Terms of Service

These terms govern the use of Insound at getinsound.com. The service is operated by Insound Music Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (Company Number: 17179694). Full contact and registered office details are in section 31.

Plain English where possible. If something is unclear, email dan@getinsound.com and Insound will explain it.

These Terms of Service, the Privacy Policy, and the AI Content Policy together form the complete agreement between the user and Insound (“the Agreement”). A breach of any of those documents is a breach of this Agreement.

Insound provides a platform that allows independent artists to list and sell music, digital content, and merchandise directly to fans. Unless checkout states otherwise, the Artist is the seller of the Content or merchandise, and Insound acts as the platform provider and payment facilitator.

For digital music purchases, Insound provides hosting, delivery, download access, and customer support tooling. For merchandise purchases, the Artist is responsible for fulfilment, delivery, returns, product descriptions, and product quality.

1. Definitions

• “the Platform” or “Insound” — the service at getinsound.com, operated by Insound Music Ltd (Company Number: 17179694).
• “Artist” — a registered user who uploads and sells music on the Platform.
• “Fan” — anyone who purchases music, downloads Content, or browses the Platform.
• “Content” — music files, artwork, text, metadata, and any other material uploaded by an Artist to the Platform.
• “Release” — a published collection of one or more tracks (single, EP, or album).
• “Merch” — physical merchandise listed by an Artist and fulfilled directly by that Artist.
• “Notice” — a written communication sent by email to the address associated with the recipient’s account, or published prominently on the Platform. Notice is deemed given when sent by email or when published.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an Artist account and checking the “I agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and AI Content Policy” checkbox, the Artist confirms that they have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service, the Privacy Policy, and the AI Content Policy.

By purchasing music or creating a Fan account the Fan agrees to these terms as they apply to Fans. Fans must be at least 18 years old to create an account or make a purchase. By using the Platform, the Fan confirms that they are at least 18 years of age.

The Platform may update these terms. If the Platform makes material changes, it will notify registered users by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. The updated version number and effective date will be displayed at the top of this page. Continued use after that date constitutes acceptance.

3. Artist Eligibility and Warranties

Insound is for independent artists who control the rights needed to sell their music on the Platform. Labels, management companies, distributors, and other third parties may not create accounts on behalf of artists unless Insound gives written permission.

Using a non-exclusive DIY distributor (such as DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby) elsewhere does not by itself make an Artist ineligible, provided the Artist has the right to sell the music on Insound.

By creating an Artist account the Artist warrants and represents that:

• The Artist controls the rights needed to distribute and sell the music uploaded to the Platform, including all necessary clearances for samples, interpolations, and cover versions.
• The Artist is not signing up on behalf of a record label, management company, or any entity with an exclusive commercial music distribution agreement, unless Insound has given written permission.
• The Artist is at least 18 years old.
• All Content uploaded by the Artist is original or properly licensed and does not infringe the copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights of any third party.
• All information provided by the Artist to the Platform is accurate, complete, and not misleading.

These warranties are ongoing. The Artist must notify the Platform promptly if any warranty ceases to be true. If the Platform has reasonable grounds to believe an account is operated by or on behalf of a label or management entity without permission, or that any warranty has been breached, the Platform may suspend or terminate the account with Notice.

4. Content Ownership and Licence

The Artist owns everything uploaded. Insound does not claim any ownership of the Artist’s music, artwork, or metadata. The Artist retains all copyright, publishing rights, and masters.

By uploading Content to Insound, the Artist grants the Platform a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to:

• Host, store, and deliver the Content to Fans who purchase it.
• Generate and serve preview clips (up to 90 seconds) for promotional purposes on the Platform.
• Display the Artist’s artwork, artist name, and Release metadata on the Platform and in social sharing previews.

The Platform may allow trusted service providers to process Content solely to operate, secure, host, deliver, and support the service.

This licence exists solely to operate the service. The Platform will not sub-licence the Artist’s Content to third parties, use it in advertising, or distribute it beyond the Platform without the Artist’s explicit consent.

The Artist is responsible for ensuring they have all necessary rights, clearances, and licences for any Content uploaded — including samples, interpolations, and cover versions.

4.1 Content Deletion and Fan Access

The licence granted to the Platform ends when the Artist deletes the Content or closes their account, except that the Platform may continue to host and deliver copies for up to 12 months where needed to:

• provide existing purchasers with download access;
• handle refunds or disputes;
• comply with legal obligations;
• maintain security backups; or
• protect legal rights.

