Privacy Policy

BandRaven is a personal music release tracker built and operated by one person in New Zealand. This policy explains what information is collected, how it is used, and your rights under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

Who we are

Brooke Whatnall (sole trader)
New Zealand
Email: hello@bandraven.com

What information we collect and why

• Account data — email address, username, display name, and a bcrypt-hashed password (your plaintext password is never stored). Collected to create and manage your account.
• Profile photo — an optional avatar image you upload, stored in the database. Used to personalise your profile.
• Library data — the artists, labels, releases, and purchase list items you add. This is the core data the service exists to manage.
• Apple Music token — if you connect Apple Music, your Music User Token is stored encrypted using AES-256-GCM. Used only to make Apple Music API calls on your behalf.
• Billing data — a Stripe customer ID and subscription ID. Your card details are held by Stripe under PCI-DSS compliance, never by BandRaven.
• Session data — a session cookie, IP address, and browser user-agent. Used to keep you logged in and to display active sessions in Settings.
• Email preferences — whether you have opted in to the weekly release digest. The digest is opt-in only and can be turned off at any time in Settings → Library.

Your data is never sold, rented, or used for advertising. We collect only what is necessary to provide the service.

Cookies and analytics

BandRaven uses one strictly necessary cookie: bg_session. It is HttpOnly, SameSite=Lax, and Secure in production. It contains only a random session identifier — no personal information. It expires after 30 days or when you log out.

We also use Google Analytics to understand aggregate, anonymous usage (such as which pages are visited). Google Analytics sets its own cookies (for example _ga) to distinguish visitors, and we have enabled IP anonymisation so your full IP address is not stored by Google. We do not use analytics data to identify individuals or for advertising.

Analytics only runs with your consent. On your first visit we show a cookie banner; Google Analytics is loaded only if you choose "Accept". If you decline, no analytics cookies are set. You can change your choice at any time using the Cookie settings link in the footer or in Settings, by clearing this site's cookies, or with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. See Google's Privacy Policy.

Third-party service providers

We share information with the following providers only to the extent needed to operate the service. Each is bound by their own privacy commitments:

• Stripe, Inc. (USA) — payment processing. We pass your email and a customer reference. Card details never touch BandRaven's servers. Stripe Privacy Policy.
• Resend, Inc. (USA) — transactional email delivery (password reset, email verification, weekly digest). Your email address is passed to Resend only to send these messages.
• Apple Inc. (USA) — Apple Music API for catalog search and artist matching. Your encrypted Music User Token is used only for API requests on your behalf.
• Google LLC (USA) — Google Analytics, used for anonymous, aggregate usage statistics with IP anonymisation enabled. See the Cookies and analytics section below.
• Bandcamp / Discogs — public APIs used to find release information. No personal data is sent to these services.

All providers are located outside New Zealand. We take reasonable steps to ensure they handle your information consistently with the NZ Privacy Act 2020 (IPP 12).

How long we keep your information

Your information is kept for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account from Settings → Danger Zone, all associated data — account record, library, sessions, purchase list, Apple Music token, and Stripe references — is permanently deleted immediately.

Your rights (NZ Privacy Act 2020)

• Access (IPP 6) — you can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. You can also export your artist and label list from Settings → Library → Export library data at any time.
• Correction (IPP 7) — you can update your email, username, display name, and password from Settings → Profile.
• Deletion — you can wipe your library or delete your entire account from Settings → Danger Zone. Deletion takes effect immediately.
• Complaints — if you believe we have breached the Privacy Act, contact us first. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.

To exercise any of these rights, contact hello@bandraven.com.

Security

Passwords are hashed with bcrypt (cost factor 12). Apple Music tokens are encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Sessions are server-side and revocable from Settings → Security. All production traffic is served over HTTPS. We will notify affected users and the Privacy Commissioner of any serious privacy breach as required by the Privacy Act 2020.

Children

BandRaven is not directed at children under 16. If you believe a child has registered, contact us and we will delete the account promptly.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes materially, we will update the effective date above. Continued use of the service after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

hello@bandraven.com