Plain English · UK GDPR

Privacy Policy.

How we collect, use, and protect your data when you use SoundScreen.

Last Updated · 21 May 2026

What We Collect What We Don't Third Parties Your Rights Contact

1. Introduction

Welcome to SoundScreen. This Privacy Policy explains how Backstagedigital LTD ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use the SoundScreen mobile application, the TV display, and the SoundScreen website.

Backstagedigital LTD is a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 17071149), with its registered office at 3rd Floor, 86–90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE, United Kingdom. For the purposes of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, we are the data controller for the information described in this policy.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. We've written this policy in plain English so it's easy to understand what we collect and why.

2. The Data We Collect and How We Use It

To provide the core functionality of SoundScreen, we process the following types of data:

Audio and Microphone Data

To identify the live music playing in your venue, the SoundScreen app needs access to your device's microphone. We do not save, store, or listen to your raw audio.

Short audio fingerprints (a few seconds long) are captured temporarily on your device and sent securely via an encrypted connection to our music recognition providers. Once a track has been identified — or once the recognition window has passed — the audio fingerprint is permanently deleted. No conversations, ambient sounds, or other audio are ever retained.

You can revoke microphone access at any time in your device's settings; the app will no longer be able to identify music if you do so, but no other functionality is affected.

Lawful basis: Consent + legitimate interest

Device and Venue Identifier

When you first open the app, we generate a random, anonymous "Venue ID" (e.g. venue_a1b2c3d4-...) and store it locally on your device. This identifier lets your mobile app sync the "Now Playing" artwork to your linked TV screens and save your Vault history without requiring you to create a traditional user account.

The Venue ID is not linked to any personal information unless you choose to provide your email address.

Lawful basis: Legitimate interest

Email Address (Optional)

If you choose to link an email address to your account — either during onboarding, when upgrading to SoundScreen Pro, or when paying via our website — we store that email address against your Venue ID. We use it solely to:

  • Restore your Pro status if you reinstall the app or switch devices
  • Recognise you as a returning customer
  • Respond to support enquiries you initiate

We do not send marketing emails. We do not share your email address with third parties for advertising.

Lawful basis: Performance of contract

Subscription and Payment Information

If you upgrade to SoundScreen Pro:

  • Mobile in-app purchases are processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play) and verified by RevenueCat, our subscription management provider. We receive a record of the purchase (subscription status, plan, start/expiry date) but never your payment card details.
  • Website purchases are processed by Stripe, our card-processing provider. We receive your email address and a customer ID from Stripe but never your card details.
Lawful basis: Performance of contract

Music Identification Records (Your "Vault")

When the app successfully identifies a track, we store the song title, artist, album artwork URL, and timestamp in your venue's "Vault" history. You can view, clear, or replay any track from the Vault at any time within the app.

Lawful basis: Performance of contract

Display Configuration and Settings

We store your linked TV screen names, their orientation (landscape, portrait, etc.), your chosen visual theme, and other preferences in our cloud database so they sync across devices. This data is associated with your Venue ID.

Lawful basis: Performance of contract

Diagnostic Logs

The app and TV display send technical error logs and usage events (e.g. "track identified", "screen linked", "audio scan failed") to our servers so we can monitor service health and fix bugs. These logs may include your Venue ID, error messages, and timestamps, but do not include personal information beyond what is described elsewhere in this policy.

Lawful basis: Legitimate interest

Customer Support Communications

If you contact us by email, WhatsApp, or through the support form on our website, we receive your message and contact details solely to resolve your issue. WhatsApp messages are processed via WhatsApp Business. Support form submissions are processed via Forminit, our forms provider.

Lawful basis: Legitimate interest

Website Analytics

When you visit soundscreenapp.com, we use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site (pages viewed, time spent, country of origin, etc.). Google Analytics uses cookies. You can decline these cookies via the banner displayed on your first visit.

Lawful basis: Consent (via cookie banner)

3. What We Do NOT Collect

To be explicit, the SoundScreen app does NOT:

  • Record, store, or transmit conversations, ambient audio, or any audio beyond the brief identification snippets described above
  • Collect your location, GPS coordinates, or movement data
  • Access your camera, photo library, or contacts
  • Track you across other apps or websites
  • Sell or share your data with advertisers
  • Use your data to train artificial intelligence models

4. Third-Party Service Providers

We share necessary data with trusted third parties exclusively to operate the service. Each is bound by their own privacy obligations and we have data-processing agreements in place where required.

Provider What they do What we share
AudD Primary music identification Temporary audio fingerprints
ACRCloud Fallback music identification Temporary audio fingerprints
Google Firebase Database, authentication, app hosting Venue ID, screen settings, Vault history, email (if provided), diagnostic logs
RevenueCat Mobile subscription management Venue ID, device identifiers, purchase events
Apple / Google App distribution and in-app payments Payment data (we never see card details)
Stripe Website subscription payments Email address, payment data (we never see card details)
Forminit Support form submissions Your name, email, and message
Google Analytics Website usage analytics Anonymised browsing data via cookies
WhatsApp Business Support messaging Your phone number and message contents

Most of these providers are based outside the UK. Where data leaves the UK, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses and/or adequacy decisions to ensure your data remains protected to UK GDPR standards.

5. Data Retention

  • Audio fingerprints: deleted immediately after identification (or within seconds of capture)
  • Venue ID and Vault history: retained while your account is active. You can clear your Vault at any time within the app
  • Email address and subscription records: retained while your subscription is active and for up to 6 years afterwards, in line with UK financial record-keeping requirements
  • Support communications: retained for up to 2 years after the issue is resolved
  • Diagnostic logs: retained for 90 days, then automatically deleted
  • Website analytics: retained according to Google Analytics' default settings (up to 14 months)

If you wish to delete all your data entirely, contact support and we will erase it within 30 days, subject to any legal obligations to retain certain records (e.g. financial transactions).

6. Your Privacy Rights

Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to:

  • Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Rectification — correct any inaccurate information we hold
  • Erasure — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
  • Restriction — ask us to stop processing your data in certain circumstances
  • Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Object — object to our processing of your data on legitimate-interest grounds
  • Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 9. We will respond within one month.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection, at ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.

7. Cookies

Our website (soundscreenapp.com) uses cookies for two purposes:

  • Essential cookies — to remember your cookie consent preference
  • Analytics cookies — Google Analytics (only set after you accept the cookie banner)

The mobile app does not use cookies.

You can clear cookies at any time via your browser settings. Declining analytics cookies does not affect your use of the website.

8. Children's Privacy

SoundScreen is a B2B product designed for use in licensed venues by their owners or staff. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, contact us and we will delete it.

9. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy, or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

Data Controller: Backstagedigital LTD
Company number: 17071149

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. The "Last updated" date at the top of this policy shows when it was most recently revised. For significant changes, we will notify users in the app or via email where possible.

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