Privacy Policy

01. Who We Are

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

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

02. Information We Collect

We collect information that individuals choose to provide when making an enquiry, discussing a project or arranging a consultation.

Contact and identification information

• Full name and preferred form of contact.
• Email address and telephone number.
• General location where relevant to arranging a meeting.

Consultation and project information

• The type of music consultation requested.
• Musical style, creative preferences and project objectives.
• Approximate song or project duration.
• Preferred consultation dates and meeting arrangements.
• Project descriptions and relevant correspondence.

Customer-supplied creative material

Where voluntarily supplied for a consultation, this may include melodies, lyrics, musical notation, demo recordings, audio references, backing track examples and other relevant project files.

Website and technical information

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

We do not intentionally request personal information that is unrelated to the consultation or website services being provided.

03. How We Use Information

Personal information is used only where it is reasonably necessary for the operation of the website and the provision of the requested services.

• To receive, review and respond to enquiries.
• To understand the nature and requirements of a music project.
• To discuss suitable consultation services and arrangements.
• To coordinate appointment dates and meeting locations.
• To communicate relevant information before and after consultations.
• To maintain appropriate business and correspondence records.
• To maintain website functionality and improve its usability.
• To address complaints, enquiries and applicable legal obligations.
• To maintain appropriate records where necessary to establish or defend legal claims.

We do not use unpublished musical material submitted for consultation as public promotional content without obtaining the necessary permission.

04. Lawful Grounds for Processing

We process personal information on the lawful grounds applicable to the particular activity. These may include:

Steps requested before an agreement

Information necessary to respond to a request, assess consultation requirements and make arrangements before entering into an agreement.

Performance of an agreement

Information required to arrange and provide an agreed consultation, maintain communication and fulfil the agreed service arrangements.

Legitimate interests

Information used for reasonable business purposes, such as managing enquiries, maintaining records, improving website operation and handling disputes, where those interests do not override the rights and interests of the individual.

Legal obligations

Information retained or processed where necessary to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where consent is required, we will request it before carrying out the relevant activity. Consent may be withdrawn at any time, although this does not affect processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

05. Customer-Supplied Musical Materials

We understand that musical ideas, recordings, lyrics and unfinished compositions may be unpublished and personally important to their creators.

Any musical material voluntarily shared with us for a consultation will be handled in connection with the relevant project and the agreed purpose for which it was supplied.

Purpose of use

Supplied material may be reviewed or listened to where reasonably necessary to understand the customer’s brief and prepare for the requested consultation.

Confidential handling

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

Customer permissions

Customers should only submit recordings, compositions, samples or other material that they own or are authorised to share for the consultation.

Ownership and intellectual property

Providing a file for consultation does not, by itself, transfer ownership of the underlying composition, recording, lyrics or other intellectual property to the company. Any separate rights or permissions must be addressed through the relevant written agreement.

Sharing and storage

Musical files will only be accessed by individuals who need them for the relevant consultation or authorised technical support. We will not retain working copies longer than reasonably necessary for the agreed purpose, subject to applicable record-keeping requirements.

06. Information Sharing

We do not make personal information available for unrelated third-party marketing purposes. Information may be shared where reasonably necessary with the following categories of recipients:

• Website and hosting providers: to maintain website availability, hosting and technical infrastructure.
• Email and communication providers: to receive enquiries and communicate with customers.
• Website form and technical service providers: to operate contact forms and maintain website functions.
• Professional advisers: where necessary for legal, accounting or business advice.
• Public authorities: where disclosure is required by applicable law or a valid legal process.

Service providers acting on our behalf are expected to process information only for authorised purposes and under appropriate contractual and security arrangements.

We do not disclose unpublished musical material to unrelated parties simply because it has been supplied for a consultation.

07. International Data Transfers

Some website, hosting, email or technical service providers may operate infrastructure outside the United Kingdom.

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

Information about the relevant safeguards can be requested using the contact details provided in this policy.

08. Data Security

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

Depending on the information and the method of storage, appropriate measures may include:

• Access limited to individuals who require the information.
• Appropriate account and access controls.
• Secure handling of correspondence and project files.
• Reasonable precautions when sharing digital materials.
• Review of information held and removal when no longer required.

No method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore encourage customers to avoid sending unnecessary personal information or unrelated confidential files.

09. Data Retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including applicable legal, administrative and record-keeping needs.

Our intended retention periods are set out below:

At the end of the relevant 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 or establish or defend a legal claim.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

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

These technologies 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 the website, where enabled and appropriately authorised.

Non-essential cookies and similar technologies will not be activated before the required consent has been obtained.

Visitors can manage their preferences through the website’s cookie settings, where available. Browser settings may also be used to manage or remove stored cookies.

Further information is provided in our Cookie Policy.

11. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable legal requirements, individuals may exercise the following rights:

• 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 use of information 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 also 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

Our website may contain links to external websites or online resources for reference or convenience.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content or security arrangements of websites operated by other organisations. Visitors should review the relevant privacy information before providing personal information to those websites.

13. Children’s Privacy

Our website and consultation services are intended for individuals aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly seek personal information directly from children through our website.

If we become aware that personal information has been submitted by a child in circumstances where it should not have been collected, we will review the information and take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable law.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when necessary to reflect changes in our website, consultation activities, 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 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 information is handled or want to exercise your data protection rights, please contact our company directly.