I suspect the rise of the Apple App Store, proving as it does the existence of an appetite for small snippets of software at prices that are generally less than five dollars, is part of the impetus behind this. Rolling Stone is apparently going to start asking people to pay for some content.

It’s probable that the iPad is viewed as an opportunity here as well: Rolling Stone may be doing this on its website in anticipation of selling back issues to enthusiastic iPad owners around the world.

With rumours suggesting that Hulu is going to try the same thing for viewing television online (and who wouldn’t pay to watch old episodes of Alf) it seems that a second wave of pay based sites is upon us.

Maybe it will work this time. It would be very interesting to see if they generate more revenue from their own site or from those iPad sales I’m speculating about.

Rolling Stone’s archive going online, for a price

Magazine to launch new site, which will remain mostly free
Andrew Vanacore, New York — The Associated Press
Published on Friday, Apr. 16, 2010 9:07AM EDT

For the first time Rolling Stone is inviting its readers on the long, strange trip though the magazine’s 43-year archive, putting complete digital replicas online along with the latest edition. But you’ll have to pay to see it all.

With a new site launching Monday, Rolling Stone will become one of the most prominent magazines to decide that adding a “pay wall” is the best way to make money on the Web.

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This entry is tagged: Apple, Articles, iPad, magazines, Rolling Stone