Since you are already on this page I have to assume that you know just how much more amazing stuff you can get from the US iTunes account compared to the Canadian iTunes account. We’re talking more TV shows, more apps (think Pandora & Hulu Plus), more movies, more podcasts and overall just more awesome in general.
There are two big difference between how we used to set up a US iTunes account from Canada and abroad and how we (as of January 20th, 2013) set up the account.
Methode 1: No US Credit Card or US iTunes Gift Card Required
This method is great if you want to download free apps (think Hulu Plus & Pandora).
Methode 2: Using A US iTunes Gift Card (So you can buy things)
The two things that you will need are a Pro VPN and a US iTunes gift card. Equipped with both of these and you’ll be surfing the US iTunes store before you know it!
Step 1: Get The Best Pro VPN
For nearly two years now I have been using, and loving, HMA. I think so highly of their software that I have recommended it to my mother!
What HMA does is it allows you to connect and re-route your internet connection through one of their 175, and counting, servers in the United States. By doing so it this allows your computer to virtually reside in the USA.
Step 2: Download and Connect To An HMA Server
You’re going to want to download HMA by clicking on the link on the navigation menu on the top left of your HMA account page.
Select the version of HMA you need based on which operating system you’re using (yes this works on PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, iPods, Android smartphone and tablets and even on Linux based machines). This is where you can find the download link:
Once you have downloaded HMA you will then want to change one setting so you connect to one of the 10 closest servers in the USA based on geographical distance. As see here:
You will now be connected to one of HMA’s US-based servers.
Step 3: Check Your New Location
Now that you are connected to a US location you are going to want to check to see the specific city that you’re “living” in. You do this by clicking the “verify new IP address” from the HMA dashboard:
This will open up your web browser and show you your new Internet service provider (ISP), country, state/region, city, postal code and area code as shown below:
There is a chance that sometime you will see that you have been connected to what is being called “anonymous proxy” and the map will show you somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Just like this:
Once you have connected and verified that you have connected to a HMA server location that is in a US city and it shows you a postal code and area code you’re in business and can move to the next step.
Step 4: Pick Your New Address & Phone Number
Jot down the 5 numbers that you see beside postal code and the 3 digit area code, you will need these to complete step 4.
Now that you know your new postal code (they call them zip codes in the USA) and area code you can now pick your “new” home by heading over to www.realtor.com and doing a search for homes for sale in the same postal/zip code that your new server location is.
This will give you a bunch of houses that are for sale in that zip code. Just pick one that you like (don’t use the ones on the first page, dig deeper into the listings just so there is less of a chance that more than one person uses the same address). For this guide I’m going to use the one on Summerlin Ave.
Now that you have your address you are going to need a phone number too. Remember you want to get one with the same area code that your server is in. For the sake of this guide that is “407”.
Head over to google and do a search for “[YOUR ZIP CODE] [service business]”. For this example I’m going to search for “32801 dry cleaners”, then you just need to find a phone number (MAKE SURE THE AREA CODE MATCHES THE ONE YOU NEED!!!).
Now, it’s verrrrrryyyyyyyy unlikely that iTunes will ever call the number but just change one of the last numbers so dry cleaners all over the USA don’t start getting random weird phone numbers.
Step 5: Launch iTunes and Change The Region To USA
If you haven’t downloaded iTunes yet you can do that here. Once you launch iTunes make sure that you are logged out of your current Canadian account and then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the iTunes Store where you should see a little flag in the bottom right corner. At this point it’s likely to be a Canadian flag:
If that flag is anything other than the American flag, go ahead and click on it where it will bring up this screen where you will want to click on the United States iTunes region:
Scroll down to the bottom of the screen again to verify that the US flag is showing up in the bottom right corner of iTunes.
At this point I closed iTunes and re-opened it making sure that HMA remained connected the whole time. After doing this click on “sign in” on the top right corner of iTunes then click “create Apple ID”.
