Apple iTunes Link Maker no longer working?

I just tried to create a Linkshare iTunes affiliate link with the ITMS Link Maker (which you can find via the Apple Linkshare affiliate page) to create an iTunes store link.

Instead of creating the usual click.linksynergy.com url style affiliate ID link, the link maker is now creating a regular itunes.apple.com link, with no Linkshare url or affiliate ID (that I can see).

I can find no mention of this change/problem anywhere.

Does anyone know about this change to the iTunes Link Maker? Does the new itunes.apple.com links have an affiliate tracking ID?

The iTunes RSS feeds are still using the linksynergry.com style urls.

It seems like the iTunes Link Maker "breaks" from time to time. If there is no affiliate network tracking code inside it then it's broken! It looks like it is working again though.

Well I just read the "official" iTunes Linking guide Apple just released (which I was notified via my Linkshare account), and the affiliate linking url structure they describe is completely different than the method used by Linkshare and the iTunes link maker.

So I have no idea what is the proper/correct way to link to iTunes for affiliate sales.

I wish someone would clear this up, but unfortunately email(s) to Linkshare and the iTunes affiliate manager have not sorted this out. :/

Find some big iTunes affiliates and look at their links. That's probably the quickest way to get the right answer.

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Michael Coley ABestWeb.com Admin and Amazing-Bargains.com Founder

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Greetings,

I'm not sure if this applies to your problem, but I once had a issue with creating links using there generator..

I was going directly to the generator page instead of doing it from the linkshare interface ..

Well if you go to it via the linkshare interface, it added some extra parameters and creates the links .. If you didnt .. it wouldnt work correctly ..

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OpA! Giasou Ti kanies!

Also not sure if this applies to your problem, but I got the following message from iTunes today concerning the URL structure for their links:

Please note that we are using a new URL structure for links to the iTunes Store, and have noticed that some partners using the advanced iTunes linking tools (EPF database and JSON search API) may not have not made changes necessary to use these new URLs.
There are important changes that you need to make to properly implement and integrate this new link structure. Be sure the URL includes a question mark (?) before you attach any other values with an ampersand (&). Failure to do so will create a non effective link. If you generate your links with the iTunes Link Maker Tool or RSS feed generator, you do not have to worry about this.
Please see the document in the link below for technical details on the new iTunes URL structure:
http://images.apple.com/itunesaffil...LinktoiTune.pdf

We appreciate your patience and continued loyalty to the iTunes program.

Sincerely,
The iTunes Affiliate Team
i tunes affiliates [at] link share [dot] com

Yes, that PDF is the guide I was referring to.