Fans of Apple’s iPod – the hand-held digital music player that has become the icon of everything cool in technology – will soon have their own magazine.
IDG, the company behind PC World and a slew of hi-tech publications, plans to launch a magazine devoted to the iPod and its accompanying music download service, iTunes. The publication is expected to feature upcoming products, music reviews and lifestyle pieces targeting the digitally savvy set.
A spokeswoman confirmed that the magazine was in development but declined to comment on the title or how often it would appear on newsstands. The magazine will go on sale in August with a cover price of $5.99.
The magazine’s publishers are hoping to tap into the growing popularity of the iPod, a cultural phenomenon that has spawned dedicated Web sites, such as ipodlounge.com, and has elevated Apple CEO Steve Jobs to almost cult-like status in some circles.
“It goes to show how deeply the iPod has permeated the culture,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Jupiter Research. “It’s not just a digital device, but a fashion accessory and a lifestyle accouterment.”
Apple has sold more than 3 million iPods and has cornered 50 percent of the market for digital music players. Its iTunes online music service is also the most popular legal music download service, accounting for about 70 percent of all songs bought online.
Still, the iPod has captured just 5 percent of online U.S. households, according to Jupiter Research.
Meanwhile, the world of publishing is littered with niche technophile magazines, many of which cropped up during the late-1990s boom.