Rolling Stone has held out from releasing an iPad version of their magazine for some while, even criticizing other magazines for being too swift to jump into the “premature” digital magazine market – but as of today, that’s all in the past. As first reported by PaidContent, Rolling Stone has just released a new iPad app for their magazine complete with iTunes integration, allowing users to sample and download iTunes music without leaving the app.
As with most iPad magazines, the app also offers $1.99 per issue a la carte purchasing for individual issues, as well as $20 annual subscription option to keep users up with the latest issue as soon as it is released. Previously, Rolling Stone has been available on the Zinio magazine app – but the new native iTunes-integrated offers a much better overall experience.
Unfortunately, those who already subscribe to the paper version of the magazine will need to subscribe again to gain access to digital issues (unlike magazines such as Wired, which offers free digital access to paper-edition subscribers). All in all, it looks like a great app, and should be a welcome addition to any Rolling Stone fan’s iPad.
Rolling Stone is available now as a free iPad-only download through the App Store. It’s unclear whether an iPhone version is planned for future release.
