Privacy Policy

1. General Information and Mandatory Information

Data protection is of the highest priority for Sonic.Artworks.Mastering. In general, the use of our website is possible without providing any personal data. However, if you wish to use specific services of our studio via this website (such as booking a mastering session or using the contact form), the processing of personal data becomes necessary. If there is no statutory basis for such processing, we will always obtain your consent.

The processing of personal data (such as name, address, email address, telephone number, or provided audio files) is always carried out in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the country-specific data protection regulations applicable to Sonic.Artworks.Mastering. With this privacy policy, we inform you about the nature, scope, and purpose of the data we collect and process, as well as your rights as a data subject.

As the controller, Sonic.Artworks.Mastering has implemented numerous technical and organizational measures to ensure the most complete protection possible for data processed through this website. However, since internet-based data transmissions can fundamentally have security gaps, absolute protection cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, you are always free to transfer personal data to us via alternative means, such as by telephone.

2. Definitions

This privacy policy is based on the terminology used in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To ensure this text is easy to understand for our clients, artists, and business partners, we would like to briefly explain the core terms:

Data Subject: Any living individual whose personal data is processed by us.
Personal Data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable person (e.g., name, email address, billing information, or audio files provided by you).
Processing: Any operation performed on data, such as collecting, storing, using, modifying, or deleting. This includes the temporary storage and processing of your audio files during the mastering session.
Controller: The individual or company that determines the purposes and means of data processing (in this case, Sonic.Artworks.Mastering).
Consent: Any freely given and unambiguous indication of your wishes, signifying agreement to the processing of your data for a specific purpose.

For the full statutory definitions of all other terms (such as profiling, pseudonymization, processor, or third party), please refer directly to Article 4 of the GDPR.

3. Name and Address of the Controller

The controller for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), other data protection laws applicable in Member States of the European Union, and other provisions related to data protection is:

Sonic.Artworks.Mastering Studio

Owner: Gordon Hoebusch

Address: Maarweg 149-161

ZIP Code & City: 50825 Köln

Country: Germany

Phone: +49 157 313 751 35

Website:

www.sonicartworks-mastering.com

Email: studio@sonicartworks.com

VAT Registration Number: DE459728369

4. Hosting and Server Log Files

Our website is hosted on the servers of Wix.com (Wix.com Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel). Every time this website is accessed, the system automatically collects data and information from the computer system of the accessing device. The following data is stored in the server log files:

Browser types and versions used
The operating system used by the accessing system
The website from which an accessing system reaches our website (referrer)
The sub-websites accessed on our site
Date and time of access
An Internet Protocol address (IP address)
The Internet service provider of the accessing system
Any other similar data used for defense against cyberattacks on our IT systems.

Sonic.Artworks.Mastering does not draw any conclusions about your person from this data. This information is technically necessary to correctly deliver our website content, ensure IT security, and provide law enforcement authorities with necessary information in case of a cyberattack. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR.

5. Contact Options via the Website (Contact Form & Email)

If you send us inquiries via email or through our contact form, your details from the inquiry form, including the contact data you provide there (e.g., name, email address, phone number), will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the inquiry and in case of follow-up questions.

This data is transmitted by you on a purely voluntary basis and is processed based on Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR (for the performance of a contract or prior to entering into a contract). We will not transfer this personal data to third parties without your explicit consent.

6. Routine Erasure and Blocking of Personal Data

The controller shall process and store the personal data of the data subject only for the period necessary to achieve the purpose of storage, or as far as this is granted by the European legislator or other legislators in laws or regulations to which the controller is subject.

If the storage purpose is not applicable, or if a storage period prescribed by the European legislator or another competent legislator expires, the personal data are routinely blocked or erased in accordance with legal requirements.

7. Data Processing upon Contact (Contact Form & Direct Email)

On our website, you have the option to contact us either via the Wix contact form or directly using the email address provided in our legal notice. If you use one of these options, the data you transmit (such as name, email address, message text, and any attached links or audio files) will be automatically stored.

As there are no employees at Sonic.Artworks.Mastering, this data is processed exclusively by the owner personally. The storage serves solely to process your request (e.g., discussing a mastering project) and to contact you. There is no transfer of this data to unauthorized third parties. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR (contractual or pre-contractual measures).

