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A slimmed down excerpt of the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Mastering the iTunes Affiliate book.
Introduction
I spent some time perusing every forum I could find and compiling every question or misunderstanding that was posted in regards to the iTunes Affiliate Program. I’m sorry if I missed yours, but here is a Frequently Asked Questions section based off real questions and issues people have raised that I found.
If you have a specific question and feel like this book doesn’t answer it (or at least you couldn’t find it), please post it at dSounds.com.
“Does iTunes have an affiliate program or something like that?”
- http://www.webtalkforums.com/showthread.php?t=13617
The iTunes Store has affiliate programs in 20 plus countries, administered through three different affiliate networks. It offers commissions from 4 to 5 percent. More info can be found in Chapter 1 and throughout this book.
“They run the affiliate program via LinkShare. And, it’s available to residents of the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia.”
- http://www.justmakemoneyonline.com/2008/09/10/itunes-affiliate-program/
Actually, LinkShare only runs the United States and Canada programs, and LinkShare Japan runs the Japan program. TradeDoubler manages the European program, and Australia is under DGM’s control. Check out Chapter 2 or Appendix 1 and 2 for more info.
“We regret to inform you that iTunes has chosen not to accept your application for the iTunes Affiliate Program at this time … Well, Apple, if you could explicitly tell me what’s wrong with my site, I’d be happy to fix it.”
- http://eric.wahlforss.com/2005/07/15/itunes-affiliate-application-status/
The denial emails are unfortunately quite vague. Don’t let this stop you. If you really want to make it happen then email them back with a good reason as to why your site should be inlcuded. More info about this in Chapter 2 - Getting Denied.
“iTunes staff have strange rules to accept or deny a site into network … your page might be refused depending on different factors.”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=772339
Apple’s rules are pretty straight forward (see Chapter 2 - Applying to LinkShare) but they just might not see things the same way you do. If you are serious about getting in then there are a few things you can do (Chapter 2 - Getting Denied).
“Can you use the Link Builder links from within an iPhone application to launch the iTunes Music Store?”
- http://www.iphonedevsdk.com/forum/business-legal-app-store/14974-itunes-affiliate-program.html
Yes, but indirectly. You need to go through LinkShare (or whatever affiliate network you are using) first to track the click and set the cookie. Your affiliate link will open Safari first (to do the tracking stuff), then open the iTunes Store app and go to your intended destination. I am personally not an iPhone developer and have not used any apps to test this.
“Anyone had any luck getting a reply from the iTunes affiliate team (iTunesaffiliates@euro.apple.com) ?”
Sometime it is a little spotty getting replies from this email. Though, when you do it is usually a plethora of information. If you have an urgent question I would attempt to contact the TradeDoubler Account Manager first. Try this page (http://hst.tradedoubler.com/file/20649/uk/publisher-services/contactAM.html) for an up to date list of account managers. There is also a general inquiry contact form for Publishers as well inside the TradeDoubler dashboard.
“In the email I got from iTunes, there is one line that is confusing my newbie mind:
“Please remember to replace utGfpCaF*d8 with your own Affiliate ID to ensure that all links track properly.” Seeing how there was no extra “Affiliate ID” in iTunes e-mail, am I correct in assuming that it’s my username for the Linkshare program? So if my username for Linkshare was jsmith, I would replace utGfpCaF*d8 with jsmith in the affiliate link?””
- http://www.warriorforum.com/main-internet-marketing-discussion-forum/37960-need-some-help-itunes-affiliate-program.html
No, your user name is completely different than your ID (and sometimes called your tracking ID). Your ID is a unique 11-character identifier used in all the tracking links that LinkShare generates for you. It is essential. The easiest way to figure out your ID is to dissect one of the link or banners inside the LinkShare dashboard for your account. More info about this is in Chapter 3 and Appendix 7 - Common Variables in Affiliate Links .
“If a user in the U.S. clicks my Tradedoubler link to the UK iTunes store, I’m assuming I wouldn’t get any commission for this.”
