Privacy policy

Last updated November 2, 2026

Surround Sound (“we”, “us”) is an album-of-the-week club app run by Isaac Berschauer. This policy explains what we collect when you use surroundsound.app, why, who else handles it, and the choices you have. The short version: we collect what the app needs to work, we don't sell your data, we don't show ads, and we don't use tracking or analytics cookies.

What we collect

• Your account: your email address. If you sign in with Google, Google shares your email, name and profile photo with us; we use the name and photo to start your profile, and you can change both. Sign-in codes we email you are stored briefly until used or expired.
• Your profile: the username and display name you choose, profile photo (we keep a cropped version everyone can see, and the photo you uploaded, visible only to you, so you can reframe it later), bio, your “top four” albums, links you add, and your preferred streaming service.
• What you do in the app: clubs you start or join, the albums you pick, your ratings, reviews, favourite and least favourite tracks, track reactions, listens you log (format, note and date), club chat messages and discussion comments, and who you follow.
• Searches: what you search for (albums, artists, songs, people), to show results. We don't keep a history of your searches tied to you.
• Feedback you send us: your message, the page you were on, and your browser and device type, so we can fix problems.
• Notifications: if you turn them on, your device's push address and keys (supplied by your browser) and which kinds of notifications you want.
• The waitlist: if you join it, your email address.
• Technical information: like most websites, our server logs each request: your IP address, browser (user agent), the address requested, and the time. We use this to keep the service running and secure (for example to limit abuse). These logs are deleted after 5 days.

We don't collect your listening history from streaming services, your contacts, your location, or payment information (the service is free).

Who can see what

• Your email address is never shown to other members.
• Your profile (name, username, photo, bio, top four, follower counts), your ratings and reviews and your listening log can be seen by other signed-in members. Ratings of a club's current album stay hidden from club-mates until they've rated it too.
• Club chat, discussions and picks are visible to that club's members.

How we use it

To run the app (sign you in, show your clubs, rounds, ratings and feed), to send the emails and notifications you've asked for (sign-in codes; notifications you can switch off), to keep the service secure and working (preventing abuse, fixing bugs, backups), and to answer you when you contact us. We don't sell or rent your information, and we don't use it for advertising.

Services that help us run Surround Sound

These providers handle data on our behalf, only as needed for the job:

• Cloudflare carries all traffic to the site (and so sees IP addresses and requests), protects it from attacks, and caches public files.
• Resend sends our emails, such as sign-in codes (your email address and the message).
• Zoho Mail hosts our mailbox, if you email us.
• Google handles “Sign in with Google” if you choose it, and stores our backups in Google Drive. Backups are encrypted on our server before they're uploaded, so Google can't read them.
• Push services (Apple, Google, Mozilla or Microsoft, depending on your device) deliver notifications. The notification content is encrypted end to end; they see only that a message is sent to your device.
• Music data services (Deezer, MusicBrainz, ListenBrainz, Wikipedia, Apple's iTunes search) are asked for album, artist and song information from our server. They receive search terms, not who you are.

Links to streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and others) take you to those services, and their own privacy policies apply there. We never stream audio ourselves.

The app runs on a server we operate in the United States. We may disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect the safety of our members or the service.

Cookies and storage on your device

We don't use advertising or analytics cookies. The app stores your sign-in session and a few preferences (such as a dismissed install tip) in your browser so you stay signed in. While the site is in preview, a cookie remembers that your browser may see it. Clearing your browser's data for surroundsound.app removes all of this.

How long we keep it

We keep your account and what you've added for as long as you have an account. Request logs are deleted after 5 days. Encrypted backups are kept for up to 8 weeks, so something you delete can remain in a backup until it's replaced. Records of notifications we sent (used to avoid repeats) are deleted after 60 days. Waitlist emails are kept until we've invited you or you ask us to remove yours.

Your choices and rights

• See and change your profile at any time on your profile and Edit profile pages.
• Notifications: turn them off, or choose which kinds you get, under Notifications.
• Get a copy of your data any time with “Download my data” under Your account on the Edit profile page.
• Delete your account with “Delete account” in the same place. It deletes, right away, your profile and photo, ratings, reviews, listens, messages, club memberships, follows, notification devices and feedback. Albums you picked stay on your clubs' shelves, shown as picked by “a former member”; clubs you own pass to their longest-standing member, or are deleted if nobody else is in them. You can also email [email protected] from the address on your account and we'll do either within 30 days.

Depending on where you live (for example California or the European Union), you may have further rights, such as to object to or restrict how we use your information, or to complain to a data protection authority. Email us and we'll help.

Security

Connections to the site are encrypted (HTTPS), sign-in uses one-time codes or Google instead of passwords, backups are encrypted, and access to the server is limited to its operator. No system is perfectly secure; if something goes wrong that affects you, we'll tell you.

Age

You must be 16 or older to use Surround Sound. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 16. If you believe someone under 16 has an account, email us and we'll delete it.

Changes

If we change this policy, we'll update the date above, and for important changes we'll let members know in the app or by email before they take effect.

Contact

Questions or requests: [email protected].