This will bring up a new page where you will simply need to click “continue”.
Then read through and, if you agree, click agree to the terms and conditions.
Then you will want to fill in your details and no, my birthday is not January 1st :-).
Next you will have to fill out the payment information. Unless you have a credit card with a US billing address you will wan to leave the credit card information blank.
After you click “create Apple ID” it will return an error saying “the credit card info you have entered is not valid…” If you look closely this time you will notice that there is one more payment option and it’s called “None”. Click “None” and then “Create Apple ID”.
Success!!!
After you click “Create Apple ID” you will smell the sweet smell of success! Well, okay it’ll be more see the sweet visual of success but you get the point. You should see your email address (I grayed mine out for security reasons) and the amount of iTunes credit you purchased.
As far as I can tell this is the ONLY guide on the internet that is showing the new way to sign up for a US iTunes account in Canada and anywhere outside of the USA! Please this guide with your friends so they too know how to get a US iTunes account. Thanks!
We’re sure the first things that most of you Canadians are thinking is “why would I want a US iTunes account?“. Well, quite simply, if you live in Canada you’re getting denied access to the extensive library of movies, TV shows, music and even some apps (like Pandora – more on this later) that are not available when you have a Canadian iTunes account. There are also those times when a friend of yours who live south of the boarder gifts you a song from the US iTunes store that you’re not able to redeem with your Canadian iTunes account. Or when your grandma sends you a 4-pack of $15 iTunes gift cards she picked up from the Costco in Palm Springs…either way you’ll need a US iTunes account to accesses all of the TV shows, movies, music, apps that aren’t available in Canada as well to take advantage of those gift cards!
That all being said, probably the biggest reason to set yourself up with a US iTunes account is so you can download the Pandora app. This app is not available in the Canadian iTunes store since you’re not supposed to be able to access Pandora Internet Radio from anywhere expect the USA. The team here at HowToGetItInCanada.com has great news about this: WE’VE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET PANDORA IN CANADA! If you’re interested, please read our guide on How To Get Pandora Radio In Canada.
We’re also very happy to report that getting a US iTunes account in Canada is very simple and can be accomplished in 3 easy steps!
Step 1: Pick up a Vanilla MasterCard
The great news is that you can buy a Vanilla MasterCard at a couple very convenient locations like 7-11 and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Step 2: Register Your Vanilla MasterCard Online
DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! This is a very important step and must be done! Visit www.vanillamastercard.com and select the “US (ENGLISH) GIFT CARD” option:
The next step is to enter your Vanilla MasterCard info:
Next you will click “Register Your Card”:
Which takes you to the most important step of this process, entering a US zip code:
If you’re just using this method to open a US iTunes account we recommend seeing if you could use a friends address in the US. If you’re not expecting to receive physical shipments then you could even just make one up as the only thing that matters is the zip code. If you’re hoping be able to purchase physical items and have them delivered to an address in the US then we recommend that you read our guide on how to get a street address in the US and have your mail forwarded to Canada.
Now that you’ve purchased and registered your Vanilla MasterCard with a US zip code we can move onto step 3 which will involve opening your US iTunes account in Canada.
Step 3: Open a US iTunes Account in Canada
If you haven’t already, download a copy of iTunes for free from Apple. Once you open the iTunes store, scroll all the way down to the bottom where you will see a small Canadian flag. Click on that Canadian flag:
Then select the United States store:
Click “Sign In”:
Click “Create New Account”
Enter your personal information and click continue. The next step will ask you to provide a payment method and this is where you will enter the details found on your Vanilla MasterCard. VERY IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE THE ZIP CODE THAT YOU ENTER IN THIS STEP MATCHES THE ZIP CODE YOU USED WHEN YOU REGISTERED YOUR VANILLA MASTERCARD!
iTunes will then ask you to verify your email address but once you click “OK” it will show you that you have successfully set up a US iTunes account from Canada!
