FAQ - 2. Getting Referrals

Q. How should I introduce your site?

• Review or introduce items from our store on your site, and then add an affiliate link to our corresponding product page.
• Tell all of your friends how you feel about CDJapan through your website, blog, or MySpace page.
• If you run a fan site for a specific artist or artists, add a link to our Complete Listings page to give your users quick access to the artist's complete catalog.
• If you run a site about a specific genre, you can use our automatically updating links to receive regularly updated sales ranking data and information on exciting new releases. Owners of larger sites may try introducing new items through mail magazines. CDJapan ships new product information through our genre newsmails and site RSS feeds. You may also find new information by browsing our releases by release date on the main CDJapan website.

Q. What ways can I link to CDJapan?

You can introduce us through:

• Product links
• Linking to an arbitrary CDJapan page
• Themed banner links for each genre
• Automatically updating links

Q. How should I make the affiliate links?

• Product Links
  If you know the catalog number of the item you'd like to link, enter the number into the "Catalog Number Search" field of the "Link Creation" menu, press the "Create Link" button, and copy the displayed link HTML into your site. Though this is the easiest method, you may also search by artist name or other settings.
• Linking to an arbitrary CDJapan page
  Access the " Create Link to Arbitrary Page" menu to create an affiliate link to your favorite article, artist listing, anime listing, or any other CDJapan page you like. Simply enter the URL for the appropriate page and click the "Create Link" button to display the necessary affiliate program link HTML.
• Banner Links
  View the banners we've prepared for the affiliate program and select one by pressing the "Create Link" Button. Link HTML encoded with your ID will be displayed which can be used to link the banner from your site.
• Automatically Updating Links
  By adding our automatically updating link code to your site, you can display automatically updated ranking data and information on exciting new releases in your favorite genres. Just choose a genre and style for the list, copy the displayed link HTML, and add it to your site.

Q. Can I make an affiliate link without using the link creation menu?

Our more technical users will be able to create their own affiliate links as long as it follows the pattern below.

Fixed Portion/LinkID/SiteID/Affiliate ID/%2link destination(everything after www.cdjapan.co.jp)%2

*Please note that losses due to errors in calculating affiliate totals resulting from changes made to the link code do not fall under the responsibilities of CDJapan. You assume full responsibility for any losses that may occur if you change your link codes.

Q. Can I use information from CDJapan if I'm enrolled in the affiliate program?

CDJapan affiliate partners are allowed to post CDJapan's product images, product text (product name, catalog number, artist name, product description, and physical media info) on their site without the explicit permission from CDJapan. Please note that item prices and availabilities change regularly, and you assume all responsibility for the truthfulness of the information you post on your site. Please regularly check CDJapan to ensure your data is correct. Please note you are also restricted from posting track lists, customer reviews, special article/pick up text or any other data not listed above on your site.

Q. May I make my own banners?

Generally, we require users to use the banners CDJapan has prepared for the affiliate program. If you would like to request a specific banner, or would like to use the CDJapan logo in your own banner, please contact us (affiliate@cdjapan.co.jp).

Q. What am I prohibited from doing?

You are prohibited from posting affiliate links on online BBSs, forums, and other communal sites, using spam mail for promoting your site or CDJapan, sending messages to non-commercial newsgroups, or doing anything that would cause problems for CDJapan or any third party. For complete information on what activities are prohibited, please view the CDJapan Affiliate Program Terms of Service here.

Q. May I mention CDJapan in my own mail magazines?

You are permitted to post CDJapan affiliate links in self-managed newsletters that your users have voluntarily subscribed to.

Q. Is it possible to accept orders from my own site?

This affiliate program does not support the ability for sites to accept orders on their own sites and pass them on to us. If you'd like to enquire about other types of information sharing methods with our site, please contact us (affiliate@cdjapan.co.jp).

Q. Can I receive all of your data at once to use in the affiliate program?

If you'd like specific data from the CDJapan database or would like to receive CDJapan's product data all at once for the purposes of synchronizing your personal database with that of CDJapan's, please contact us (affiliate@cdjapan.co.jp). We will evaluate your site for eligibility, and will provide you with data if we believe doing so would be effective. When you apply, please specify how you plan to use CDJapan's information in your email.

Q. Do you have any plans to release your API?

We are considering releasing our API but have not decided on a date for release. However, we currently allow our users to access new product and artist information through RSS feeds. CDJapan fully welcomes users with a technical background to use this XML data in whatever way they please.

If you have any question, please contact us by email.
CDJapan Customer Support: affiliate@cdjapan.co.jp