Latest News & Insights
5 subscription lessons from The New York Times’ chief growth officer
The publisher’s chief growth and customer officer, Hannah Yang, provides insight into the tactics and approaches underpinning its subscription growth.
Subscription Publishing Briefing: May 22
Original reporting drives news subscriptions, and The New York Times launched a dedicated audio app for its news subscribers.
Editors’ Picks
‘A torrent of crap’: News publishers see trust as a differentiator as AI content proliferates
The rise of AI-generated content could help news publishers establish stronger relationships with audiences.
Leading publishers’ subscription landing pages
A snapshot of 25 leading publishers’ subscription landing pages, as displayed to U.S. users in May 2023.
Publishers experiment with their own AI-powered chatbots
Publishers are developing their own artificial intelligence features in an effort to grow engagement with their audiences and add value for paying subscribers.
Google’s new AI search experience could significantly reduce traffic to publishers’ sites
Google has unveiled a significant overhaul of its search that will bake AI-generated responses directly into search responses.
Google steps up subscription initiatives for publishers as it transitions to AI-driven search
Helping news publishers build subscription and reader revenue could enable Google to maintain access to their content.
NYT continues to grow subscribers as advertising revenue dips
The publisher’s subscription business continues to prove more resilient than its advertising business as economic instability persists.
Misleading subscription practices risk undermining publishers’ editorial credibility
Aggressive acquisition and retention approaches can help publishers boost revenue in the short term, but they risk undermining credibility with audiences.
More publishers adopt 4-week subscription billing cycles
A growing number of publishers are tying billing cycles to 4-week (or 28-day) periods instead of calendar months.
Google launches new paywall and subscription monetization tools
Google has added new tools enabling web publishers to monetize their web audiences via subscriptions and contributions.
Weathering the Storm: How subscription publishers are navigating economic instability
A new Toolkits report explores how publishers are adjusting their approaches to drive subscription success despite challenging market conditions.
The Subscription Publishing Show
Stat generates 40% of its revenue from subscriptions
Chief operating officer Angus Macaulay discusses the biotech, pharma and life science publisher’s subscription success.
How The Dispatch reached 35,000 paying subscribers in three years
CEO and editor, Steve Hayes, joined the latest episode of The Subscription Publishing Show.
How The Juggernaut is building a subscription publication for the South Asian diaspora
CEO Snigdha Sur explains how subscriptions are fueling The Juggernaut’s mission to create smart journalism about South Asia and South Asians around the world.
How Defector generated $3.8 million in its second year
The sports and culture publication grew subscription revenue by 19% year-over-year, and has amassed a subscriber base of over 38,000.
Skift’s Jason Clampet on building a suite of B2B subscription products
The publisher now offers four distinct subscription products tailored to the needs of different groups of professionals across the travel industry.
The Logic’s David Skok on funding quality journalism with subscriptions
CEO David Skok unpacks The Logic’s approach to subscriptions on the latest episode of The Subscription Publishing Show.
Reports & Guides
Weathering the Storm: How subscription publishers are navigating economic instability
A new Toolkits report explores how publishers are adjusting their approaches to drive subscription success despite challenging market conditions.
Subscription Publishing Snapshot: Q2 2023
This report explores the themes that will shape subscription publishing in the second quarter, and runs down the events that defined Q1.
Reducing passive subscriber churn
Tactics for mitigating passive subscriber churn and minimizing lost revenue from payment failures.
How to limit password sharing for subscription products
Tactics for limiting password sharing activity and using it as a growth opportunity.
Managing “sleeper” subscribers
What to do when subscribers aren’t actually using the products or services they’re paying for.
SEO strategies for paywalled content
Strategies and tactics to ensure optimal search performance for paywalled content.
Comparing server-side and client-side paywall technology
Each approach comes with advantages, drawbacks and unique considerations.
