iTunes Affiliates
I have to say I’m a tad underwhelmed by the iTunes Affiliate Scheme.
This site got turned down for one of the following reasons :
- The content is unrelated to iTunes
- Your site is temporarily down or under construction.
- A wrong or misspelled URL given in the application.
- Your site is aesthetically unpleasing
- Your site promotes tobacco, alcohol or excessive drinking/drug use
- Your site contains extreme religious content
- Your site is international (with a majority of visitors based OUTSIDE the US)
I’m pretty sure this site fails on the last one (hopefully no-one considers this site to be ‘aesthetically unpleasing’ or my writing to induce ‘excessive drug use’). This is a real bummer for those of us outside the US (yep, we don’t all live in America). If there’s one thing that really bugs me about Apple, it’s the blinkers they have when it comes to the rest of the world. It took us long enough to get the iTunes Music Store here in Europe…
Anyway, despite the whole non-US thing, the scheme appears to be run by a third party organisation called the LinkShare network. Immediately this is a disappointment as I was expecting the scheme to run within the Apple website (possibly using your Apple ID or .Mac account). I wouldn’t think it’d be too difficult to get some web development people on the case at Apple. After all, Amazon and Google manage to offer nicely integrated affiliate schemes.
Once an account has been created (after negotiating a horrendous form on the Apple website), you are sent a barrage of confusing e-mails eventually directing you to the LinkShare website. The e-mails encourage you to join up to Apple iTunes via LinkShare and create your links using their system. After bombing out fairly early I didn’t get the chance the sign up and create some links, so I’d be interested to hear from others who have managed this successfully (I have a feeling the process is not as easy as it should be).
I was looking forward to getting some iTunes links on this site (if only to make a few bob on my own purchases), but I’m left feeling disappointed by the whole process. The current LinkShare-powered system only serves to discourage site owners from becoming affiliates — a situation obviously at odds with Apple’s intentions.
Posted 4 years, 9 months ago on 10th September 2004.
- Handy Tips
- iBeam
- Photo iPod?
- Gone Fishing
- iTunes Affiliates
- iMac G5
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- How about a nice game of chess?
- Real vs Apple
Comments
it has to do with the record companies in regards to international stuff.
Sites in the US, like radioparadise.com is loving the new affiliate.
You hear a tune from their radio playlist, and buy the tune via itunes store link.
Thats the perfect combo.
steve o · 4 years, 9 months ago
Even my site http://www.uneasysilence.com was approved - It is shocking that you got rejected...
Are you sure it was the iTunes store affiliation that was rejected? I remember reading on As the Apple Turns that they got a quick "rejection" email, which the site mistook for a rejection for iTunes affiliation (it was for another application that was submitted "automatically" at the same time as the iTunes application). About a week or 2 later, the iTunes application was accepted.
Reader · 4 years, 9 months ago
Just got a response from Apple -
"Your site is based outside of the US, likely drawing traffic from UK visitors rather than US. We encourage you to apply to the UK iTunes Affiliate Program which is set to launch in the next 60-90 days."
Ah well, 2-3 months to wait I guess :-( Hopefully by then, they’ll have refined the whole process too.
It has to be the last reason. I got in almost instantly and my site is not exactly Maclot heaven.
Phil - do you have site stats that show where your visitors come from? Even though I’m UK based, 80% come from the the States.
Absolutely Jon. I had a look through my stats and found this to be the case too. I’ve replied to Apple so hopefully they’ll reconsider.
I got in... I too think it’s a dissapointment that Apple doesn’t run this by theirselves.. but I’m giving it a try right now...
I got a rotating banner ad from them to put on my site.. you can check it out, right here: http://www.the-id.net/wp/
Thaleia · www · 4 years, 9 months ago