Subscription Reading Service Scribd Adds Magazines to Platform

Today subscription reading service Scribd announced that it is adding magazines like Foreign Policy, Time, People, The Atlantic, and more to its library of content. In addition to ebooks, audiobooks, and documents, Scribd subscribers can now access magazine articles and entire issues at no additional cost to their monthly subscription.

“Time Inc. is excited to partner with Scribd as a new content provider,” said Jim Jacovides, SVP of partnerships, licensing, and syndication at Time Inc., in a press release. “This relationship will give our iconic brands -- such as Fortune, Money, People, and Time -- access to a new audience in Scribd’s global reader base.”

The update also ushers in new search features, allowing subscribers to discover ebooks alongside magazines and audiobooks that cover similar topics. Previously, Scribd’s search function was separated by content type. “You can read an article about President Obama, jump to an audiobook on modern legislation, and then end with an original transcript of one of the President’s speeches,” says Jenn Takahashi, communications manager at Scribd. “The idea is that this experience will enable greater discovery.”

Additional search features include a trending topics section, which will feature popular articles curated by Scribd editors, and the introduction of over 16,000 topics of interests that readers can explore.

“We’ve always envisioned Scribd to be the reading destination that connects readers to the best written work, and magazine articles have been one of our most requested features,” says Takahashi. “By connecting books, audiobooks, documents, and now articles, around areas of interest, our members are now free to skim what’s trending or dive deep into any subject.”

Like book publishers who place their titles on the Scribd platforms, magazine publishers will earn money when a certain amount of content is read. The specific revenue earned varies and is dependent on the agreement between Scribd and the publisher, explains Takahashi.

Read the full press release from Scribd below.

SAN FRANCISCO -- November 1, 2016 -- Scribd, the premier reading subscription service that offers monthly access to books, audiobooks, documents and more, is broadening its offering to give subscribers access to premium magazine content from leading media publishers including Bloomberg, Entrepreneur Media, IBT Media, New York Media, Slate Group, LLC and Time Inc. Subscribers can now enjoy access to articles from current and archive print editions of top brands such as Time, Money, Fortune, People, Bloomberg Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Foreign Policy and New York Magazine. Issues from Newsweek and The Atlantic will be added in the coming weeks. Magazines will be included in the current Scribd membership, at no extra cost, in addition to books, audiobooks, documents, and more.

“We are excited to partner with Scribd and bring Bloomberg Businessweek to an emerging, innovative digital platform," said Josh Rucci, GM and Global Head of Media Distribution for Bloomberg.

The newly-added magazines will sit alongside Scribd's existing books, audiobooks and documents, organized into 16,000 topics of interest.

“We’ve always envisioned Scribd to be the reading destination that connects readers to the best written work, and magazine articles have been one of our most requested features,” said Trip Adler, CEO of Scribd. “By connecting books, audiobooks, documents, and now articles, around areas of interest, our members are now free to skim what’s trending or dive deep into any subject.”

“Entrepreneur prides itself on being at the forefront of the competitive media landscape and continually in search of innovative ways to bring visibility to our content,” said Ryan Shea, president/CEO of Entrepreneur Media. “We strive to cater to the needs of our audience -- busy, on-the-go business leaders who value intelligent insights and their time. Our partnership with Scribd, a leader in the subscription-based content space, allows our readers to enjoy our content on their terms.”

Jim Jacovides, Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Licensing and Syndication, Time Inc., added, “Time Inc. is excited to partner with Scribd as a new content provider. This relationship will give our iconic brands -- such as Fortune, Money, People, and Time -- access to a new audience in Scribd’s global reader base.”

Scribd members will be able to discover and read magazine articles in several different ways, including:

• Trending: Readers can stay in the know on the topics that matter to them with trending articles, hand-picked by Scribd editors.

• Interests: Articles, books, original source documents and more are all connected by interests, enabling readers to easily go beyond the headlines.

• Full Issues: Magazine content will be offered on the article level, but readers will still have access to full issues from their favorite publishers.

“As Scribd continues to evolve its platform into the most trusted home for publishers online, we're excited to share with its growing member community our award-winning longform reporting and exclusives, which will be accessible with a new, extraordinary ease," said Margarita Noriega, Executive Editor of Digital for Newsweek.

About Scribd

Scribd is the premier reading subscription, offering monthly access to the best books, audiobooks, magazine articles, documents and more -- for less than the cost of a paperback. Scribd is available across iOS and Android devices, as well as web browsers, and hosts more than 100 million active readers across the globe every month. For more, visit www.Scribd.com and follow @Scribd on Twitter and Facebook.

About Time Inc.

Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world's leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 150 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom.