• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, February 8, 2008

Spin magazine has struck deals with MySpace and iTunes to promote its first digital issue, making music and information available to members of MySpace Music.

The promotion also allows members to read Spin Digital for free for 12 months. The January issue of Spin Digital was posted exclusively on MySpace about three weeks ago in a "soft launch"; the official launch comes with the February issue, including interviews with Pete Doherty and Lenny Kravitz.

The digital version hews close to the print magazine itself, unlike Spin.com, where the magazine's editorial staff posts breaking news and updates. Spin Digital includes links that take readers to musician profiles on MySpace as well as the iTunes Store, where they're able to buy songs mentioned in the magazine.

The digital edition also includes audio samples, video footage, and interactive ads that can, for example, take them to a company's official Web site.

Spin president Tom Hartle boasted: "We are already seeing a dramatic increase in readership from the soft launch--over a quarter of a million page views in the first week alone." He added: "Now instead of just reading about a new band or an album, readers can hear what they sound like, get involved with the community and purchase music, all with just a few clicks."

The magazine is also hoping that Web exposure will drive print subscriptions. According to Hartle, renewals and new subscriptions increased 50% in January 2008 compared to the same month last year.

In some ways, Spin's online strategy resembles the unusual tack adopted last Fall by Paste, a youth culture magazine that covers music, books and movies. In October, the magazine invited new and returning subscribers to sign up for a year's worth of magazines by paying whatever they liked, with a minimum fee of $1.00. By effectively making the magazine available for free, Paste's publishers hoped to create buzz and build the subscription base.