Work out which kind of group you are
Find your row first. It can save you the whole job. The charity and church wording and the last two rows are our reading of Apple's rule, so check them against your own paperwork.
| You are | Enrol as | DUNS number | Name on the App Store |
|---|---|---|---|
| One person with a station | Individual | Not needed | Your legal name |
| A sole trader, or a one-person business | Individual | Not needed | Your legal name |
| A registered company, or a charity or church that is a legal entity in its own right | Organization | Needed | Your legal entity name |
| A school or college | Organization | Needed. A state school should ask Apple if the government exception covers it | Your legal entity name |
| A government body | Organization | Optional | Your legal entity name |
| A club with no registration at all | Probably individual | Not needed that way | The member's legal name |
| A branch of a bigger body, like one parish of a diocese | Ask the parent body | Theirs, if they enrol | The parent's legal name |
The rule behind this table is short. Apple says your organisation must be a legal entity that can sign a contract with it. It doesn't accept DBAs ("doing business as" names), fictitious names, trade names or branches. If your group's name is on a registration certificate or a charity register, that's a good sign, but check it can sign contracts in its own name. If it only appears on a poster, you probably aren't a legal entity.
Find your exact legal name
Copy it from your registration paper, not your sign. "Grace Community Radio" may be registered as "Grace Fellowship Trust Inc", and that second name is the one Apple wants. It's also the one people will see as the seller, so if it looks odd beside your station's name, you've learned that early. Your app can still carry the station's name; the page for your radio app or your video channel app covers that.
Choose who signs
This matters most if you're a volunteer. Whoever enrols becomes the Account Holder and must have legal authority to bind the group to contracts. Apple's list reads like a company's: owner or founder, a member of the executive team, a senior project lead, or an employee given that authority by a senior employee. If you aren't the owner or founder, Apple will want a reference who can confirm it.
So the keen teenager running the sound desk can't do this alone. Apple doesn't say how this applies to unpaid officers. Our reading is that in a small group the person is likely to be a trustee, the head teacher, the pastor or the chair, and if your signer isn't an employee, ask Apple before you rely on it. They can enrol and later add you to the team to do the day-to-day work. They need an Apple Account with two-factor sign-in on, and Apple recommends using the organisation's email for it. Pick an account that will still work when the volunteers change.
Get your website and email ready
Do this while you wait for the number, because Apple requires both. A small group may not have them yet:
- A work email on your group's own domain. A free webmail address doesn't fit that.
- A working public website on a domain tied to your group. Using the same domain as your email is the simple way to show that. Apple says it won't accept a social media page, a site with hardly anything on it, or a page showing a registrar's message.
If you're missing these, register a domain in the group's name, then set up a small real site with mailboxes on web hosting. Apple sets no page count, only that a thin site won't pass, so give it real content: who you are, where you meet, how to reach you, and your radio station or video channel.
Look up your number first
Don't apply until you've checked. Dun & Bradstreet may already have given your group a number.
- Open Apple's D-U-N-S lookup tool at developer.apple.com/enroll/duns-lookup/ and sign in with an Apple Account. Start from Apple's site, not a search result, so you stay on the free route.
- Search with your legal entity name and headquarters address.
- If you're listed, note the number and check the name and address match your paperwork.
- If you aren't listed, send your details through the same tool: legal entity name, headquarters address, mailing address and your work contact details.
- Keep your registration documents close. Someone from Dun & Bradstreet may contact you about your business type or how many people you employ.
Apple describes the number as free in most jurisdictions, and offers a free request through its lookup. You don't need to pay to speed it up: Apple says expediting won't shorten the wait.
Count the days before you plan a launch
| Stage | Allow | If it drags |
|---|---|---|
| Getting the number from Dun & Bradstreet | Up to 5 business days | After two weeks, email them |
| Your details reaching Apple | Up to 2 business days | Wait this out before you enrol |
| A corrected profile reaching Apple | Up to 2 business days | Check the name matches, then try again |
| Apple checking your enrolment | Apple gives no figure | Watch for an email; you might be asked for notarised documents |
Add that up and a brand-new number can take seven business days before you even start enrolling. If you've promised an app for Christmas or for the start of term, begin well ahead. Then there's still building the app and Apple's review to come.
Ask for the fee waiver if you qualify
Apple can drop its yearly membership fee for some groups. Select the waiver during enrolment. You can apply if your legal entity is one of these:
- A non-profit officially recognised where you operate. Apple's examples are the IRS in the US and a local register of charities in the EU.
- An accredited school or college, recognised by an official accrediting body.
- A government body.
Three catches. Individuals and sole traders can't get it. You can't sell paid apps or in-app purchases, or sell digital goods or services through any of your apps. And you confirm you still qualify at each renewal. If your church has never had paperwork from a tax authority or a register, ask Apple what it will accept before you count on this.
Fix these snags
| What you see | What it likely means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Your organization is not listed as a legal entity" | Dun & Bradstreet has you as a sole proprietor, or hasn't verified your status | Check you used the legal name. If you are a legal entity, send them your registration documents |
| Apple can't match your name or address | Your profile is out of date | Email Dun & Bradstreet to update it, then allow two business days |
| Apple asks for notarised documents | It wants certified copies of your paperwork | Ask a notary, or follow what Apple's email says for your region |
| The website is refused | It's too thin, or its domain isn't clearly your group's | Add real pages on a domain that's clearly your group's |
Think twice before starting in one person's name
Enrolling as an individual is quicker, and it's fine if the station really is yours. For a group, the catch comes later. That person's legal name shows as the seller, and Apple grants Account Holder transfers for individual members only on a limited basis. If they move away, the account goes with them.
There are two ways out. Apple can convert an individual membership to an organisation, but you must be the founder or co-founder and supply a DUNS number. Or, once the group has its own account, you can transfer the app to it. At least one version must have been released, and the app and both accounts must meet Apple's other transfer criteria. So you can start small, but you'll end up doing this job anyway.