- http://www.affiliates4u.com/forums/tradedoubler/102925-tradedoubler-linkshare-itunes.html
It depends on which country’s iTunes Store that user has an account with. But yes, typically a user from the U.S. will have a U.S. store account. Therefore a TradeDoubler affiliate link will not allow you to collect a commission. There is more about this in Chapter 7— Capitalizing on a Global Market.
“How do you figure out what songs you’re actually selling?”
- http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501969
Unfortunately, there is no way to tell what songs your site visitors have bought. However, through the use of custom tracking code in your affiliate links, you can see what links actually lead to sales. Although it is not the same thing, this is still useful information. More about this is in Chapter 6 — Reporting.
“What do each of the SKUs relate to?”
- http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501969
There is no guide or description as to what each SKU specifically refers to. You can check the ongoing list online at dsounds.com.
“What are the $0.00 transactions?”
- http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501969
The $0 transactions represent free songs or items that are “bought” in iTunes. Even though a visitor is not charged, they are still “buying” the item. Hence the transaction is recorded, then reported to you. More information about this in Chapter 5 — Reporting.
“Curious if anyone is having success with the iTunes affiliate program? It pays 5 percent of each sale but with song downloads only being $0.99, I expect it would take a lot of traffic to generate much revenue.”
- http://www.namepros.com/affiliate-talk/450876-itunes-affiliate-program.html#post2771723
Yes, you are correct in that it is a 5 percent commission and songs typically cost only $.99. But the other side to working as an iTunes affiliate is that there are many items inside the store that are more expensive, and typically people buy more than one song when they click into the iTunes Store. These two things can add up to a decent commission check. More info about this is in Chapter 1 — Introduction.
“Does anyone know of a wordpress plugin that works with the iTunes Affiliate Program (via Linkshare) and displays your most played tracks and displays them in your side bar while automatically making them affiliate links?”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1026838
I am not aware of a specific wordpress plugin that does this. However, you can do some similar things by using the “My iTunes” RSS feeds and your affiliate code. Look for more information about this in Chapter 3 — My iTunes Feeds.
“I was curious if anyone has ever had issues with iTunes/Linkshare where they get “gaps” of time where no commissions are reported?”
- http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=592587
Gapping, as it is known, is not common, but it happens. More information about this is in Chapter 5 — Reporting. You can also report any gapping you find, as well as read about other iTunes Affiliate Publisher problems with gapping at dsounds.com.
“I have a music-related Web site, and I would like to know people’s recommendations for an affiliate program. I have had a look at Amazon and iTunes. I would like to know of any other suggestions …”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1103318
I am personally a bigger fan of the iTunes Affiliate Program as iTunes is available in more countries and is the largest music store in the world. However, I recommend using the Amazon Affiliate Program in order to capitalize on non-iTunes users as well. You can use the two in conjunction. More info can be found in Chapter 1 — Comparing Digital Music Affiliate Programs.
“…where can I find iTunes Link Maker?”
- http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=499866
The iTunes Link Maker can be found via the LinkShare dashboard. First, login to LinkShare. Next, click on the red navigation bar for “LINKS.” Then, click on the “Apple iTunes” link. Finally, you will find a button that says “iTunes Link Maker” in the center of the following page below the blue, in grey, second from the left. From there you will be taken to the tool with the proper tracking code loaded. More info about how to find it and use the tool is in Chapter 3 — iTunes Link Maker Tool.
“[Is it] OK to create a site on merchant product before applying?”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1211816
This is a hard question when pertaining strictly to the iTunes Affiliate Program. While having a well-developed site before applying to the iTunes Affiliate Program wont hurt, the managers that approve the applications tend to deny a lot of sites. If you use common sense about what you think will be approved, then you are most likely OK. Worst-case scenario is to use the Amazon Affiliate Program until iTunes comes around and approves your application.
