On Amazon Kindle, there's a deficiency in the availability of digital magazines
In an unexpected turn of events, Amazon's Kindle Newsstand (also known as Kindle Periodicals) was shuttered early in 2023, marking the end of direct digital magazine and newspaper subscriptions sold through Amazon[1]. This decision resulted in a significant change for readers who relied on the service for their periodical reading on Kindle e-readers.
Since the closure, the primary way to access magazines on Kindle devices has been through Kindle Unlimited subscriptions. However, the selection of magazines available has drastically reduced, with approximately 90 titles in the US and around 900 in Canada - a far cry from the hundreds or thousands previously available on Newsstand[1].
Many major publishers have moved their digital editions to other platforms or started selling them independently, no longer supporting Amazon’s e-readers natively[2]. For instance, prominent magazines like The Economist are no longer sold via the Kindle Store itself, but subscribers can download the issues from their accounts and sideload them onto Kindle devices manually. Other titles such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Foreign Affairs can only be read on Kindle's web browser rather than through native apps or the store[1].
The shift away from Amazon has been a significant change, with publishers focusing more on selling subscriptions directly rather than through Kindle Unlimited. This new norm involves individual issues, subscriptions, or free trials, offering readers more flexibility in their magazine consumption[1].
Michael Kozlowski, a veteran writer on audiobooks, e-books, and e-readers, has been closely following these developments. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Kozlowski has been reporting on these changes and their implications for readers[3].
It's important to note that most digital magazines have apps that are optimized for smartphones and tablets, not e-readers. This shift towards mobile devices has left Kindle e-readers somewhat behind in the race to deliver the best reading experience for digital magazines[4].
In light of these changes, users seeking digital magazines on Kindle devices now have limited options. They can choose from Kindle Unlimited’s reduced catalog, sideload purchased issues from publishers outside Amazon, or access magazine websites via the built-in browser on Kindle devices[1][2].
[1] - https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/15/22933022/kindle-newsstand-shutdown-magazines-e-readers-amazon-periodicals [2] - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/2/16/business/media/kindle-newsstand-shutdown.html [3] - https://goodereader.com/ [4] - https://www.wired.com/2023/2/kindle-newsstand-shutdown-digital-magazines-amazon/
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