8. Rights of the Data Subject (Your Rights)

As a data subject, you have extensive rights under the GDPR. If you wish to assert any of these rights, you may contact the owner of Sonic.Artworks.Mastering personally at any time. You are entitled to the following rights:

Right of Access and Confirmation (Art. 15 GDPR): You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not your personal data is being processed, as well as a free copy of your stored data.
Right to Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR): You have the right to demand the immediate correction of inaccurate data or the completion of incomplete personal data stored by us.
Right to Erasure / "Right to be Forgotten" (Art. 17 GDPR): You may request the erasure of your personal data, provided that no legal retention obligations (e.g., tax regulations for invoices) prevent such erasure.
Right to Restriction of Processing (Art. 18 GDPR): Under certain conditions, you have the right to restrict the further processing of your personal data.
Right to Data Portability (Art. 20 GDPR): You have the right to receive the data we process automatically based on your consent or in performance of a contract in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
Right to Object (Art. 21 GDPR): You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of your data based on Art. 6 (1) lit. e or f GDPR (public or legitimate interest). This also applies to profiling based on these provisions. We will then no longer process the data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds.
Automated Individual Decision-Making, Including Profiling (Art. 22 GDPR): You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you. Sonic.Artworks.Mastering does not use automated decision-making or profiling on this website.
Right to Withdraw Consent (Art. 7 (3) GDPR): You have the right to withdraw any previously given data protection consent at any time, with effect for the future. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority (Art. 77 GDPR): You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority regarding our processing of your personal data.

9. Social Media (Instagram)

Links to our official profile on the social network Instagram are integrated into our website. The provider of this service is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland).

This website does not use plugins that automatically transfer data to Instagram as soon as you load the page. The integration is carried out via a simple graphic link. Only when you actively click on the Instagram icon will you be redirected to the Instagram platform. At that moment, Instagram becomes aware of the IP address from which our website was accessed. If you are logged into your Instagram account at the same time, Instagram can associate the visit to our website with your user account. Details on data processing and your options to object can be found directly in the Instagram Privacy Policy.

10. Legal Basis for the Processing

The processing of personal data within Sonic.Artworks.Mastering is always based on the provisions of the GDPR:

Consent (Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR): For certain processing operations (such as the use of optional marketing tools or voluntary registrations), we obtain your explicit prior consent.
Performance of a Contract and Pre-contractual Measures (Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR): This is the most crucial legal basis for our studio. It applies as soon as you send an inquiry via the contact form, book a mastering session via our Wix webshop, or provide us with audio files for processing.
Legal Obligation (Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR): We process data when we are legally required to do so – for example, to fulfill tax obligations and for the error-free transmission of your billing data via ELSTER to the tax office.
Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR): This applies to processing necessary to safeguard our legitimate interests as a studio (e.g., storing server log files to secure our IT systems against cyberattacks).

11. Period for Which the Personal Data Will Be Stored

The criterion used to determine the period of storage of personal data is the respective statutory retention period (e.g., commercial and tax law retention periods of 10 years for invoices and tax-relevant documents). After expiration of these periods, the corresponding data is routinely deleted, provided it is no longer required for contract fulfillment or initiation, or if you have consented to longer storage.

12. Statutory or Contractual Requirements to Provide Data; Consequences of

Failure to Provide Data

We clarify that the provision of personal data is partly required by law (e.g., correct billing addresses under tax regulations) or can result from contractual provisions. In order to enter into a mastering contract, it is strictly necessary that you provide us with certain data (name, email, billing address, and the audio files to be processed). Failure to provide this data would mean that the contract for audio processing with Sonic.Artworks.Mastering cannot be concluded or executed.

13. Data Processing for Orders and Audio Files (File Transfer Services, Samply.app)

When you book a mastering session via our Wix webshop, we collect the data required for contract conclusion and billing (name, billing address, email address). To execute the project, you also provide us with your audio files (e.g., WAV or AIF format). This transmission is handled digitally via specialized file transfer and cloud services (such as WeTransfer by WeTransfer B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands) or via audio presentation platforms like Samply.app (Samply LLC, USA). By providing these files or links, you grant Sonic.Artworks.Mastering explicit permission under data protection law to temporarily store and process these works for the purpose of audio processing, mastering, and providing audio previews. Any transfer of these sensitive artistic files to unauthorized third parties is strictly excluded. The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR (performance of a contract).

14. Payment Service Providers in the Webshop (Credit Card, Klarna, PayPal)

To ensure secure payment processing in our Wix webshop, we utilize integrated payment services. When you make a payment during the checkout process, your payment details (e.g., credit card number, bank details, IP address) are automatically transmitted to the chosen provider. Depending on your selection at checkout, this involves the following providers:

PayPal: PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg.
Klarna: Klarna Bank AB, Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden.
Stripe / Wix Payments (Credit Cards): Wix.com Ltd. in cooperation with Stripe Payments Europe Ltd., 1 Grand Canal Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, Ireland.

The transfer and processing of your payment data are based on Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR (performance of a contract) as well as to fulfill our statutory accounting obligations (error-free VAT transmission via ELSTER pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR). The respective privacy policies can be reviewed on the official websites of the payment providers.