Fans are responsible for downloading and backing up purchased files. The Platform aims to keep purchased downloads available through the Fan’s library but does not guarantee permanent cloud storage. If an Artist removes a Release or closes their account, existing purchasers will retain download access for at least 90 days unless the Platform is legally required to remove the Content sooner.

5. Payment Terms

5.1 How Payments Work

All payments are processed via Stripe Connect direct charges. When a Fan purchases music, the payment is created directly in the Artist’s own Stripe account. Insound never holds, pools, or intermediates Artist funds.

5.2 Fee Structure

• Insound fee: 10% of the sale price, deducted as a Stripe application fee at the point of sale. The Artist receives 90% of the sale price.
• Stripe processing fees (which vary by card type, payment method, and region) are absorbed by Insound out of its 10% platform fee. Artists are not charged processing fees.

For example, on a £10 music sale: £9.00 goes to the Artist (90%) and £1.00 goes to Insound (10%). Stripe’s processing fee (approximately £0.35 for a standard UK card) is deducted from Insound’s £1.00, not from the Artist’s share.

In cases where Stripe processing fees exceed the 10% platform fee on a given transaction (for example, certain international or premium card payments on low-value sales), Insound absorbs the shortfall. The Artist’s 90% share is never reduced to cover processing fees.

5.3 Platform Fee

Insound’s platform fee is 10% of the amount paid by the Fan, excluding any taxes, refunds, and chargebacks. Stripe processing fees are absorbed by Insound out of this 10% and are not charged to the Artist. This is the standard business model, not an introductory or promotional rate.

The Platform will not increase the 10% platform fee for existing registered Artists without at least 90 days’ written Notice. Any increase will apply only to sales made after the effective date.

The platform fee is exclusive of VAT. If Insound is required to charge VAT on its platform fee, the VAT will be shown separately and added to the fee, not deducted from the Artist’s share.

5.4 Minimum Sale Price

The minimum price for a Release is £3. This ensures the Stripe processing fee does not consume a disproportionate share of small transactions.

5.5 Pay What You Want

Artists may enable pay-what-you-want pricing on any Release. When enabled:

• The Artist sets a minimum price (no lower than £3).
• Fans may pay any amount at or above the minimum.
• Insound takes 10% of the actual amount paid, not the minimum. If the minimum is £5 and a Fan pays £20, Insound receives £2 (from which Stripe processing is deducted), and the Artist receives £18.

5.6 Withdrawals

There is no minimum withdrawal threshold. The Artist’s earnings are in their Stripe account from the moment the transaction completes. Withdrawals to the Artist’s bank follow Stripe’s standard payout schedule. Insound has no involvement in or control over payout timing once funds are in the Artist’s Stripe account.

5.7 Currency

All prices are currently listed and settled in GBP (£). The Platform may add additional currencies in future.

6. Taxes

Prices displayed on the Platform may include VAT or other applicable taxes where required by law. The Platform will clearly indicate at checkout whether a price includes or excludes VAT.

Artists are responsible for their own income tax, VAT, sales tax, and other tax obligations arising from their sales on the Platform, except where Insound is legally required to collect, report, or account for tax as a platform or marketplace operator.

The Platform may collect tax information from Artists (such as VAT registration status) and may withhold, report, or remit amounts where required by law. Artists must keep their tax information accurate and up to date.

7. Purchases and Digital Content

Fans can purchase music without creating an account. A purchase with an email address creates a lightweight record associated with that email for download access. Fans may later create a full account to access their purchase history and collection.

Fan accounts are subject to the same prohibited-content rules (section 12) and general conduct expectations (section 8).

7.1 Digital Content Cancellation Rights

Digital music is supplied as digital content. If the Fan requests immediate access, the Fan must expressly agree that the download may begin during the 14-day cancellation period and acknowledge that the right to cancel will be lost once the download starts.

This does not affect the Fan’s statutory rights if the download is faulty, corrupted, not as described, or not supplied.

8. Fan Conduct

Fans agree not to:

• Use the Platform for fraudulent purposes, including payment fraud, fake accounts, or chargebacks made in bad faith.
• Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to extract data or Content from the Platform without written permission.
• Redistribute, resell, or publicly share purchased Content, download codes, or access credentials.
• Attempt to circumvent access controls, payment systems, or download restrictions.
• Harass, abuse, or send unsolicited messages to Artists or other users through the Platform.
• Create multiple accounts to exploit promotions, download codes, or free tiers.
• Use the Platform in any way that violates applicable UK law.

The Platform may suspend or terminate a Fan account that breaches these rules, with Notice where reasonably practicable.

