Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how Techne ("we", "our", or "us") collects, uses, and protects information when you access our website, services, or membership features, including techne.fm.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account information: Email address, name, and authentication data (Google or email login).
• Billing information: Payment details handled securely by Stripe; we never store full credit card data.
• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, and downloads (collected anonymously for analytics).
• Communications: Emails or messages you send to support.

3. How We Use Your Information

Your data is used to:

• Authenticate users and provide access to membership features
• Process subscriptions and payments through Stripe
• Send service-related and marketing emails (see Marketing below)
• Monitor performance and improve our site

4. Marketing & Communication

By signing up or creating an account, you consent to receive occasional updates and promotional emails from us — typically a few times per month. You can unsubscribe at any time using the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails.

5. Cookies & Analytics

We use minimal cookies and analytics tools to understand aggregate usage. These may include essential session cookies and analytics platforms such as Plausible or privacy-respecting equivalents. No personal data is sold or shared with advertisers.

When you arrive via a referral link (techne.fm/r/…) we set two first-party cookies: an anonymous visitor key (tcn_vid, 1 year) and the referral code (tcn_ref, 30 days). They are used only to attribute that visit and any pre-save or store click to the person who shared the link, to count each visitor once, and to detect abuse. They contain no personal information and are not linked to your account.

When you play music on Techne we record playback events (which track, how much of it was heard, and whether it was completed) against the visitor key above and a short-lived session cookie (tcn_sid, 30 minutes). If you are signed in, plays are also linked to your account so we can show you your own listening history. This data is used to understand how releases are listened to and to attribute listens to referral links; it is never shared with advertisers.

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time by visiting our Cookie Settings page.

6. Data Sharing

We only share information when necessary to operate the service — for example, with:

• Stripe for billing and payments
• Ghost for blog membership synchronization
• Email providers for sending login links and newsletters

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.

7. Data Retention

We retain account and transaction data as long as your account is active or as required for legal and accounting purposes. You may request deletion of your data by contacting us.

8. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data against loss, misuse, or unauthorized access. However, no system is completely secure; use of our services is at your own risk.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete your data, or to withdraw consent for marketing. Contact us using the email below to exercise these rights.

10. Children's Privacy

Techne is not directed toward children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect data from minors.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will appear on this page with a revised "last updated" date.

12. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at support@techne.fm.