Monocle has detailed insight into the development of Axel Springer’s eMag – a paid-for, multimedia magazine that will be part of the publisher’s Welt am Sonntag division.

“Twelve stories have been enriched with animation, film and audio. Browsing feels as intuitive as turning pages on paper. But you can also watch the New York correspondent visit a party by artist Terence Koh and sit in the passenger’s seat of the new Ferrari 458 Italia as it roars along the Maranello test track. You can dive into elaborate interactive infographics explaining the Copenhagen Climate Conference or listen to the Bee Gees talk about their 50th anniversary,” writes Markus Albers.

Access to the site will cost €1.50. According to Albers, Axel Springer has been one of Germany’s most vocal supporters of online charging.

“[But] Unlike Murdoch it does not plan to charge for the electronic versions of existing papers. Rather it will launch innovative products, hoping to lure customers into downloading them onto computers and smartphones. In addition to today’s eMag there will be iPhone Apps from its tabloids Bild and BZ later in the year – you will also need to pay for these.”

Also of significance is how the project was developed: according to Charles Apples on Visual Editors, e-magazine was developed in-house in less than eight weeks, starting from an idea from art director Jordis Guzman Bulla.

(hat tip – Robb Montgomery)