9. Refunds, Disputes, and Chargebacks

Digital music purchases are generally non-refundable once the download has been accessed, in accordance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Refunds will be issued where:

• The download is materially defective (corrupted files, wrong content delivered).
• A pre-order is cancelled or delayed beyond the terms in section 11.
• A duplicate charge occurred.

Refund requests: dan@getinsound.com.

If a purchase is refunded, disputed, reversed, or charged back, the Artist may be responsible for the refunded amount, any chargeback fees imposed by Stripe, and any resulting negative Stripe balance, except where the issue was caused by Insound’s error or a Platform fault.

Insound will refund its 10% platform fee where:

• required by law;
• the purchase is refunded due to Insound’s error;
• a pre-order is cancelled by the Artist (see Pre-orders); or
• the Platform chooses to do so as a goodwill gesture.

Stripe processing fees may not be returned by Stripe on refunds. Where a pre-order is cancelled by the Artist, Stripe’s non-refundable processing fee is absorbed by the Platform. Neither the Artist nor the Fan bears this cost.

The Platform may suspend sales, downloads, or payouts for an Artist account where repeated disputes, fraud, or chargebacks create legal, payment, or platform risk.

9.1 Disputes Between Artists and Fans

Disputes between Artists and Fans regarding merchandise quality, fulfilment, delivery, or any matter relating to a transaction where the Artist is the seller are between the Artist and the Fan. Insound is not a party to the sale and is not liable for resolving such disputes.

Insound may, at its sole discretion, assist with mediation or facilitate communication between the parties, but is under no obligation to do so. If a dispute cannot be resolved, the Fan’s remedies are against the Artist as the seller, subject to applicable consumer protection law.

10. Merch

Artists may list physical merchandise on their Insound page. Merch is fulfilled entirely by the Artist. The Artist is the merchant of record for all Merch transactions — Insound facilitates payment collection only and is not the seller.

• The Artist is responsible for product quality, accurate descriptions, packaging, shipping, tracking, and delivery timescales.
• The Artist is responsible for compliance with consumer protection law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and distance selling regulations.
• Insound’s 10% fee applies to Merch transactions in the same way as music sales.
• Insound is not liable for lost, damaged, or delayed shipments, or for disputes between Artists and Fans about Merch quality or fulfilment.

10.1 Merch Returns

For merchandise, the Artist must provide accurate product descriptions, shipping times, delivery charges, return instructions, and a valid contact method.

For most online merchandise purchases, Fans may cancel within 14 days after delivery and then have 14 days to return the goods. Exceptions may apply, including personalised or custom-made items, sealed items not suitable for return for health or hygiene reasons once unsealed, and other exceptions permitted by law.

Return postage costs are the responsibility of the Fan unless the item is faulty or not as described.

11. Pre-orders

Artists may list Releases as pre-orders. When a Fan pre-orders:

• Payment is taken at the time of purchase.
• The download becomes available on the Artist-specified release date.
• If the Release is delayed by more than 30 days beyond the stated date without the Artist providing an updated release date, the Fan is entitled to a full refund.
• If the Release is delayed by more than 6 months beyond the original stated release date, regardless of whether updated dates have been provided, all remaining pre-order purchasers are entitled to a full refund on request.
• If the Release is cancelled entirely, all pre-order purchasers will be refunded automatically.

12. Prohibited Content

The following may not be uploaded or sold on the Platform:

• Content that infringes the copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights of any third party.
• Fully AI-generated Content, as defined in the AI Content Policy.
• Unlicensed samples or interpolations.
• Content that promotes violence, hatred, or discrimination against individuals or groups.
• Sexually explicit content involving minors.
• Fraudulent, misleading Content, or Content that impersonates another artist.
• Content that violates any applicable UK law, including content that constitutes a criminal offence under the Online Safety Act 2023.

The Platform uses human review for final decisions on content reports wherever reasonably practicable. The Platform may use automated tools to help detect, prioritise, or prevent spam, fraud, malware, illegal content, or policy violations.

13. Content Reporting and Copyright

13.1 Reporting Content

Anyone may report Content that they believe violates these terms, infringes intellectual property rights, or is illegal. Reports can be submitted to dan@getinsound.com and should include:

• A description of the Content and a link to it on the Platform.
• An explanation of why the Content is believed to violate these terms or the law.
• The reporter’s contact information.

The Platform will acknowledge reports promptly and aim to review and act on them within 7 days. The Platform may remove or restrict access to Content during review where there is a risk of serious harm or clear illegality.

13.2 Copyright Infringement Notices

If a rights holder believes their copyright has been infringed, they should submit a notice to dan@getinsound.com that includes:

• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
• Identification of the infringing Content on the Platform, including a link.
• A statement that the rights holder has a good-faith belief that the use is not authorised.
• The rights holder’s name, contact details, and a statement that the information provided is accurate.

