1. Who we are

Small Albums (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is an independent music blog operating at smallalbums.com. We publish album reviews, artist spotlights, music news, entertainment coverage, celebrity features, and awards commentary.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, Small Albums is the data controller responsible for your personal information collected through this website.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, you can contact us at hello@smallalbums.com.

2. What information we collect

We collect information in two ways — information you provide directly to us, and information collected automatically when you visit our site.

Information you provide

• Contact form submissions — your name, email address, and message content when you use our contact form
• Newsletter sign-ups — your email address if you subscribe to our mailing list
• Album or press submissions — your name, artist or label name, email, and any links or files you choose to share
• Comments — if comments are enabled, your name, email address, and comment content

Information collected automatically

• Usage data — pages visited, time spent on pages, referring website, and click behaviour via analytics tools
• Device and browser data — browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device type
• IP address — used to approximate your general geographic region (country or city level only)
• Cookies — small text files stored on your device to remember preferences and measure site performance (see Section 4)

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

We will never use your data for purposes other than those listed above without first informing you and, where required, obtaining your consent.

4. Cookies and tracking technologies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies to help our site function properly, understand how visitors use the site, and — where applicable — serve relevant advertising.

Types of cookies we use

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect how parts of the site work. Most browsers allow you to refuse new cookies, delete existing cookies, and be notified when a new cookie is set.

5. Third-party services

We use a small number of trusted third-party services to operate and improve our website. Each of these may process some of your data in accordance with their own privacy policies.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes. Data shared with the services above is limited to what is strictly necessary for them to perform their function.

6. How long we keep your data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law.

• Contact form messages — retained for up to 12 months, then securely deleted
• Newsletter subscriber email addresses — retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Analytics data — anonymised and aggregated after 14 months (Google Analytics default)
• Comment data — retained indefinitely unless you request removal
• Press and album submissions — retained for up to 6 months, then deleted unless ongoing coverage applies

When data is no longer needed, we delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer be linked to you.

7. Your rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have the following rights over your personal data. We take these rights seriously and will respond to all valid requests within 30 days.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@smallalbums.com with the subject line “Data Rights Request”. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are located in the EU or UK and believe we have not handled your data lawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (e.g. the ICO in the UK, or your national DPA in the EU).

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures include:

• SSL/HTTPS encryption across all pages of this website
• Regular WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates to patch security vulnerabilities
• Restricted access to data — only authorised team members can access personal information
• Use of reputable, security-audited third-party services for data storage and email

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will notify you promptly if a breach occurs that affects your personal data.

9. Children’s privacy

Small Albums is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 13 years of age. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@smallalbums.com and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please get in touch using the details below.