CONGRATULATIONS! Now that you have a US iTunes account you’re able to take advantage of the huge selection of TV shows, music, movies and apps that you previously weren’t able to access with your Canadian iTunes account!
The first thing you should do with your brand spanking new US iTunes account is download the Pandora app and then read our guide on How to Get Pandora Radio in Canada on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch!
Step 4: Wait! I thought you said “easy as 1-2-3″!?!?
You’re right, we did say that getting a US iTunes account in Canada was “as easy as 1-2-3!!!” We’re hoping that you are excited about knowing how to snag yourself your own personal US iTunes account and that you’ll this page with your friends on Facebook! Trust us, your friends will thank you for letting them know that there is an easy way to get a US iTunes account in Canada! Thanks!!!
Don’t miss these great guides to getting other things previously restricted in Canada:
- How to Get Pandora Radio in Canada
- How to Get US TV Shows For FREE in Canada
- How to Listen to Pandora in Canada on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
- How to Get The US Version of Netflix in Canada
Kelsey Chiasson says
So I’m assuming that you just enter a random address with the zip code in the itunes information?
And in order to make purchases will I have to keep getting buying Vanilla pre-paid mastercards?
Brent says
Yes, you just enter a random US address but make sure that you remember the city, state and zip code for when you’re signing up for the US iTunes account. To keep adding iTunes credits you can either get more Vanilla Mastercards or buy US iTunes credits. Stay tuned, we will be showing people how to do this as well very soon.
If you’re going to get a Vanilla Mastercard I suggest that you also think about checking out our guide on how to get Hulu Plus in Canada. since you’ll already have a card all ready to go.
Thanks for stopping by!
Rene says
So then, I can’t access any of the items I downloaded on my Canadian account (or put the dozens for movies I have bought and paid for on my iPad), can I?
Brent says
All of the music/video files you have on your computer “live” on your computer and will be available in your library no matter which iTunes store you’re logged into. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Enjoy the much better selection from iTunes USA!
Thomas Jackson says
Hi, I did all the steps and using a friends address in the US. When I try to creat apple ID is tells me the card was declined. All the info is the same. Would you know why this is happening?
Regards,
Brent says
How long after registering your card did you try to set it up? I have experienced that (even though mastercard tells you it’s available immediately) it can take a little while before the zip code gets linked to your vanilla mastercard.
I just set one of these up not too long ago for a friend and it worked like a charm. Let me know if you’re still having troubles.
Tyler says
Hi Brent,
I’ve followed all the steps here and when I click create apple ID a message pops up saying. Please contact iTunes support to complete this transaction.
Have you seen this before?
Tyler
Brent says
I have not seen this before. Send me an email via the contact page and I’ll help you get your account set up.
Libby says
So if I am understanding correctly, I can randomly log out of my Canadian account on my ipad and log into the new US account ( thro the menu in settings) and visa versa as often as required.
Brent says
Yes, you can have a Canadian account and an American iTunes account and switch back and forth. Enjoy!
If you think your friends would like to know how to get themselves a US iTunes account please this with them 🙂 Thanks!
Darren says
I have a us itunes gift card already so I don’t need the vanilla m/c just a gmail account?
Brent says
Darren, if you have a US iTunes gift card you don’t need a Vanilla m/c. Enjoy!!!
Jawad says
The message I am getting is this kind of credit card is not valid, I registered my card an hour and half now, should I give it more time for the zip code to link the MC card I have, thanks
Brent says
Jawad, sometimes it take a few hours for the card to be active after registering the zip code. I know that Vanilla Mastercard tells you that it’s ready right away but sometimes it takes a little while… Most of the time it’s instant. Let me know if you were able to get it working.
Evan says
Does it have to be a vanilla mastercard
Brent says
I had tried a couple others and didn’t have the same success. I’m sure there are others that work but I would stick to the Vanilla Mastercard.