Upon receiving a valid notice, the Platform will remove or disable access to the Content and notify the Artist. The Artist may submit a counter-notice if they believe the removal was made in error.

13.3 Counter-Notices

If an Artist believes their Content was removed in error, they may submit a counter-notice to dan@getinsound.com explaining why the Content does not infringe and providing evidence of their rights. The Platform will forward the counter-notice to the original reporter, who then has 14 days to pursue legal action. If no action is taken, the Platform may restore the Content.

13.4 Repeat Infringers

The Platform maintains a repeat-infringer policy. Artists who receive multiple valid infringement notices may have their account suspended or terminated. The number and severity of infringements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

14. Appeals

If an Artist’s Content is removed or their account is suspended or terminated under these terms, the Artist may appeal by emailing dan@getinsound.com within 30 days of the action. The appeal should include:

• The Artist’s account details and the action being appealed.
• An explanation of why the Artist believes the action was wrong or disproportionate.
• Any supporting evidence.

The Platform will review the appeal and respond within 14 days. Appeals are reviewed by a person who was not involved in the original decision wherever reasonably practicable. The Platform’s decision on appeal is final, but does not affect any legal rights the Artist may have.

15. Download Codes

Artists may purchase download codes to distribute at gigs, with Merch, or through other channels. Terms:

• Each code grants the holder a one-time download of the associated Release.
• Codes have a maximum use limit set by the Artist (default: 1 redemption per code).
• Codes expire 12 months from the date of issue unless the Artist sets a shorter expiry.
• Expired or fully redeemed codes cannot be reactivated. No refunds are issued for unused codes.

15.1 Download Codes and Deleted Releases

If an Artist deletes a Release that has unredeemed download codes associated with it, the codes become void. Insound is not responsible for refunding or replacing voided codes. Artists should ensure all download codes have been redeemed or are no longer in circulation before deleting a Release.

16. Private and Unlisted Releases

Artists may publish Releases as private or unlisted. These are accessible only via a direct link shared by the Artist. Private Releases:

• Do not appear in search results, browse pages, or public Artist profiles.
• Are subject to the same content policies as public Releases.
• May be purchased by anyone with the direct link.

17. Collectives

Collectives are not currently available. If the Platform launches collectives, additional terms may apply and Artists will be asked to accept them before using the feature.

18. Account Termination

18.1 By the Artist

The Artist may delete their account at any time via the Account Settings page at /dashboard/settings. Upon requesting deletion:

• A 24-hour cooldown period begins. The Artist may cancel the request at any time before the deadline via the Account Settings page or the cancellation link sent by email.
• A confirmation email is sent immediately, and a final reminder is sent 1 hour before deletion.
• Once the cooldown expires, the deletion is processed automatically.

When an Artist account is deleted:

• All Releases are removed from the Platform. Existing purchasers retain download access for 90 days, after which files are permanently deleted from storage.
• Active pre-orders are cancelled and fully refunded to affected Fans.
• The Artist’s profile, posts, and uploaded media are permanently removed.
• The Artist’s Stripe connected account remains active until all pending payouts have settled, then it is disconnected.
• The Artist’s fan account and collection are also deleted (see 18.3 below).

18.2 By the Fan

Fans may delete their account at any time via the Account Settings page at /settings/account. The same 24-hour cooldown and cancellation process applies. Upon deletion:

• The Fan’s profile, collection, preferences, and all associated personal data are permanently removed.
• Purchase records are anonymised rather than hard-deleted: the Fan’s user ID and email are removed from purchase rows, but financial amounts are retained for the Artist’s accounting and aggregate analytics.
• Download links for all purchased music are sent by email and remain active for 48 hours after deletion. Fans are encouraged to download their purchases before requesting deletion.

18.3 By Insound

The Platform may suspend or terminate an account if:

• The Artist materially breaches these terms (e.g. uploading infringing Content, misrepresenting independence status, breaching any warranty in section 3).
• The account is inactive for more than 24 months with no published Releases and no completed sales during that period.
• Continued operation of the account would expose Insound to legal liability.

Except in cases of serious legal risk, the Platform will provide at least 14 days’ Notice before termination, with an explanation and an opportunity to respond.

18.4 Data Handling on Deletion

When an account is deleted, the Platform removes all personal data except where retention is required for:

• legal or regulatory compliance (e.g. financial records required under HMRC rules);
• fulfilling obligations to other users (e.g. providing download access to existing purchasers for 90 days); or
• preserving anonymised, non-personal aggregate data for Artist analytics.

