Blendle is an iTunes for newspaper articles

From the Netherlands, Blendle is a single subscription platform for the country's multiple newspapers, with users paying for what they read.

Digital publications are still trying to find their feet when it comes to creating a financially successful business model, and in recent times we’ve seen both Offline and Uncoverage try out monthly longform pieces and crowdfunding models respectively. From the Netherlands, Blendle now wants to create a single subscription platform for the country’s multiple newspapers, with users paying for what they read.

As it stands, most newspapers are employing their own individual paywalls for their digital content, meaning that those who simply want to read a single article can’t do so without stumping up the cost of a monthly subscription for each title. Blendle has partnered with some of the Netherlands’ major newspapers and magazines to make their content available through a single system, where users can read articles and pay for each one with their Blendle wallet, which they need to keep topped up. Additionally, the platform also shows which articles are trending and the stories that users’ friends and followed celebrities are reading, and lets them set up alerts for new articles on topics they’re interested in. If readers don’t think the story they just read was worth their time, they can choose to get a refund. This Medium post by Blendle co-founder Alexander Klöpping explains more about the platform, while the video below offers a demonstration of the service:

Are there other ways to get consumers to pay for digital content without keeping it locked up behind paywalls?