Effective date: July 29, 2026
Version: 1.0
Smithingrecords LLC (“Smithingrecords,” “we,” “us”) operates smithingrecords.com and provides audio mastering and related services. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over it.
For questions about this policy or to exercise any right described in it, contact thaine@smithingrecords.com.
Smithingrecords LLC is a Delaware limited liability company registered to do business in New York, operating from Ithaca, New York, USA. For the purposes of the UK and EU General Data Protection Regulation, Smithingrecords is the data controller of the information described below.
1. Information We Collect
Information you give us directly
- Inquiry and quote requests. Name, email address, artist or band name, project details, and anything else you choose to include in your message.
- Project and billing information. Billing name, billing location (which we need to determine applicable sales tax), project scope, and correspondence about your project.
- Audio files and project material. Mix files, stems, track titles, credits, artwork, ISRC and UPC codes, and release plans that you submit for mastering.
- Mailing list. Email address, and any name you provide, if you subscribe.
Information we receive automatically
- Website usage. IP address, browser and device type, referring page, pages viewed, and time on site, collected through analytics cookies where you have consented.
Information we do not collect
- We do not receive or store your full payment card details. Payments are processed by PayPal or Venmo, who handle card and bank information under their own privacy policies.
- We do not collect special category data (such as health, biometric, or political information), and we ask that you not send it to us.
2. Why We Use It, and Our Lawful Basis
| Purpose | Lawful basis (UK/EU GDPR) |
|---|---|
| Responding to inquiries and preparing quotes | Contract, or legitimate interests in responding to you |
| Performing mastering work and delivering files | Performance of a contract |
| Invoicing, taking payment, and determining sales tax | Contract, and compliance with a legal obligation |
| Keeping tax and accounting records | Legal obligation |
| Sending the mailing list, if you subscribed | Consent |
| Portfolio and promotional use of released work | Contract (Section 8 of our Terms of Service), subject to your opt-out |
| Website analytics | Consent |
| Securing our systems and preventing misuse | Legitimate interests |
If you are in the UK or EU and we rely on legitimate interests, you may object at any time — see Section 7.
3. Audio Files and Confidentiality
Your mix files, masters, unreleased material, track titles, artwork, and release plans are treated as confidential under Section 9 of our Terms of Service. We do not share them, publish them, or use them to train any machine learning system, and we do not sell them or use them for any purpose other than performing your project and the portfolio use you agreed to.
4. Who We Share Information With
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for advertising purposes. We use the following service providers, each of which processes information on our behalf:
| Provider | What it handles |
|---|---|
| Dropbox | Receipt and delivery of audio files and deliverables |
| PayPal and Venmo | Payment processing and transaction records |
| Mailchimp | Mailing list management and delivery |
| Google Analytics | Website usage statistics, where you have consented |
| Hostinger | Website hosting and contact form delivery |
We may also disclose information to our accountant or professional advisers, or where required by law, legal process, or to protect our legal rights.
5. International Transfers
We operate in the United States, so information you send us is processed there.
Where we receive personal information from the UK or EU, we rely on the transfer being necessary to perform our contract with you, or on your consent. Our United States service providers listed above are certified under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework and its UK Extension, or rely on Standard Contractual Clauses, for transfers of personal data to the United States. Our website host, Hostinger, is established in the European Union.
6. How Long We Keep It
- Audio files and project deliverables — deleted 90 days after project completion, or 90 days after a project is suspended, in accordance with Section 4.3 of our Terms of Service. Please download and archive your deliverables promptly; delivery links expire 30 days after delivery.
- Project correspondence and quotes — kept while the project is active and for a reasonable period afterward for reference and dispute resolution.
- Invoices and tax records — kept as long as tax and accounting law requires, currently at least seven years.
- Mailing list — kept until you unsubscribe, after which we retain a minimal suppression record so we do not contact you again.
- Analytics — retained according to Google Analytics’ configured retention period.
7. Your Rights
If you are in the UK or EU, you have the right to access your personal information; to have inaccurate information corrected; to have information erased; to restrict or object to processing; to receive your information in a portable format; and to withdraw consent at any time. We will respond within one month.
If you are in California, you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use and disclose it, to request deletion or correction, and not to be discriminated against for exercising those rights. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
Wherever you are, you may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time using the link in any email, or by emailing us. You may also ask us to delete your project files at any time, subject to any records we must keep for tax purposes.
To exercise any of these rights, email thaine@smithingrecords.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
8. Cookies and Analytics
Our site uses cookies that are strictly necessary for it to function, and — only where you consent — analytics cookies that help us understand how the site is used. You can accept or decline analytics cookies through the consent banner, change your choice at any time, and block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Declining analytics cookies does not affect your ability to use the site or submit a project.
9. Marketing
If you subscribe to our mailing list, we will email you about Smithingrecords services, releases, and studio news. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and we act on unsubscribe requests promptly. We do not share or sell our mailing list.
We sometimes contact studios, labels, and artists directly about our services. If you would prefer not to hear from us, reply to any message or email us and we will remove your details and record that preference.
10. Security
We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we hold, including access controls on our systems, encryption of files in transit, limiting access to project material to those who need it, and deleting material we no longer need. No system is perfectly secure, but if a breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law, including the New York SHIELD Act.
11. Children
Our services are directed to adults and are not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The effective date above reflects the current version, and material changes will be posted on this page. Where the law requires it, we will seek your consent again.
13. Complaints
If you have a concern about how we handle your information, please contact us first at thaine@smithingrecords.com — we would rather resolve it directly.
You also have the right to complain to a regulator: in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office; in the EU, your national data protection authority; in New York, the Office of the Attorney General.
Smithingrecords LLC · Finger Lakes, New York · thaine@smithingrecords.com