“On imeem.com, when you click to download a track, it gives you an option to buy it from iTunes or Amazon … Anyone know if it is just referring people to Amazon or if it is giving you its affiliate cookies??? …”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=927025
If you watch the address bar on your browser closely as you click on a link to buy a song via iTunes, you will see a few URLs go by. The second one starts with a LinkShare domain. This implies that imeem is in fact using the iTunes Affiliate Program to generate commissions on iTunes Store sales sent through its site. More information on affiliate links can be found in Chapter 3.
“Is it OK for [owners/employees] to buy stuff from their affiliate links, or is this strictly forbidden?”
- http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=347067
I am a strong advocate of using your own iTunes affiliate links to buy through iTunes. I talk about this more in Chapter 8 - Best Practices.
API / Programmatically & Dynamically Create iTunes Store Links
“I’ve looked all over the Web and can’t find any current (or any at all, really) info on how to create affiliate links dynamically.”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=409134
“Is there an API to tapping into the iTunes Link Builder?”
- http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501969
“… Apple offers an affiliate program that supports direct links, but again, they don’t offer an Amazon-style API to search its catalog …”
- http://maisonbisson.com/blog/post/10758/itunes-music-store-api/
Apple does offer an API, known as the iTunes Store Web Service Search API, that has been available since at least June 2007. More info about it is in later half of Chapter 4 — Advanced Linking Tools.
“I did find a Web site explaining using the phobos thing, but another saying the system had changed and that no longer works.”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=409134
Assuming you are referring to the iTunes Store API, you are right that it has changed. It has been upgraded a few times and certain parameters no longer work. In general it is functional. Look for more info in Chapter 4 — iTunes Store Web Service Search API.
If this question is referring to the iTunes Link Maker, then rest assured it is working fine, assuming your link into the tool was properly put together. The tool does have issues from time to time, but it is typically reliable. More about the iTunes Link Maker Tool is in Chapter 3 — Links & Banners.
“On my Web site, can I have a demo mp3 playing of a song and next to it a “buy it now” button linking to the iTunes affiliate Web site.”
- http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=446429
This question falls into a grey area. A safer bet is to use the preview clip that the iTunes Store provides that corresponds with each song. A URL for this clip can be found in the JSON results of an iTunes Store API query. More info about this can be found in Chapter 4 — Advanced Linking Tools.
“Is there a way to automate the creation of iTunes affiliate links? Or do you really have to login to Linkshare, create the link and copy paste it in to your site?”
- http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=608884
Yes, there are two ways in which you can programmatically automate the creation of iTunes Affiliate Links. Use either a data fee your affiliate network offers or try the iTunes Store Web Service Search API. Both of these tools are covered in depth in Chapter 4 — Advanced Linking Tools.
Other Common Questions
Why do I see impression and clicks being reported, but not sales?
Because the affiliate network reports impressions and clicks, and iTunes reports sales. There will usually be a time lag between the two. This lag is usually a few days for LinkShare and about seven days for TradeDoubler. It can be as long as a month for DGM.
Do I make commissions on the weekly song iTunes gives away for free?
Unfortunately a 5 percent commission on a $0.00 sale is $0, but the kicker is that when people click through your banner and purchase that $0 song, they also get a 24 hour cookie started that will credit you a commission on any purchases that person makes within the following 24 days, assuming that he or she doesn’t click someone else’s affiliate link.
How do I change the songs in an iMix I created?
Unfortunately you can’t change an iMix after it’s been submitted to the iTunes Store. Your best bet is to delete it, recreate the iMix with the changes made and resubmit it. Unfortunately, you will lose your view count and your star ranking (See Chapter 3 — iMixes for more info).
How do I get credit for sales in Canada?
To get commissions for your iTunes Store affiliate sales in Canada, you need to first join the LinkShare network. After you are established, you need to e-mail the affiliate managers to be included, as the iTunes Affiliate Program for Canada is invitation only. See Chapter 2 — Getting Started for more info about getting included in the Canada program.