Onboarding subscribers
Implementing highly effective onboarding processes that help minimize churn and boost subscriber engagement, retention and revenue.
Archives
Subscription Publishing Snapshot: Q2 2023
This report explores the themes that will shape subscription publishing in the second quarter, and runs down the events that defined Q1.
Click-to-cancel requirements appear unavoidable
Legal experts expect easier subscription cancellation mechanisms will be necessary to comply with FTC requirements in the U.S.
As publishers’ subscription revenues grow, editorial staffers want their share
Subscription models enable publishers to tie editorial output closely to revenue, prompting some staffers to question if their contributions are being rewarded fairly.
The Washington Post offers new subscribers access to Headspace
The Washington Post is offering new subscribers access to meditation and mindfulness service Headspace via a new partnership and promotion.
Publishers grapple with increasingly complex subscription renewal laws
Navigating subscription laws in the U.S. is becoming more challenging as states attempt to regulate automatic renewals more closely.
Microsoft in talks with publishers over Bing AI chatbot
The company said it is in conversations with publishers about how their content is used to inform responses given by its Bing artificial intelligence chatbot.
AI chatbots could undermine publishers’ subscription products
As new artificial intelligence chatbots and search functions launch, publishers are scrambling to understand if they’re poaching paywalled information.
Password sharing is not a pressing concern for most publishers
Some publishers believe account misuse for their subscription products is being kept at acceptable levels, while others are simply turning a blind eye.
The Economist and Mint offer bundled subscription for customers in India
The Economist has partnered with Indian business and finance publication Mint to offer readers access to both publications through a single subscription bundle.
The rise of the registered web
Publishers are stepping up efforts to turn audiences into registered user bases as they hunt for ways to maximize revenue and attempt to future-proof their businesses.
What publishing leaders expect from subscriptions in 2023
We asked subscription publishers what themes and challenges will shape the year ahead for content-based subscription businesses.
‘Show the money’: Publishers reprioritize monetization over subscriber growth
In a precarious economic climate, subscription publishers are focusing their attention firmly on revenue over subscriber growth.
Subscription predictions from The Reuters Institute
A survey of 303 media executives unearthed a handful of subscription-related trends publishers expect to see in 2023.
Subscription trends that shaped 2022
Publishers’ approaches evolved and matured as economic conditions tightened.
Toolkits research report: Succeeding with subscriptions
Exploring consumer attitudes and behaviors toward publishers’ digital subscription products.
Longer promotional periods fueled publishers’ Cyber Monday subscription offers
With little room left for discounting, publishers attempted to entice new subscribers with extended promotional periods instead.
A difficult month for ad-supported publishers
It’s been a rough few weeks for publishers whose businesses primarily rely on revenue from advertising and sponsorships, but subscription-first publishers say their revenues are holding up relatively well.
Are fewer people paying for publishers’ subscription products?
The total number of individuals in the U.S. paying for digital publications could be contracting.
Nearly a third of subscribers expect to cancel subscriptions this year
29% of subscribers to digital publications plan to reduce the number of subscriptions they hold by the end of the year.
Tackling paywall circumvention
Publishers are increasingly questioning if they’re doing enough to protect subscriber-only content.
Why consumers cancel subscriptions to digital publications
Lack of use, price increases and poor value for money top the list of reasons consumers cancel subscriptions to digital publications.
Insider recalibrates its subscription approach
The news publisher is better aligning its revenue model with its current newsroom capabilities and output.
Twitter could enable Blue subscribers to bypass publishers’ paywalls
New owner Elon Musk said the company wants to partner with and pass revenue to publishers.
Are publishers’ subscription products delivering value for money?
Three-quarters of consumers say they are satisfied with the value they get from digital publication subscriptions.
How The Dispatch reached 35,000 paying subscribers in three years
CEO and editor, Steve Hayes, joined the latest episode of The Subscription Publishing Show.
