Apple Announces App Subscriptions

Apple took a huge step toward becoming the go-to digital newsstand on Tuesday by debuting its subscriptions feature for the App Store. Publishers can charge subscriptions on a weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or yearly basis, and customers can either sign up via their iTunes accounts—in which case Apple takes 30 percent of subscription fees—or through their own websites, in which case publishers keep 100 percent of subscription fees. The feature debuted two weeks ago when Rupert Murdoch unveiled News Corp.’s The Daily news magazine, which charges $1 per week, or $40 per year.