Apple today launched the iTunes Affiliate Program, making it the first download music store to offer direct links to a la carte singles and albums that generate paid commissions to affiliate websites. The iTunes Affiliate Program will complement successful iTunes programs including iTunes on Campus, offering free site licenses to colleges and universities, and the iTunes Volume Discount Program, providing bulk song downloads at a discount. The iTunes Music Store is the world’s number one music service with over 125 million songs purchased and downloaded to date.
“This program is a clear win-win for Apple and our partners, both large and small,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Applications in the press release. “By working with affiliate websites we’re not only expanding access to iTunes, but are giving site owners the ability to connect to one of the hottest brands online, creating a quick and easy way for them to generate additional revenue.”
Affiliates that sign up for the iTunes Affiliate Program ( http://www.itunes.com/affiliates ) between now and September 15th will be automatically entered to win an iPod mini from Apple. The new program is the latest initiative from Apple to help businesses and organizations use the popularity of digital music for marketing and awareness related purposes.
Other iTunes third party programs include:
– iTunes Volume Discount Program — Apple offers companies, colleges and universities the ability to purchase large quantities of iTunes Music Store songs at a discount through the iTunes Volume Discount Program. Through the program, Apple provides groups the ability to purchase a batch of individual codes, good for redemption of free song downloads at the iTunes Music Store which they can use for promotional giveaways, incentive programs, sweepstakes prizes and other valuable customer offers. Recent companies participating in this program include Ben & Jerry’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and W Hotels. More information on the iTunes Volume Discount Program can be found at http://www.itunes.com/volumediscounts .
– iTunes on Campus — Targeted at helping colleges and universities stem the tide of illegal music downloading on campus, Apple offers educational institutions a free institutional site license for the iTunes application and the ability to purchase songs for students at a discount. The iTunes on Campus program enables universities to provide students with a legal option for downloading music from the Internet and managing their digital music collection. Universities can also take advantage of the iTunes Affiliate Program to generate funds for their school. More than 55 colleges and universities have signed up for site licenses through iTunes On Campus to date. More information on the program can be found at [url=http://www.apple.com/education/itunesoncampus]http://www.apple.com/education/itunesoncampus[/url] .
The iTunes Music Store, available in the US, UK, France and Germany, is the best way for PC and Mac(R) users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. Incorporating pioneering features, unmatched personal use rights, breakthrough pricing and Apple’s legendary ease of use, the iTunes Music Store gives users the ability to play songs on up to five personal computers, burn a song onto CDs an unlimited number of times, burn the same playlist up to seven times and listen to their music on an unlimited number of iPods. With 125 million song downloads to date and a 70% market share of the legal digital music market, the iTunes Music Store is the leading online music
destination in the world.
Record labels, businesses, institutions and colleges and universities interested in partnering with iTunes to drive their promotions and marketing programs can go to http://www.itunes.com/marketing for more information on these and other resources.
Looks like number of songs sold per week is growing exponentially!!! If they continue this trend they will be selling over 6 million songs per week before they hit year 3.
Sounds good. (Pun intended)
Post
This is actually a great way to have one store, but tons of ways to access it. Kind of like Amazon. Put a link to a song and get a commission if someone buys it through your site. Not a bad way to go.
Meant to add…looks like a great way to head off m$ before they even get started.
It seems to me that the issue is: getting PC users to download the iTunes application. New HP buyers already have it installed, but for the rest of ’em, the download&install; is an crucial step that many will not take without encouragement. Hopefully, this “Affiliate Program” will help lead the reticent into doing the download. ‘Cause we all know that once a person has the program and enters into iTMS, (s)he becomes one of us. From then on it’s: “Microsoft music store — why bother?”
OK, so I’m doing the math. They hit 100 million downloads on 12 July 2004. That was 7.5 to 8 weeks ago. So since then they’ve sold another 25 million songs. Even if you say 8 weeks ago, that has them selling at a rate of over 3 million songs per week. That rocks!!!
I’ve registered. A few kinks in the registration system. I got taken to the LinkShare page after registering rather than back to Apple. That was a bit confusing, especially since there were no details on why, I was brought there. Otherwise, pretty cool. Now I just need to get off my butt and add the music section I’ve been planning.
This is cool
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Now everybody opens their own iTMS store
I will as soon as this hits Europe
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I wonder who I should talk to about getting this done at my college.
How many Windows users do not qualify for iTunes because they are not using 2000 or XP? I personally know several using Win’98. Will MS support the ’98 users? We’ll know tomorrow. Another question is will Longhorn be compatible with iTunes? Will it be in Apple’s best interest not to support Longhorn? This is turning into a game of chess and Apple so far seems to be the smarter player by a long shot. The next 2-3 years will certainly be anything but boring…
Tony:
I agree with your chess analogy. Ya just gotta the moves that Apple is making.
The boardroom at MS must be an interesting place right now…severe virusitis, no real operating system upgrade to give to their subscribers, an actual dominant competitor in media content.
Keep up the good work, MS.
Mike
cool i will put my favorite songs in my email sigs now 😀
I said this here months ago, and nobody responded that they even liked the idea.
I guess you only jump on board if it comes from Apple.
“It seems to me that the issue is: getting PC users to download the iTunes application”
Good point David. PC users love anything for nothing. Apple should actively promote the Free Single every week. The locus wil flock.
Speaking of chess
Apple having HP selling their computers with iTMS pre-installed and selling the iPod – a Grand Master room. At least ELO 2800.
eheh, never type with wife talking: that “room” above should be “move”.
tony… windows 98.. they’re probably used to complaining by now.. hearing about the glorious winxp sp2 headaches and not being able to join in the fun..
so when will they take the plunge and activate all those xp viruses they’ve got?
really.. think about it.. OS X has made the transition that begun in 2001. that’s three years ago…
Windows 98 is now a 6 year old OS. Come on.. 6 years ago the mac OS was..well.. i could never go back..Surely os 9 users have their reasons but they are in for a surprise when they get their new imacs, preloaded w panther…
Seriously, iTUnes may run like (micro)sh*t under 98..
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