Within a microscopic approach which takes into account RPA configurations, the single-particle continuum and more complex 1p1h ⊗ phonon configurations isoscalar and isovector M1 excitations for the unstable nuclei 56,78 Ni and 100,132 Sn are calculated. For comparison, the experimentally known M1 excitations in 40 Ca and 208 Pb have also been calculated. In the latter nuclei good agreement in the centroid energy, the total transition strength and the resonance width is obtained. With the same parameters we predict the magnetic excitations for the unstable nuclei. The strength is sufficiently concentrated to be measurable in radioactive beam experiments. New features are found for the very neutron rich nucleus 78 Ni and the neutron deficient nucleus 100 Sn.