The App Store Affiliate Program provides a unique way for your app to interface with the iTunes Store and App Store to link to millions of songs, thousands of apps, Hollywood movies to rent or buy, TV shows, music videos, games, audiobooks, and free podcasts. You too can be part of the excitement by joining the affiliate program.

Program Benefits

  • Make Money: As an affiliate, you can earn commissions on all qualifying revenue generated by links to the App Store and iTunes Store.
  • Enhance Your App: In addition to generating commissions, you can add valuable and compelling content to your app and make it easy for your customers to find music, other apps, TV shows, movies, audiobooks, and more.
  • Stay in the Know: Our affiliate resource Website will keep you up to date on new tools, special promotions, and other resources. Check it out at http://www.apple.com/itunes/affiliates/resources.

Program Use

The sky is the limit when you combine creativity, your app, and the App Store Affiliate Program. Among the great implementations of the program are discovery apps, which help users learn about new music, artists, movies, TV shows, and even other apps. The affiliate program is also a good fit for apps that explore any of the content areas inside the store. Do you have an app that showcases a certain city? Use the affiliate program to link to artists performing at local venues or to movies playing at local theaters. We encourage you to integrate affiliate links in appropriate ways that add value to your app and its users.

We’ve partnered with four affiliate networks across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. These affiliate networks provide the technological interface that enables affiliates to access links, track performance, and get paid. Joining is easy. Get started by following the steps below:

  1. Join an Affiliate Network: To start, determine which regional affiliate program area best matches the audience for your Website or app. Next, visit one of the affiliate network sites using the links below and complete the online application. Please note that you will need to provide contact information as well as information about your app.
  1. Apply for the Affiliate Program: After you have been accepted into an affiliate network, you still need to apply to the App Store program. To apply, simply complete the forms, read and agree to the program terms and conditions, and submit your application. You will be notified of your approval to join the program in one to two weeks.
  2. Create Links: For you to earn commissions, links must contain your unique affiliate tracking code. To properly code affiliate links, log into your affiliate network account and access our Link Maker tool, an RSS feed generator, artwork, or other tools. If you have a large number of links to create, you should use one of our advanced linking solutions—the Search API or the EPF data feed. Make sure to carefully create and test your links to ensure that they function properly.

Types of Links

  • Link Maker: The Link Maker tool allows you to create affiliate links to most content available in the iTunes Store or the App Store. You can access this tool via your affiliate network.
  • RSS Feed Generator: Use the RSS feeds to incorporate lists for top music releases, apps, or TV episodes. You can add these to your Website using a standard RSS feed reader.
  • Affiliate Tools: A variety of advanced tools are available to help technically savvy partners create links to the iTunes Store and App Store. These include a Search API, an Enterprise Partner Feed that provides advanced data feed for the whole store. To get more information about these advanced affiliate tools, send a request to itunesaffiliates@apple.com. 

Reporting and Tracking

Each regional affiliate network offers a variety of reporting options for affiliates through its dashboard. To maximize sales, spend time to get to know the reporting system for your affiliate network. Tools are available that allow you to code clicks and sales by link placement or campaign. However, please note that SKU-level sales reporting is not currently available with the affiliate program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my application to join the iTunes affiliate program is denied?
If you feel that your app was inappropriately denied, you can appeal by sending an email to itunesaffiliates@apple.com. You can also attempt to reapply to the program after 14 days.

Can app developers from outside the United States join?
Yes, there are currently affiliate programs in nineteen countries around the world administered by four affiliate networks. We encourage developers from anywhere to apply but only accept those that have significant traffic in a country where there is an affiliate program.

Can I apply to more than one region’s program?
Yes. If your app sees traffic from multiple countries where our affiliate program exists, we encourage you to join more than one program. However, it is important to know that a single link often will not work for multiple countries. Links vary for each iTunes Store because rights to the content often vary by country.

Are all app publishers automatically approved to be affiliates?
No, app publishers have to go through the same approval process as websites.

Is there an API?
Yes. It is known as the Search API. Further information can be found on the Search API page in iTunes & App Store Resources site.

Can a link go straight into the store and not through the affiliate network?
Yes. As long as a URL includes the partnerId and correct version of the affToken, it does not have to go through the affiliate network. However, clicks are not tracked, just sales.