Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy describes how The Indie Machine (“TIM,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) handles personal information in connection with the TIM platform, websites, applications, and related services (the “Service”). TIM is a platform for independent artists that provides AI-assisted release planning, audience analytics, and funding tools.

By using the Service, you agree to the practices described here. This policy should be read together with our Terms of Service.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide

• Account information — name, email address, password, and artist or profile details you enter.
• Artist & release content — recordings, artwork, lyrics, metadata, release plans, and campaign details you upload or create.
• Chat content — messages you send to the TIM chatbot and the context it uses to respond.
• Verification & funding information — information used to verify your identity or artist ownership and, where you use funding or payouts, information required by our payment and banking partners.
• Support & communications — messages you send us.

Information we collect automatically

• Usage data — features used, pages viewed, and actions taken in the Service.
• Device & log data — IP address, browser type, device identifiers, and timestamps, used for security and reliability.

3. Data from connected platforms

When you choose to connect a third-party account, you authorize TIM to retrieve data from that platform through its official API, using the permissions you grant during the connection flow. We access only the data needed to provide the features you use, and only for as long as your connection is active. The table below summarizes what we access and why.

You can disconnect any platform at any time from your TIM settings. Disconnecting stops future data collection; see How to delete your data for removing data we have already stored.

4. YouTube API Services

TIM uses YouTube API Services. By connecting your YouTube account, you agree to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service, and you acknowledge that Google’s handling of your information is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.

What we access: with your authorization, TIM accesses your YouTube channel and video metadata, analytics (such as views, watch time, audience retention, traffic sources, and aggregate demographics), and comments on your content. We use this data only to provide analytics and campaign attribution back to you within TIM. We do not use YouTube data for advertising, and we do not transfer it to third parties except the service providers needed to operate the Service.

How to revoke access: you can revoke TIM’s access to your YouTube data at any time by disconnecting YouTube in your TIM settings, or through the Google security settings page at https://myaccount.google.com/permissions.

TIM’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements. We store YouTube data only as long as needed to provide the Service and refresh it on a periodic basis; cached YouTube data is deleted when you disconnect YouTube or delete your account, or within 30 days of a valid request, except where retention is required by law.

5. Instagram & Meta Platform data

When you connect Instagram, TIM accesses your Instagram Professional (Business or Creator) account data through the Meta Graph API, in accordance with the Meta Platform Terms and Developer Policies. We access your media, insights, comments, and aggregate demographics only to provide analytics and campaign attribution back to you. We do not sell this data or use it for unrelated purposes.

You can disconnect Instagram in your TIM settings at any time, and you can review or remove TIM’s access from your Instagram or Facebook account settings under Apps and Websites. See How to delete your data for our data-deletion process, which satisfies Meta’s data-deletion requirements.

6. TikTok data

When you connect TikTok, TIM accesses your profile and your own videos and their public metrics through TikTok’s official API, in accordance with the TikTok Developer Terms of Service. We use this data only to show content performance within TIM. You can disconnect TikTok at any time from your TIM settings or by revoking access in your TikTok account settings.

7. How we use your data

We use the information we collect to:

• provide, maintain, and improve the Service;
• generate analytics, insights, and AI-assisted release strategy for you;
• submit and manage your releases with our distribution partner;
• verify identity and artist ownership, and process funding and payouts where you use them;
• secure the Service, prevent fraud and abuse, and comply with legal obligations;
• communicate with you about your account and support requests.

8. AI processing

To power the TIM chatbot and other AI features, we process your messages and relevant account and analytics data using trusted AI service providers (including Anthropic) acting on our behalf under contract. These providers process the data only to return results to TIM and are contractually prohibited from using it to train their own general-purpose models. AI output is generated automatically and may be inaccurate; it is informational only.

9. How we share data

We share personal information only as follows:

• Service providers — hosting, database, AI, analytics, payment, identity-verification, and email providers who process data on our behalf under contract (for example, Supabase for hosting and authentication, Anthropic for AI, and payment partners for funding).
• Distribution partner — to deliver releases you submit to the stores you choose.
• Legal & safety — when required by law, to enforce our terms, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of users, the public, or TIM.
• Business transfers — in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to this policy.

10. We do not sell your data

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share data we obtain from connected platforms (including Google/YouTube, Meta, and TikTok) for advertising or any purpose unrelated to providing the Service to you. Data obtained from connected platforms is used only to deliver the features you requested.

11. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service, and thereafter as required to meet legal, tax, accounting, or fraud-prevention obligations. Analytics and engagement data retrieved from connected platforms is refreshed periodically and cached in our systems so we can show you trends over time; when you disconnect a platform or delete your account, we delete or de-identify the associated cached platform data, except where retention is required by law.

12. Your rights & choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, port, or restrict the processing of your personal information, and to object to certain processing. You can:

• view and edit much of your account data directly in the Service;
• review and edit what the TIM chatbot remembers about you in your settings;
• disconnect any connected platform at any time;
• request access to or deletion of your data by contacting us (see below).

We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights. To make a request, email privacy@theindiemachine.io. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

13. How to delete your data

You can delete your data in any of these ways:

• Disconnect a platform — in TIM settings, to stop collection and remove cached data from that platform.
• Delete your account — which removes your account data and connected-platform data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Send a deletion request — email privacy@theindiemachine.io with the subject “Data Deletion Request.” We will confirm and complete verified requests within 30 days.

Deleting your account or disconnecting a platform also deletes the associated data we obtained from Google/YouTube, Meta/Instagram, and TikTok. You may additionally revoke TIM’s access directly from each platform’s own app-permissions settings.

14. Security

We use technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit, access controls, row-level security on our databases, and storing third-party access tokens in a restricted vault. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information and to promptly address issues if they arise.

15. International transfers

TIM operates in the United States, and we may process and store data in the United States and other countries where we or our service providers operate. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards for cross-border transfers of personal information.

16. Children

The Service is not directed to children, and you must be at least 18 years old to use it. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

17. Cookies & tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to run the Service, keep you signed in, remember preferences, and understand usage so we can improve reliability and features. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling necessary cookies may affect how the Service works.

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the Service or by other reasonable means and update the “Effective date” above. Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

19. Contact us

For privacy questions or requests, contact us at privacy@theindiemachine.io. For general support, contact support@theindiemachine.io.