Selling original CDs - what to do about EAN, Barcode etc for FBA
I’ve just set up an individual seller account on Amazon.
I will be selling our band’s original CD [we are getting an initial pressing of 600].
I plan to use FBA.
CDs are a restricted item, but I can’t find a way to submit the evidence required [seems to be an invoice from the manufacturer]
I also can’t find any clear information about whether an EAN or barcode is required [but it looks like it is] and how to acquire one.
I’m caught in a chicken & egg situation. If we need a barcode or EAN, I want to get it printed on the Digipack case. But I can’t begin to register the product until I have an invoice from the manufacturer. And I can’t get an invoice from the manufacturer until I know whether I need a barcode etc etc.
Can’t find a way to speak to a real person at Amazon.
Can anyone offer any advice?
2 replies
Seller_Phl5dQ9BrcIDA
If you are the band member selling pre-pressed CD’s it is ad visible to get a bar code so that you can then distribute them accordingly. As you are the music publisher/band, you are the manufacturer of the product - the product isn’t the actual CD case but the album of music contained within. Unless of course, you were selling empty CD cases, then you would need the manufacturer bar code.
I am not a music expert and so am not sure if you need to go to a particular site for bar codes for music albums e.g. book authors would acquire an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) from Nielsen or similar to get their unique code.
Who is printing the music CD’s for you? They should be able to advise on securing bar codes for your album/music CD.
If you are the band recording the music that you will sell, you also might like to take a look at Amazon’s Create Space which is the platform for creating/selling your own published books/videos/music.
Create Space can provide you with a bar code but that is on the items that they make/distribute and would be different to the one you are listing in your seller account. The principle here is ‘print on demand’ so that buyers can purchase and Amazon do all the printing and shipping for you.
It may also be useful to understand the difference between selling plans in case there are features that you might like to have access to on the professional selling plan that are not available on the individual selling plan e.g. set your own delivery/shipping settings.
Some sellers use both Create Space for print on demand, while also listing their own physical copies on their Seller Central - this is useful if you wish to post out ‘signed copy’ of your music.
And if thinking of doing some band merchandise e.g. t-shirts, mugs etc check out Merch by Amazon
