Magazine circulation management software

What magazine circulation management covers

For a magazine, circulation is every copy that goes out and every reader with access to it. Circulation management software keeps the records behind that list accurate from one issue to the next:

• Subscriber records. Who the reader is, where each copy is delivered, who pays, and the history of their subscriptions, orders and invoices.
• Subscription terms. Some subscriptions run for a number of issues, others for a period of time. The software has to know when each one starts and ends, including when an issue date moves.
• Renewals. Finding subscriptions that are about to end, sending renewal notices and recording who renewed.
• Print distribution. Building the mailing list for each issue from active subscriptions, plus complimentary copies, and handing it to the printer or mail house.
• Digital access. Knowing which readers take print, which take the online edition and which take both.

How circulation management works in RunMags

1. One subscriber record for print and digital. Each subscriber has one record with their subscriptions, subscription orders, invoices and activities. A subscriber can be linked to a contact or organisation. Gift subscriptions keep the payer and the recipient as separate subscribers.
2. Issue-based and time-based terms. Subscription products have a length in issues or in time, with print or online delivery. Each order records the first and last issue of the subscription, so you can see exactly which issues a subscriber is owed.
3. Renewals. Your team selects subscriptions by issues left or days to expiry and sends renewal reminders by email or print. Renewals run when your team runs the renewal batch. Readers can renew on your branded subscription page and update their own details on the subscriber portal; self-service card updates, invoices and cancellation are on the roadmap.
4. Print distribution batches. For each issue, RunMags builds a distribution list from active subscriptions. You can limit it to paid copies, add rules for advertiser copies, and export the list to Excel for your printer or mail house.

The day-to-day routines around these steps, such as address changes, duplicate checks and issue cut-off dates, are covered in our guide to magazine circulation management.

Subscription fulfilment for print magazines

Fulfilment is the step where your subscriber list becomes the mailing list your printer or mail house works from. If you are comparing subscription fulfillment software, check how each issue's list is built, what decides which readers are on it and what file you hand over. In RunMags, fulfilment runs from the same subscriber records your team uses for renewals and billing.

• A mailing list for every issue. You choose the magazine issue and the subscription products to include, and RunMags builds a print distribution batch from the active subscriptions.
• Terms decide who receives the issue. Issue-based and time-based terms keep each subscription active for its run, and the batch takes the active subscriptions that have started by that issue.
• Paid and complimentary copies on the same records. A paid-only option leaves free subscriptions out of a batch. Distribution rules produce a separate batch of advertiser copies for the same issue.
• Export for the printer or mail house. You export each batch to Excel and send the file to your printer or mail house.

The subscribers in each batch come from the orders your team sells and renews; see magazine subscription management in RunMags. For the routines around fulfilment, such as address changes and issue cut-off dates, read our guide to magazine circulation management.

Connected to billing and the advertiser side

Circulation data is only half the job if it sits in a separate system from sales and finance. In RunMags, each subscription order gets its invoice, with credit notes when something changes (see magazine billing and subscription payments), and readers who subscribe online pay by card through your own connected Stripe account. The orders, signup pages and renewals are described in more detail on magazine subscription management in RunMags.

The same CRM for magazines holds your advertisers. Advertiser copies come from the same distribution list as subscriber copies, and your sales team sees an organisation's subscriptions and ad orders side by side. If you are weighing RunMags against a subscription-only platform, read our comparison with a digital subscription platform, or our SimpleCirc alternative guide if you are comparing circulation managers. Comparing a WordPress paywall such as Mocono? Read our Mocono alternative guide. Comparing a Nordic subscription platform such as Sesamy? Read our Sesamy alternative guide. Comparing an audience data platform for B2B publishers such as Omeda? Read our Omeda alternative guide. Comparing a website and subscription suite such as ePublishing and Multipub? Read our ePublishing / Multipub alternative guide. Comparing an enterprise subscription and paywall platform such as Piano? Read our Piano alternative guide.

Circulation software buyer checklist

Before choosing circulation management software, check how each option handles these questions with your own data:

• Term types. Can it run issue-based and time-based subscriptions side by side, and what happens to issue-based subscriptions when an issue is moved or cancelled?
• Print and digital. Does one subscriber record cover both, or do you keep two lists?
• Distribution output. Can you produce each issue's mailing list in the format your printer or mail house accepts, including complimentary copies?
• Renewals. How are subscriptions picked for renewal, and can readers renew online themselves?
• Billing. Are subscription invoices and card payments in the same system as the subscriber, or exported somewhere else?
• Advertisers. If you also sell advertising, can the same system hold advertisers and their copies?
• Reporting obligations. If you report to an audit bureau or use postal presort services, check what each system exports for them. RunMags gives per-issue distribution lists and subscription reports; it does not produce audit-bureau circulation reports.

To see how renewal rates change your subscriber base over a year, try the free subscription renewal calculator.

Built for magazine publishers, not libraries

"Circulation management" also describes library lending systems. RunMags is not one of those: it is for publishers of print and digital magazines who sell subscriptions and advertising and need to know who gets the next issue. Plans are priced by the number of legal entities and magazine brands; see RunMags pricing or start a free trial and set up your first subscription products.