Privacy Policy

01. Who We Are

The organisation responsible for the personal information described in this policy is:

For the purposes of applicable UK data protection legislation, the company acts as the data controller for personal information collected in connection with its website, project enquiries and music production activities.

02. Information We Collect

We collect information that individuals choose to provide when contacting us, submitting a project brief or commissioning a music production service.

Contact and identification information

• Full name and preferred form of contact.
• Email address and telephone number.
• Other contact details voluntarily supplied in correspondence.

Project and production information

• The type of service requested, such as a custom arrangement or backing track.
• Musical style, genre, tempo, structure and creative preferences.
• Project title, intended use and approximate track duration.
• Production requirements, instructions and delivery preferences.
• Target completion dates and other project scheduling information.
• Correspondence about project scope, pricing, revisions and deliverables.

Customer-supplied musical and creative materials

Depending on the project, customers may choose to provide original melodies, lyrics, musical notation, demo recordings, existing songs, instrumental recordings, reference tracks, audio samples, written production briefs or other relevant digital files.

We may also receive information contained within those files, such as filenames, embedded metadata or details that identify a recording or its creator.

Website and technical information

When someone visits our website, certain technical information may be collected depending on the website configuration and applicable cookie preferences. This may include IP address, browser type, device information, access times, basic usage information and website interaction records.

We ask customers to provide only information and files reasonably relevant to their enquiry or production project. Please avoid submitting unrelated personal or confidential information.

03. How We Use Information

We use personal information and project materials for purposes connected with receiving enquiries, agreeing production work and delivering the services requested.

• To receive, review and respond to project enquiries.
• To understand the customer’s musical ideas and production requirements.
• To assess supplied source material and determine the proposed project scope.
• To prepare and communicate project descriptions, prices and delivery arrangements.
• To create the agreed music arrangements, backing tracks and other production deliverables.
• To communicate about progress, feedback, revisions and project completion.
• To provide agreed digital audio files and deal with delivery-related questions.
• To maintain appropriate customer, project and business records.
• To process and respond to complaints, requests and disputes.
• To maintain website security and functionality.
• To comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

We do not use unpublished customer-supplied musical material as promotional content, public examples or portfolio material without obtaining appropriate permission.

We do not treat the submission of a project enquiry or audio file as permission to publish, distribute or commercially exploit that material outside the agreed production purpose.

04. Lawful Grounds for Processing

We process personal information only where an appropriate lawful basis applies under relevant data protection legislation. Depending on the activity, this may include:

Steps taken before entering into a contract

We may use contact details, project descriptions and relevant source material to respond to a customer’s request, assess production requirements and prepare proposed terms before a project agreement is made.

Performance of a contract

Where a project is agreed, we may process relevant information to carry out the agreed production work, communicate with the customer, manage revisions and deliver the agreed audio files.

Legitimate interests

We may process information where reasonably necessary for legitimate business purposes, such as managing enquiries, maintaining appropriate records, protecting our website, handling disputes and improving business administration, provided those interests do not override the individual’s rights.

Legal obligations

We may retain or process information where necessary to comply with applicable legal, accounting, tax or regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, we will request it for the relevant purpose. Consent may be withdrawn at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place lawfully before consent was withdrawn.

05. Customer-Supplied Musical Materials

We recognise that melodies, lyrics, demos, recordings and unfinished compositions may represent unpublished creative work. We handle these materials in connection with the project for which they were supplied.

Purpose of use

Customer-supplied materials may be reviewed, listened to, organised, edited or otherwise used where reasonably necessary to understand the production brief and create the agreed music arrangement, backing track or other production deliverable.

Confidential handling

We do not intentionally publish, sell, distribute or use unpublished customer-supplied musical materials for unrelated promotional purposes without appropriate authorisation.

Project files may be accessed by authorised individuals or technical service providers where access is reasonably necessary to administer or complete the relevant project.

Customer permissions and responsibilities

Customers should only submit compositions, lyrics, recordings, samples and other materials that they own or are authorised to provide for the intended production work.

If submitted material contains work belonging to another person or organisation, customers are responsible for obtaining any permissions required for its intended use in the project.

Ownership and intellectual property

Providing a musical file or creative brief to us does not, by itself, transfer ownership of the underlying composition, lyrics, recording, sample or other intellectual property.

The submission of source material also does not automatically grant the company ownership of that material. Any rights, permissions, licences or ownership arrangements relating to the commissioned production work must be addressed separately in the applicable project agreement or written confirmation.

Project files and finished audio

Source files, working versions, drafts and finished audio files may be handled and stored as necessary to carry out the agreed project and manage related communications. Their retention is subject to the periods described in Section 09, unless a different period has been agreed or a legal requirement applies.

Publicity and portfolio use

We will not assume that permission to receive or produce music includes permission to feature the customer’s name, composition, recording or finished project in our portfolio, website, social media or other promotional material. Separate appropriate permission will be sought where such use is proposed.