Half of U.S. consumers attempt to bypass publishers’ paywalls
Consumers are increasingly looking for ways to access paywalled content without paying, or are simply avoiding it entirely.
Raising subscription prices now is a risky move for publishers
Subscription price hikes are currently off the table as far as many publishers are concerned.
19% of U.S. consumers subscribe to digital publications
A small group of consumers accounts for an outsized portion of subscriptions to digital publications in the U.S., according to research by Toolkits and National Research Group.
How The Juggernaut is building a subscription publication for the South Asian diaspora
CEO Snigdha Sur explains how subscriptions are fueling The Juggernaut’s mission to create smart journalism about South Asia and South Asians around the world.
Driving subscriber retention with increased flexibility
Adapting to subscriber needs and constraints can help mitigate churn during tricky economic periods.
Subscription offer and pricing trends in September
The average promotional price for major publishers’ subscription products increased in September after declining for consecutive months in July and August.
How Defector generated $3.8 million in its second year
The sports and culture publication grew subscription revenue by 19% year-over-year, and has amassed a subscriber base of over 38,000.
Putting subscription slowdowns in context
Subscriber growth is proving challenging but publisher revenue faces headwinds across the board.
Skift’s Jason Clampet on building a suite of B2B subscription products
The publisher now offers four distinct subscription products tailored to the needs of different groups of professionals across the travel industry.
Why publishers are unbundling subscription features
Publishers are moving away from broad catch-all subscription products and instead offering multiple products designed to service the needs of more targeted and granular audience segments.
The Logic’s David Skok on funding quality journalism with subscriptions
CEO David Skok unpacks The Logic’s approach to subscriptions on the latest episode of The Subscription Publishing Show.
Promotional subscription prices dropped again in August
The average promotional price for large publishers’ subscription products dropped for the second month in a row, Toolkits research found.
Publishers share their biggest subscription challenges
Subscriber acquisition and retention, data and analytics, pricing and promotional approaches and emerging technologies and tools top the list.
The ‘secret’ to NYT’s subscription growth: Quality content
NYT executives repeatedly attribute subscriber growth to its ability to offer high-quality content from leading journalists on an ongoing basis.
Major news publishers grow revenue with a blend of subscriptions and advertising
Subscription models aren’t right for every publisher, but some are building robust advertising and subscription businesses alongside each other.
Quantifying sleeper subscribers requires a nuanced approach
Metrics tailored to specific products and audiences are required for publishers to understand and manage sleeper populations effectively.
Large publishers reduced promotional subscription prices by 16% in July
The average price offered to new subscribers dropped between June and July, Toolkits research found.
Publisher insights from Piano’s subscription benchmark report
Subscription technology provider Piano released its 2022 benchmark report last week. The company’s tech is embedded on hundreds of publisher sites so it has good visibility into subscriber trends developing across the industry.
Dependable partners show their value during periods of heightened uncertainty
It will become increasingly clear in the months ahead which technologies, tools and platforms are best equipped to support their long-term success.
The rise of the registration wall
Registration walls are emerging as an integral part of many publishers’ product approaches as they attempt to forge closer relationships with audiences.
75% of large subscription publishers offer discounted trials
The majority of large publishers with digital subscription products are currently offering discounted trials to help drive new subscriber acquisition, according to Toolkits research.
Subscription insights from The Digital News Report
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism released its annual Digital News Report last week, which included a handful of key takeaways for subscription publishers.
The shift to subscription simplicity
Publishers are increasingly moving away from convoluted pricing structures, vague product promises and overly complicated features, opting instead to package and price their subscription products as simply and clearly as possible.
4-week vs. monthly subscription billing for publishers
Publishers can extract additional subscription revenue by tying billing cycles to 4-week (or 28-day) periods instead of calendar months, but relatively few elect to do so.
Less is often more when it comes to subscriber benefits and features
Publishers can no longer overpromise and under-deliver with their products as subscribers demand greater value.