Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Soundstarter, you agree to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use Soundstarter.

2. What Soundstarter Does

Soundstarter helps backers support curator-led music collections and artist projects. Backers can subscribe to collections or make one-time top-ups to active funding rounds. Collection treasury is allocated to featured artist projects during round settlement.

3. Accounts and Roles

You are responsible for accurate account information, secure credentials, and activity under your account.

Backers

• Choose collection subscription amounts and one-time round top-ups.
• Understand payments support creative work and may not produce a deliverable.
• Use Billing to edit, skip, accelerate, or cancel future subscription payments.

Curators

• Manage collections, submissions, funding rounds, and allocation decisions in good faith.
• Provide accurate collection and round information.
• Use funds only through Soundstarter-approved settlement and payout flows.

Artists

• Provide accurate artist and project information.
• Make good faith efforts to complete funded projects.
• Keep payout information current when using Stripe Connect.

4. Payments, Subscriptions, and Fees

Payments are processed by Stripe. Subscription setup and one-time top-ups are charged when you complete Checkout. Subscription commitments renew on your unified billing schedule until edited or cancelled. Changes generally apply to future charges, not past payments.

Soundstarter may deduct platform fees from captured payments before crediting collection treasury. Stripe processing fees and payout costs may also apply. Curator commissions, when enabled for a collection, are paid from artist project allocations only when funds are accepted or auto-accepted.

See our Refund and Cancellation Policy for refund, round cancellation, stale Checkout, dispute, and chargeback rules.

5. Funding Rounds and Project Risk

Funding rounds are curator-managed campaigns. Round progress may include collection treasury from subscriptions and top-ups. Reaching or missing a displayed goal does not guarantee a specific allocation, outcome, release date, reward, or project completion.

Creative projects involve uncertainty. Artists and curators must act in good faith, but Soundstarter does not guarantee that any project will be completed, delivered on schedule, or match backer expectations.

6. Payouts and Stripe Connect

Artist and curator cashouts may require Stripe Connect onboarding, identity verification, bank account review, minimum payout amounts, and payout fees. Stripe or Soundstarter may delay, reject, reverse, or investigate payouts for compliance, fraud, disputes, account errors, or legal reasons.

7. Content and Intellectual Property

Artists retain ownership of their original work. By submitting content to Soundstarter, you grant Soundstarter a non-exclusive, worldwide license to host, display, reproduce, promote, and distribute that content for operating and marketing the platform.

You must have all rights needed for content you submit, including music, artwork, images, names, trademarks, likenesses, and project materials.

8. Prohibited Conduct

• Do not submit false, misleading, infringing, unlawful, or harmful content.
• Do not abuse payment, refund, dispute, payout, or support systems.
• Do not attempt unauthorized access to accounts, private data, or platform systems.
• Do not use Soundstarter for fraud, money laundering, sanctions evasion, export-control violations, or illegal activity, including without limitation the development, design, manufacture, or production of missiles or nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.

9. Suspension and Termination

We may suspend or terminate access, block payments, withhold payouts, remove content, or investigate accounts when needed to protect users, comply with law, enforce these Terms, or respond to disputes, chargebacks, fraud, security incidents, or platform abuse.

10. Disclaimers and Limits

Soundstarter is provided as is and as available. To the fullest extent allowed by law, we disclaim warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, and uninterrupted availability.

To the fullest extent allowed by law, Soundstarter will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, lost data, project delays, failed projects, payment provider issues, or third-party conduct.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms as Soundstarter changes. If changes are material, we will provide reasonable notice through the platform, email, or another appropriate method. Continued use after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

Questions: support@soundstarter.fm.