, with Murdoch promising support for other tablets and platforms soon.