06. Information Sharing

We do not sell personal information or make it available to unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes. Information may be shared where reasonably necessary for website operation, project administration or legal compliance.

Relevant recipients may include:

• Website hosting and infrastructure providers: to host, maintain and secure the website and its associated services.
• Email and communication providers: to receive project enquiries and communicate with customers.
• Website form providers: to operate contact forms and receive information submitted through the website.
• File storage and transfer providers: where used to store, manage or deliver project files and digital audio materials.
• Technical or production support providers: where their involvement is necessary for an agreed production task and access to relevant information is appropriately authorised.
• Professional advisers: where necessary for legal, accounting or business advice.
• Public authorities: where disclosure is required by law or a valid legal process.

Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we expect appropriate contractual and security arrangements to be in place.

We do not disclose unpublished musical material to unrelated parties simply because it has been submitted for a project. Where a third-party service is required to handle a file, access should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

07. International Data Transfers

Some website, hosting, email, file storage or technical service providers may operate infrastructure outside the United Kingdom. As a result, personal information or project-related data may be processed in another country.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take the steps required by applicable data protection legislation. Depending on the destination and circumstances, these may include an applicable adequacy decision, approved contractual safeguards or another lawful transfer mechanism.

Further information about applicable safeguards may be requested using the contact details in this policy.

08. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information and project materials against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration or disclosure.

Depending on the systems used and the nature of the information, appropriate measures may include:

• Restricting access to individuals who need the information for their work.
• Using appropriate account and access controls.
• Taking reasonable precautions when handling customer audio files and project documents.
• Using suitable methods for storing and transferring digital materials.
• Reviewing stored information and removing it when it is no longer required.

No method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Customers should avoid sending unnecessary personal information or unrelated confidential files.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess the circumstances and take the steps required by applicable data protection law, including notification to the relevant authority or affected individuals where legally required.

09. Data Retention

We retain personal information and project materials only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which they were collected, taking account of project administration, customer communication, legal obligations and legitimate business record-keeping requirements.

The following are our intended standard retention periods, subject to the nature of the project and any applicable legal requirements:

At the end of the applicable retention period, information will be securely deleted or anonymised where it is no longer required.

A longer period may apply where information must be retained to comply with a legal obligation, resolve an ongoing complaint, establish or defend a legal claim, or meet another lawful record-keeping requirement.

Customers should keep their own copies of delivered audio files and related project materials. We do not promise indefinite storage or ongoing access to completed project files unless this has been expressly agreed in writing.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support essential website functions and, where enabled, understand how visitors use the website.

Depending on the website configuration, these may include:

• Essential cookies: used for necessary website functions, security and basic navigation.
• Preference cookies: used to remember choices where applicable.
• Analytics cookies: used to understand website visits and improve website performance, where enabled and appropriately authorised.

Non-essential cookies and similar technologies will only be activated where the required consent has been obtained.

Visitors can manage their preferences through the website’s cookie settings where a preference tool is provided. Browser settings may also be used to manage or remove stored cookies.

Further information is available in our Cookie Policy.

11. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable legal requirements, individuals may have the following rights in relation to their personal information:

• Right of access: to request a copy of personal information held about them.
• Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure: to request deletion where the relevant legal conditions are met.
• Right to restriction: to request restricted processing in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: to receive certain information in a commonly used electronic format where the right applies.
• Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing, where applicable.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, it may be withdrawn without affecting earlier lawful processing.

How to make a request

Requests can be sent to: enquiries@sumofpartspublishing.media

We will normally respond within one month of receiving a valid request. Where a request is complex or multiple requests have been received, the applicable legal extension may be used. If an extension is necessary, we will explain this within the initial one-month period.

We may request reasonable information to verify identity where necessary before providing access or making changes. Some requests may be subject to lawful exemptions or restrictions.

Right to complain

Individuals may raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if they believe their personal information has not been handled appropriately.

Website: https://ico.org.uk/

We encourage individuals to contact us first so that we can consider and address their concerns directly.

12. External Websites and Third-Party Services

Our website may contain links to external websites or online services for reference or convenience. Those websites and services operate independently of our company.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content or security arrangements of external websites. Visitors should review the relevant privacy information before providing personal information or uploading files to them.

Where a customer uses an external file-sharing or transfer service to send project materials to us, the handling of information by that provider may also be governed by its own privacy policy and terms.

13. Children’s Privacy

Our website and music production services are intended for general customers and are not designed specifically to collect personal information from children.

We do not knowingly seek unnecessary personal information from children. Where information relating to a child is submitted, we may take appropriate steps to establish whether the submission is authorised and whether the information should be retained or deleted in accordance with applicable law.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when necessary to reflect changes in our website, music production services, information handling practices or applicable legal requirements.

The current version will be made available on this page. Where a significant change affects the way personal information is used, appropriate information will be provided before the new processing begins where required by law.

Visitors and customers are encouraged to review this page periodically to remain informed about our privacy practices.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to understand how your personal information or project materials are handled, or want to exercise your data protection rights, please contact our company.