Mike says
Hey Brent,
Did it step-by-step but I keep getting “Contact iTunes Support to complete this transaction.” Any thoughts and where do I go from here? I waited about 30 mins for the Vanilla Card to register and still no joy.
Brent says
Mike, did you have the VPN turned on when setting up your account? I’ve been hearing rumblings that iTunes is now checking your location while you’re setting up your account. I have yet to verify this for 100% but am running test from various locations across Canada as we speak. As soon as I confirm/deny I will update the guide.
Please let me know if you have a VPN turned on or not when you were setting up your US iTunes account from Canada.
Mike says
Thanks Brent. No I did not have VPN turned on. I trust that’s easy to do. Cheers.
Brent says
The new guide is now live! Check it out!
Tyler says
Hey Brent,
I’ve followed all the steps here and when I click create apple ID a message a message reading:
“Please contact iTunes support to complete this transaction.”
Maybe Apple has caught on? Where to from here? Thanks.
Tyler
Brent says
It is looking like iTunes is now checking your location when you set up an account. You might need to have a VPN turned on so you can virtually reside in the USA during the set up. I am testing this from multiple locations across Canada right now as we speak and will post an update ASAP. Stay tuned.
Brent says
The new and update guide that works is now live!
Daniel says
Hi, I had the same problem as Tyler. I tried with VPN turned on (unblock us) and unfortunately i got the same message “Contact Itunes support”…
Brent says
It sounds like iTunes has made some changes and I’m am feverishly testing ways to get a US iTunes account. I think I’ve got it but need to test it from a couple more locations across Canada. Bear with me for another day or two and I should have a completely updated guide.
Daniel says
Forgot to mention, I am from Denmark. Still the problem is the same I guess…
Brent says
Great news! The new guide is now live and it works!
Ed says
Great tips – thanks!
When I’m in the US, if I buy a US iTunes gift card and put it on my Canadian credit card, can I redeem it via HMA, on my US iTunes account when I’m back in Canada?
Thanks!
Brent says
Ed, any way you can get a US iTunes gift card will work. Once you have that gift card you will need HMA so you can virtually reside in the USA during the set up process.
amanda says
i’m assuming i have to create a new apple ID and am not able to use the same one i use in the canadian store?
Brent says
Yes, you will need to create a new Apple ID. You will have two, one Canadian one and one from the USA. Anything you buy from either account will be combined into your local iTunes library 🙂
If you found this guide to be helpful please it with your friends on facebook. Thanks!
Sarah says
I only want to do this because someone sent me a USA iTunes gift card and I want to be able to use it… My question is, if I set up a USA account (using the instructions above) and download music, movies, apps etc, will I still be able to use everything I have from my Canadian iTunes account? Basically, can both accounts and content be used simultaneously on my iPhone?
Example: I bought 5 songs, 2 apps and three books using my regular Canadian iTunes account.. I create a new USA account and buy 10 songs, 5 apps and 6 books. Will ALL the content from both accounts be available?
Brent says
Sarah, great question! I have a Canadian and (multiple) US iTunes accounts. Everything that I buy gets stored in my iTunes library that is local to my computer. It combines all of my accounts into the same library. When I go to songs, or movies, or TV shows it shows everything that I bought through all of my accounts. So yes, based on my experience, everything will still live on your computer as one happy family for you to access no matter which iTunes account you’re signed into 🙂
Cindy says
Hi,
i’m from both outside of US & Canada. i’m from asia. Could i do like this to get US account in same way?
Brent says
Yes, this will work from anywhere in the world!
Jeff Walsh says
is the new working way the vanilla or the US itunes card?
Thanks,
Jeff
Brent says
The easiest way is with the US iTunes gift card.
Daniel says
Hi there – great guide and it worked fine for me. Problem I am having is with in-app purchases. I get the contact itunes support and it won’t let me purchase anything with that gift card I have already credited to my new US account (I am in Canada). Of course I am purchasing this straight from my ipod connected to my wireless internet at home so I am not on VPN as I was when I set up my account. Is there anyway around this?
