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International Shipping: Where we ship Deskbells + how the membership works abroad

Written by Mr. Rob

The Prodigies Music membership works anywhere in the world. Log in from any country, anytime, on up to 3 devices at once per household. There's no geo-restriction on the videos, the lessons, or the printable PDFs.

Physical goods (deskbells, books, kits) are a different story. They ship from our garage in Delaware, USA. Here's what to expect.


Streaming + digital works globally, no shipping required

If you're outside the US, the simplest path is to start with a digital-only membership. No package, no customs forms, no waiting.

What you get with a membership, anywhere in the world:

  • The full Prodigies Music catalog (Level 1 + Level 2, over 700 videos)

  • Playtime Prodigies, Totigies, Recorder Prodigies, Ukulele Prodigies, Piano Prodigies

  • All printable PDFs (workbooks, songbooks, sheet music, lesson plans)

  • Streaming on up to 3 devices simultaneously per household

  • The free Prodigies Bells App on iOS / Android / Kindle Fire

Start a membership from anywhere: play.prodigies.com/join

You can use any color-coded instrument you already own. A piano with our Chromanotes Stick-Ons, a xylophone, boomwhackers, or even just your voice + hand-signs.


Physical Deskbells + books, where we ship

We ship to most countries via UPS and USPS. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on weight, size, and destination. Add a kit to your cart and enter your address to see the actual cost before paying anything.

Where we ship most often:

  • Canada. Yes, weekly. Expect customs fees (see below).

  • United Kingdom. Yes. Customs/VAT applies.

  • Australia and New Zealand. Yes, though shipping costs can be high (often $70+ USD for a small book order). Workaround below.

  • Western Europe (Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, etc.). Yes.

  • Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea. Yes.

  • Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India. Yes, though shipping costs are usually high enough that most customers go digital-only.

  • Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel). Yes.

Country not on the list? Just email [email protected] with your address. We can usually find a way, and we'll quote you actual shipping costs before you commit.


Customs fees, VAT, and import duties

This is the part that surprises most international customers, so we want to be upfront:

Anything we ship internationally may be subject to customs fees, VAT, GST, HST, or import duties charged by your country's customs authority. These fees are collected at delivery and are separate from what you paid us. Prodigies has no control over them and can't refund them.

What this looks like in practice, based on what real customers have paid:

  • Canada: typically 15-35% of the value of the physical goods, depending on your province and current tariff policy. UPS now includes a payment link directly in your tracking page so you can pay before delivery. Total customs fees can land higher when tariffs are in effect.

  • UK: VAT (currently 20%) + a Royal Mail handling fee on packages over a small threshold.

  • EU: VAT varies by country (19-25%) plus possible customs handling.

  • Australia: GST (10%) applies to orders over AUD $1000. Most Prodigies orders fall under that threshold, but rates can change.

You can get a rough estimate of duties using SimplyDuty.com. Our deskbells fall under HS code 9206.00 (percussion instruments).

The digital portion of a kit isn't taxable. If you order a kit that bundles a Lifetime Membership with bells, only the physical goods (typically around $99-$550 USD depending on kit size) count toward the customs calculation, not the full kit price.


We reach out before we ship every international order

If you're outside the US, you'll get an email from Bryan on our team (subject: "Prodigies Customs Notice") before your order ships. We do this so customs charges don't surprise you and so you can decide whether to:

  1. Proceed with shipping (most common)

  2. Cancel the physical-goods portion and keep just the membership

  3. Change to a US shipping address if you have a forwarding option

This email is legitimate. We know it can look like a phishing attempt, especially because it asks you to reply before shipment. It's a real person (Bryan) at a real Prodigies email address ([email protected]). We started doing this because too many Canadian customers were getting hit with unexpected customs bills and we'd rather over-communicate than ruin a kid's Christmas.


Workarounds if shipping is too expensive

Option 1. Go digital-only. Skip the physical goods entirely. Get the membership at play.prodigies.com/join and use:

  • The free Prodigies Bells App on a tablet (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire)

  • A piano, xylophone, or glockenspiel you already own, color-coded with sheet music or Chromanotes stickers

  • Boomwhackers (sold by music retailers worldwide)

  • Just your voice + the hand-signs

Option 2. Buy our books on Amazon (your country's Amazon). Many of our songbooks and the Chromanotes piano stickers are available on Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.de. Search for "My First Songbook Robert Young" or "Chromanotes Piano Stick-Ons". Shipping inside your country is much cheaper than shipping from Delaware.

Option 3. Search for "CNDB-D" or "chromanotes deskbells diatonic" locally. Our deskbells are made by the same manufacturer as the generic Chromanotes Deskbells sold worldwide. If our single sets are out of stock or shipping is wild, look for the CNDB-D listing on your country's Amazon. It's the same product in different packaging. (The 12-pack school version sells out fast each year. Single sets via CNDB-D are the workaround.)


Returns, replacements, and the deskbell warranty

  • 30-day return policy applies to international physical goods (in resell-friendly condition), but international return shipping is not free. Typically the customer's responsibility.

  • 2-year, 3-bell replacement warranty applies internationally too. If a bell breaks, email [email protected] with a photo. We'll send a replacement (note: international replacement shipping is charged to the customer per our standard policy).

  • If your package arrives damaged, send us a photo within a few days of delivery and we'll make it right.


Start here

Happy musicing wherever you are.

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