Magazines Canada has launched a new online ad portal that will streamline the ad flow for magazines and advertisers. AdDirect allows advertisers to instantly deliver files to one or more magazines, with approval notifications to make sure each file has been received.

So far, participating publishers include Rogers Publishing, St. Joseph Media and Transcontinental Media. Although publishers pay a fee for the service, AdDirect is free for agencies and advertisers. (Publishers’ fees are not being released for competitive reasons.)

“The ad portal is the next logical step towards a digital workflow," says Gary Garland, executive director of advertising at Magazines Canada. "This will streamline the whole process. For example, if an agency creates an ad file, rather than having to courier that file or go through all the trouble of FTPing it, or even sending a proof by mail, now they just go through the website, and it’s immediate.”

Since the portal validates all ad files against publisher specifications, disputes will be less likely and make-goods should be reduced, Garland says.

For advertisers and agencies interested in finding out how the system works, Magazines Canada is offering a free live webinar on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. EST. There's also a step-by-step video and a user guide to explain how to use the site.