Brent says
Which app? I’ve never had this problem before…
Maybe try installing HMA on your iPhone. Here is the guide: https://www.howtogetitincanada.com/how-to-get-pandora-in-canada/how-to-listen-to-pandora-in-canada-on-your-iphone/.
heather says
I am trying to create a new itunes account, but it doesn’t give the option “none’ in the credit card section.
Any way around this?
Brent says
Did you try to continue with the set up? Sometimes the “none” isn’t there until you try “create apple ID”.
So, try leaving the payment info blank and clicking “create apple ID” and it should return an error but also add the “none” option for payment.
Let me know if this works for you.
heather says
Thanks for the quick reply!
Yes, I hit create a bunch of times but it never showed the extra “none”
Brent says
Okay, try this: go to the app section of iTunes and try to download a FREE app. It will then give you the popup where you click “create apple ID” (this image).
Go through the process again and look for the “None” option. Because you’re trying to download a free app it will allow you to not enter a credit card.
Also, did you enter a US iTunes gift card code the last time you tried?
heather says
Thanks Brent, that worked perfectly!
Bruce says
I consider this a partial victory.
I now have Pandora on my phone but it says it doesn’t work in this country. How do I fix that?
Brent says
I just checked and it’s still working on my iPhone just fine… hmmmm
What kind of phone do you have?
Here is a video showing Pandora working on my iPhone in Canada: https://www.howtogetitincanada.com/how-to-get-pandora-in-canada/how-to-listen-to-pandora-in-canada-on-your-iphone/#video
John says
If you create an iTunes account in the US pick a state were this is no sales tax
like Montana, there are a few more states you can google, this will make the iTunes card go further.
Brent says
Good suggestions 🙂
Walt says
So it’s my understanding that they only check your location during sign-up? So that allows you to switch back and forth with no problem..
If I travel to the US then I could just set up my US Itunes while I’m over there?
What is the difference between Itunes gift cards in the US and Canada?
Brent says
Walt, as of right now they are only checking location during sign up. So yes, if you’re in the USA you can sign up while you are there.
US and Canadian iTunes gift cards can only be used in their specific country based iTunes store. You cannot use a Canadian iTunes gift card in the USA and the other way around.
Oar says
Awesome! Thanks so much for posting this info; I bought itune cards from ebay.com and followed the steps and it’s working like a charm!
Brent says
Awesome! Enjoy your US iTunes account and please don’t forget to this guide with your friends. Thanks!
prshan says
hey BRENT
i went to Buffalo and a bought VANILLA MASTERCARD load $20 and $15 Itune card from Target i want to plan to change my Canadian Itune to account to u.s account by changing the region country would that work also don’t create 2 account
Brent says
Prshan, I have not tried simply changing a Canadian account to the US iTunes account so I don’t know if it’ll work or not. I do know that the method described above still works so if you’re not successful with the Vanilla Mastercard and US iTunes gift card that you bought in Buffalo (NY??) then give the method I describe above a try.
Neil says
Hello
This set-up works well. My wife and I like watching Dexter — and the US iTunes account has the latest seasons.
Problem is — when I switch back to my Canadian iTunes account I get a message that says my computer can only be associated with one Apple ID at a time. I now have to wait 90 days before switching. Is there a way to get around this?
Neil
Brent says
Neil, thanks for the comment. I have never had a problem switching back and forth between my Canadian and US iTunes accounts. I am out of town right now and have my US account on my Mac which I don’t have with me right now. When I get back in front of that computer I’ll give it a try and let you know what happens.
James A says
Hello, my question is what do I do after setting up as described? Can I log onto the us acct from my iPhone and be ok since it’s not hooked up to the virtual server? I have a gift card but don’t want to screw it up, thx in advance
Brent says
Once you have your account set up you will be able to log into your US account on your iPhone. When you log into the app store, iTunes, etc. from your iPhone it will give you a notice that says something along the lines of “this account is for the US iTunes store… do you want to be taken there now?”
