Privacy Policy
Updated November 1, 2026
Who we are
Hot Key Collective ("HKC", "we", "us") runs hotkeycollective.com from Los Angeles, California. This policy explains what we collect when you use the site, why, and what you can do about it. Questions go to [email protected].
What we collect
Information you give us:
- Contact form: your name, email address, subject and message.
- Demo submissions: your name, email address, private SoundCloud link and anything you tell us about yourself.
- Track purchases: the tracks you buy and the details you enter at checkout, which go directly to Stripe. We never see or store your full card number.
Information collected automatically:
- Server logs: your IP address, browser details, the pages and files requested, and the time of each request.
- Analytics, only if you accept cookies: pages viewed, tracks played for 30 seconds or more, approximate location, device and browser type, and how you arrived at the site.
How we use it
- To reply to messages and review demos.
- To complete purchases, deliver downloads and handle support requests.
- To stream audio, keep the site running, and prevent abuse such as scraping and spam.
- To see which pages and tracks people enjoy, if you accept analytics.
- To meet legal, tax and accounting obligations.
We do not use your information for targeted advertising.
Cookies and browser storage
You choose whether optional cookies load using the popup, and you can change your mind at any time with the Cookie Settings link in the footer.
- Strictly necessary: your browser stores your cart (hkc-cart), player position (hkc-player), cookie choice (hkc-consent) and accessibility settings (hkc-access). These stay on your device, are used only to make the site work, and are not cookies sent to us.
- Analytics (optional): Google Analytics sets cookies beginning with _ga to tell visits apart. They last up to two years unless removed. They are not loaded until you accept.
- Embedded players (optional): SoundCloud players may set their own cookies. They are not loaded until you accept.
If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we treat it as declining optional cookies and do not show the popup.
Who we share it with
We share information with service providers only as needed to run the site:
- Google Analytics, for site statistics if you accept. Advertising features are turned off.
- Google Fonts, which receives your IP address when your browser loads the site typefaces.
- Stripe, to process payments on track purchases.
- Gumroad, which handles sales of the Dark Room preset pack under its own terms and privacy policy.
- SoundCloud, if you accept and load an embedded player.
- DigitalOcean, which hosts the site.
- The messaging service that delivers contact and demo forms to our team.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, to protect our rights or the safety of others, or as part of a transfer of the project to a new owner. We do not sell your personal information.
Links to Spotify, Apple Music, Discord, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and other sites take you to services with their own privacy policies.
How long we keep it
We keep messages and demo submissions for as long as they are useful for the conversation, and purchase records for as long as tax and accounting rules require. Server logs are kept for a limited time. You can ask us to delete your information sooner, subject to any legal need to keep it.
Your choices and rights
You can ask us to tell you what we hold about you, correct it or delete it by emailing [email protected]. Depending on where you live, you may have further rights, such as objecting to processing or complaining to your local data protection authority. California residents should also read our CCPA Notice.
Security
We use reasonable safeguards to protect your information, but no website or internet transmission is completely secure.
Children
The site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you think a child has sent us information, email [email protected] and we will delete it.
International visitors
We operate from the United States. If you use the site from elsewhere, your information will be processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers work.
Changes
If we change this policy we will update the date on this page. Significant changes will be made clear on the site.