Anonymised purchase records contain no information that can identify the deleted user. The Fan’s user ID is set to null and the email address is replaced with a non-functional placeholder.

18.5 Data Portability

Upon request, the Platform will provide a machine-readable export of the Artist’s profile data, sales and earnings history, and fan/supporter list (subject to applicable data protection law). The Platform will fulfil data export requests within 30 days.

19. Liability

Insound is provided “as is”. To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• The Platform does not guarantee uninterrupted access.
• The Platform is not liable for loss of earnings due to downtime, bugs, or third-party service outages (including Stripe).
• The Platform’s total liability to any user in any 12-month period shall not exceed the fees (in GBP) the Platform collected from that user during the same period.
• The Platform shall not be liable for any loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of data, loss of business, or any indirect or consequential losses of any kind, however arising, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including statutory consumer rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; or
• breaches of data protection law.

20. Indemnification

The Artist agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Insound Music Ltd, its officers, directors, and employees from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

• Content uploaded by the Artist, including any claim that such Content infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party;
• a breach of any warranty or representation made by the Artist under these terms;
• the Artist’s fulfilment of Merch orders, including product liability, shipping, and consumer protection claims;
• the Artist’s failure to comply with tax obligations arising from sales on the Platform; or
• the Artist’s use of the Platform in violation of these terms or applicable law.

The Platform will notify the Artist promptly of any claim and provide reasonable cooperation in the defence. The Artist may not settle any claim that would impose obligations on Insound without Insound’s prior written consent.

21. Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for delays or failures in performance resulting from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemics, government actions, power failures, internet or telecommunications failures, third-party service outages (including hosting, payment processing, and DNS providers), cyberattacks, and changes in applicable law or regulation.

The affected party must notify the other party promptly and use reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact. If a force majeure event continues for more than 90 days, either party may terminate the affected obligations with Notice.

22. Platform Intellectual Property

All intellectual property in the Platform itself — including the Insound name, logo, brand elements, website design, user interface, software code, and documentation — is owned by Insound Music Ltd or its licensors. Nothing in these terms grants the Artist or Fan any right, title, or interest in the Platform’s intellectual property.

Artists may use the Insound name and logo solely to identify the Platform as a place where their music is available, provided the use is not misleading and does not imply endorsement or affiliation beyond the standard artist-platform relationship.

23. Notices

Notices from the Platform to users will be sent by email to the address associated with the user’s account, or published prominently on the Platform.

Notices from users to the Platform must be sent by email to dan@getinsound.com, unless a different address is specified for a particular purpose (e.g. privacy@getinsound.com for data protection requests). Notices sent by other means (social media messages, in-app feedback, postal mail) are not valid notices under these terms unless the Platform confirms receipt in writing.

24. Dispute Resolution

If any user has a dispute with Insound, they should contact dan@getinsound.com. The Platform will attempt to resolve it informally within 30 days.

If informal resolution fails, the parties agree to attempt mediation before commencing court proceedings. Mediation shall be conducted under the rules of CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) or another mutually agreed mediation provider. The costs of mediation shall be shared equally unless the mediator directs otherwise.

If mediation does not resolve the dispute within 60 days of referral, either party may commence court proceedings.

25. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, except where consumer protection law grants the Fan the right to bring proceedings in their local jurisdiction.

26. Data Protection

The Platform processes personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Full details are in the Privacy Policy.

27. Assignment

Insound may assign, transfer, or sub-contract its rights and obligations under these terms to any third party, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets, provided that such assignment does not reduce the user’s rights under these terms. Insound will notify users of any such assignment.

Users may not assign, transfer, or sub-contract their rights or obligations under these terms without Insound’s prior written consent. Any purported assignment without consent is void.

28. Waiver

A failure or delay by either party to exercise any right or remedy under these terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or remedy, and does not prevent future exercise of that right or remedy. A waiver of any right or remedy on one occasion does not constitute a waiver on any other occasion.

29. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable. If it cannot be so modified, it shall be severed from these terms. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

30. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service, together with the Privacy Policy and the AI Content Policy, constitute the entire agreement between the user and Insound relating to the use of the Platform. They supersede all prior agreements, understandings, representations, and discussions, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter.

No variation of these terms shall be effective unless made in writing by the Platform in accordance with section 2 (Acceptance of Terms).

31. Contact

Insound Music Ltd
Company Number: 17179694
ICO Registration: ZC133088
Registered in England and Wales
Registered office: 1 Sandhill Close, Beds, MK45 2JD
Email: dan@getinsound.com