Thanks for the comment. Let me know if you need anymore help.
James A says
Set up a us acct, downloaded Pandora on my phone which is hooked up to a VPN and the app is working great, from both my Canadian and us acct, so I decided to put pandora on my iPod as well, downloaded with no problems but when I opened it I received a popup saying ” content not available outside of US ” The iPod was not under a VPN, I then loaded a VPN to the ipod and presto, it worked.. My issue is will it ever work without a VPN on the device? VPN’s have monthly/annual fees that I don’t want to pay, is there anyway around it?
Brent says
When it comes to VPNs bigger is truly better and HMA is huge and rock solid. It’s very inexpensive each month and when you compare it to the amount of content you are able to access you should be able to see the value. In addition to the content from US iTunes you can access Pandora, Hulu, US Netflix, BBC iPlayer and you can even use HMA to keep you safe from the danger of public WiFi hotspots.
Ryan M says
Does this still work as of Oct. 25th 2013?
Brent says
Yes it does! Enjoy!
Lisa says
I would like to know if HMA gives access to anything else, outside the US, besides BBC iPlayer. For instance, other British networks, Australian TV, etc. Thanks!
Brent says
Yes, HMA can be used to connect to servers in 63 different countries around the world.
Here is an example where you can use HMA to connect to a server in Latin American to gain access to the Spanish and Portugese content on Netflix.
Kaye says
Does the same procedure work if I do this on Apple TV?
I noticed some other channels offered on Apple TV such as Disney Channel, HULU and Smithsonian channel. Would this enable me to watch these channels too?
Brent says
Yes, this will work when you are using an Apple TV. You will need to have a DD-WRT enabled router where you will set up HMA. Then just connect your Apple TV to that Wifi connection and it will think it’s living in the USA.
You might also need a US iTunes account which you can set up by following this guide: https://www.howtogetitincanada.com/how-to-get-the-us-version-of-itunes-in-canada/
john norman says
brent
i have been using the Vanilla mc method for years, and use the unblockus on my router, which allows me to use hulu and us netflix, etc.
all of a sudden about a month ago, itunes asked me to re -enter my security info – it said i had accessed my acct from a new device. (which could have been my iphone 6, not sure) I entered the code from the back of the vanilla card -and it was declined. the trouble is, i have over 200 bucks in US gift cards credit on my US itunes acct and now it wont let me access it. any idea what to do? I was going to buy another vanilla mc but i’m hearing that method no longer works with the most recent itunes update.
if there is anything you can do to help please let me know! my friend is in the US for one day and is willing to buy me a us gift card if that will help.
Brent says
I’ll test this out this week and let you know what I see. You could always try to use US iTunes gift cards that you can buy on eBay. Keep me posted.
camshaft says
Just wanted to leave a message that this in fact is a 100% working work around.
Many thanks to Brent!!!!!!!!
I can’t even begin to express my frustration with apples Cnd/US separation of stores.
I did exactly what his video and step by step guide said and it worked with out a hitch.
PS. I did manage to find a couple people on eBay selling US iTunes gift card
. That would email you the code at the face value of the card. One hitch that I did have was that you needed to have a US address set up in paypal or the ebay transaction would not process. Then next hitch was some ebay sellers have out of country payments blocked. So it took me a couple sellers to find one that wasn’t blocked.
Brent says
Thanks for giving it a try and reporting back that it worked great! Yes, eBay
is a great place to pick up US dollar iTunes gift cards.
Curtis says
Hi! Just thought you would like to Know! This solution (getting a USA iTunes Account from Canada) WORKED FOR ME!!! WooHoot!! April 24, 2017! Easy, too! THANK YOU. Now I can use my eBay purchased USA Amazon Echo ‘Alexa’! Curtis