Privacy Policy

Introduction

G'day! Welcome to the Privacy Policy of SoundForge Academy. At SoundForge Academy, located at 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our website, services, and online courses. This policy is crafted in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

By accessing or using our services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our website or services. We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal information. This policy is effective as of January 1, 2025.

Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services. This includes:

• Personal Information: This includes your name, email address, postal address, phone number, date of birth, and any other information you provide when you register for our courses, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us. For example, when you enrol in our Online Music Producer Course, we collect your name, email, and payment details.
• Payment Information: When you make a purchase, we collect payment information, such as your credit card details or other payment method information. This information is processed through secure payment gateways. SoundForge Academy does not directly store your complete payment information.
• Technical Information: We automatically collect certain technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, device information, and browsing activity on our website. This data helps us optimise your experience.
• Usage Data: We collect information about how you use our website and services, including the pages you visit, the links you click, and the time you spend on each page. This information helps us understand user behaviour and improve our offerings.
• Communications: We retain copies of any communications you send to us, such as emails or contact form submissions. We use this information to respond to your inquiries and improve our customer service.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your browsing behaviour and preferences. You can control cookies through your browser settings. For more information, please refer to our Cookies Policy.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information for various purposes, including:

• Providing and Improving Services: We use your information to provide, maintain, and improve our website and services, including our online courses.
• Personalisation: We use your information to personalise your experience, such as recommending courses or content that may be of interest to you.
• Communication: We use your information to communicate with you, including sending you updates, newsletters, and promotional materials. You can opt-out of receiving promotional emails at any time.
• Customer Support: We use your information to respond to your inquiries and provide customer support.
• Payment Processing: We use your payment information to process your payments and prevent fraud.
• Analytics: We use your information to analyse trends, track usage, and gather demographic information to improve our services.
• Legal Compliance: We may use your information to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

For example, if you enrol in our course, we use your contact information to send you course updates, access details, and important announcements. We also use your payment information to process your enrolment fee securely.

Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose your information to the following categories of recipients:

• Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in providing our services, such as payment processors, hosting providers, and email marketing services. These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information.
• Business Partners: We may share your information with our business partners to offer you joint products or services.
• Legal Authorities: We may disclose your information to legal authorities if required by law or legal process.
• Other Users: If you participate in interactive areas of our website, such as forums or comments sections, your information may be visible to other users.
• Affiliates: We may share your information with our affiliates for internal business purposes.
• In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets: your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information.

We ensure that any third parties we share your information with are compliant with the Australian Privacy Principles and have appropriate security measures in place to protect your data.

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:

• Encryption: We use encryption to protect sensitive information, such as payment details, during transmission.
• Access Controls: We restrict access to your information to authorised personnel only.
• Regular Security Audits: We conduct regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
• Firewalls: We use firewalls to protect our systems from unauthorised access.
• Data Minimisation: We only collect and retain the information necessary to provide our services.
• Physical Security: Our servers are located in secure facilities with restricted access.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You have the right to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
• Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information.
• Objection: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information.
• Restriction: You have the right to restrict the processing of your personal information.
• Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Withdraw Consent: If we are processing your personal information based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@soundforgeacademy.com.au. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When determining the retention period, we consider the following criteria:

• The nature of the personal information
• The purpose for which the personal information was collected
• Our legitimate business needs
• Legal and regulatory requirements

Once the retention period expires, we will securely delete or anonymise your personal information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on our website and updating the effective date. Your continued use of our services after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any updates.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

SoundForge Academy
Attn: Privacy Officer
42 Wallaby Way
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia

Email: privacy@soundforgeacademy.com.au
Phone: (02) 9876 5432

We are committed to addressing your concerns and resolving any issues you may have regarding your privacy.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). You can find more information about how to lodge a complaint with the OAIC on their website: www.oaic.gov.au

This Privacy Policy was last updated on January 1, 2025.