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Dana E. Neuts

Dana Neuts is Subscription Insider's Editorial Director, covering our daily subscription news as well as member features, case studies, premium content, and reports. Dana is also a writer, editor, marketer and communications professional. Her work has appeared in AARP Bulletin, The Seattle Times, Seattle Business, 425 Business, 425 Magazine, South Sound Magazine, Northwest Travel and more. Her specialties include business writing, community news, senior issues, travel and, of course, subscriptions!

Dana E. Neuts

Amazon Reports Strong Q1 2019 with $59.7 Billion in Net Sales

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Services, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, FInance, Memberships, News, Revenue and Sales, SaaS and Cloud Services /

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) started 2019 off strong with net sales of $59.7 billion in the first quarter, a 17% year-over-year increase, compared to $51.0 billion in the first quarter of 2018. Operating cash flow increased 89% to $34.4 billion for the trailing 12 months and operating income was $4.4 billion, compared to $1.9 billion in Q1 2018. Net income was more than double the prior year quarter at $3.6 billion, or $7.09 per diluted share, compared to $1.6 billion, or $3.27 per diluted share in Q1 2018.

Amazon Reports Strong Q1 2019 with $59.7 Billion in Net Sales Read More »

Weekly Subscription News: Meredith, MoviePass and Mastheads

Business Operations, Business Services, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Magazines, News, Product Development, Subscription Apps, Subscription Boxes /

In this weeks subscription news, Amazon launches an ad-supported music service for owners of the Echo, Conde Nast cuts magazine staff under Roger Lynchs leadership, and YouTube premium subscribers might get $2 a month to send to their favorite creators. Also this week, Qualcomm and Apple drop their lawsuits against each other, a seafood subscription box launches along the Oregon Coast, and a report estimates that MoviePass lost 90% of its subscribers in less than a year.

Weekly Subscription News: Meredith, MoviePass and Mastheads Read More »

illustration of the number five, representing the five subscription business topics for this column, Five-on-Friday

Five on Friday: Content Wars, Publishing Trends and Subscription Scams

Business Services, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Magazines, News, Revenue and Sales, Subscriber Only, Subscription Apps /

Happy Friday! Its hard to believe that this is the last Friday in April already, isnt it? In this weeks Five on Friday, Marketing Land explains why they think content alone will not win the streaming video wars, Folio talks about magazine publishing trends were seeing so far in 2019, Disney Pluss plans to put its new streaming service on gaming consoles, Apple attempts to reduce opportunities for subscription scams, and Proctor & Gamble appeals to advertisers to demand higher standards from media outlets.

Five on Friday: Content Wars, Publishing Trends and Subscription Scams Read More »

Microsoft Cloud Growth Drives Strong Q3 FY2019 Results

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On Wednesday, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) reported strong third quarter results, driven by cloud growth, for fiscal year 2019 for the period ended March 31, 2019. Total revenue for the quarter was $30.6 billion, a 14% increase year-over-year. Other highlights include operating income of $10.3 billion, a 25% increase year-over-year, and net income of $8.8 billion, a 19% increase year-over-year, or diluted earnings per share of $1.14, representing a 20% year-over-year increase.

Microsoft Cloud Growth Drives Strong Q3 FY2019 Results Read More »

Brightback Raises $11 Million to Fund Subscription Retention Software

Business Operations, Business Services, News, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscriber Retention, Subscription Apps /

Earlier this week, San Francisco-based Brightback announced it has raised $11 million to fund its customer retention automation software platform designed specifically for subscription businesses. The software startup helps reduce customer cancellations and improve sustainability for companies like SparkPost Crazy Egg, Copper, GitBook and Mailshake. Brightbacks Series A funding round was led by Index Ventures. Point Nine Capital, Matrix Partners and Rembrandt Venture Partners also participated in the funding round.

Brightback Raises $11 Million to Fund Subscription Retention Software Read More »

Luminary Launches Podcast App Using Freemium Model

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Freemium, Industry Announcements, News, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscription Apps /

Yesterday Luminary launched a new podcast app using the freemium model, giving podcast fans two options to choose from. Luminarys ad-supported, free tier features hundreds of thousands of shows and personalized recommendations. The premium tier is ad free and offers uninterrupted listening to Luminarys library of podcasts including over 40 Luminary Originals. The premium version is available for $7.99 a month following a one-month free trial for U.S. subscribers. The Luminary app is also available in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The free app is available in the App Store and in the Google Play store.

Luminary Launches Podcast App Using Freemium Model Read More »

Xbox Invites Select Players to Test Game Pass Ultimate Subscription

Auto-renew Subscription, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Industry Announcements, News, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, Subscription Gaming /

Last week, Microsoft confirmed the rumors about its gaming subscriptions are true. The company has been working on an ultimate gaming subscription that will combine Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Live Gold. The combined subscription will be called Game Pass Ultimate and be available for $14.99 a month. So far, Xbox has invited a limited number of Xbox Insiders to test the subscription before it launches on a bigger scale later this year in existing Game Pass markets.

Xbox Invites Select Players to Test Game Pass Ultimate Subscription Read More »

SiriusXM Now Offers Over 300 Channels Outside the Car for $8 a Month

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SiriusXM. No car required. Thats the newest offer from satellite radio provider SiriusXM. Subscribers can now experience SiriusXM outside the car with the companys new Essential Streaming plan with over 300 channels on their phone, at home or online. Features include commercial-free music, news, talk, entertainment, sports coverage and analysis, 24/7 comedy channels, thousands of on-demand shows and concerts, the ability to skip songs and online Xtra channels. The initial promotion is $1 for three months, then $8 a month.

SiriusXM Now Offers Over 300 Channels Outside the Car for $8 a Month Read More »

Weekly Subscription News: Audi, AT&T and Apple News+

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In this weeks subscription headlines, Gizmodo says the new Apple News+ app is a disaster, Hulu buys back AT&Ts minority stake for a cool $1.43 billion, and Tinder surpasses Netflix for the first time, making it the top-grossing, non-game app in the first quarter. Also this week, CNET gives us the 411 on the highly-anticipated Disney+ streaming service due out later this year, the latest version of Roku offers big improvements to its search functionality, and Audi changes its subscription program, lowering the entry point.

Weekly Subscription News: Audi, AT&T and Apple News+ Read More »

Walmart Partners with KIDBOX for Kids Clothing Subscription Box

Auto-renew Subscription, Consumer Services, Industry Announcements, News, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, Subscription Boxes /

This Tuesday, Walmart announced a new partnership with Kidbox, a subscription box service for kids clothing. The partnership will offer Walmart.com customers exclusive, curated styleboxes for kids, minus the styling fees boxes like Stitch Fix often include. Parents – and their children – can expect to received personally-selected styles from more than 120 premium brands including Butter Super Soft, Puma and C&C California. Each box includes four to five items for $48, which is estimated to be about 50 percent off the suggested retail price for all of the items.

Walmart Partners with KIDBOX for Kids Clothing Subscription Box Read More »