Privacy Policy | James Music Academy

Who We Are

James Music Academy is the trading name of James Music Ltd. We are the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through this website and our services.

Data Controller: James Music Ltd

Registered Address: 128 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom

Company Number: 16883787

Contact: privacy@jamesmusic.academy

This privacy policy applies to all personal data we collect through our website, during registration, and in the course of providing music education services. We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the ICO Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code).

What Data We Collect

We collect only the data necessary to provide our music education services. In accordance with the principle of data minimisation, we do not collect more information than required.

Account Information

Name - to identify you and personalise your experience
Email address - for account access, lesson notifications, and communication
Date of birth - to verify age and apply appropriate protections for minors
Password - stored securely using industry-standard encryption

For Parents and Guardians

Parent/guardian name and email - required when a student is under 18
Consent records - documenting parental approval for minor students

Lesson and Progress Data

Goals and progress entries - to track learning development
Lesson history and notes - to provide continuity in education
Comments and feedback - to facilitate mentor-student communication

Payment Information

Subscription status - to manage access to services
Payment references - we do not store card details; payments are processed securely by Stripe

Technical Data

IP address - for security and consent audit purposes
Browser and device information - to optimise your experience

TikTok and Creator Network Data

James Music Academy operates a TikTok LIVE Creator Network. When you interact with us on TikTok or join our Creator Network, we may collect:

TikTok username - to identify you within the network and for communication
Public profile information - such as display name, bio, and follower count (publicly available on TikTok)
Messages and communications - when you contact us via TikTok DM for mentoring enquiries
Live stream interaction data - comments, gifts, or engagement during our live streams (visible to all viewers)
Network membership status - whether you are a member of our Creator Network

We do not have access to your private TikTok data, login credentials, or any information not publicly visible or directly shared with us.

How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data only for specific, legitimate purposes:

Purpose	Legal Basis
Providing music education services	Contract performance
Processing payments	Contract performance
Age verification and safeguarding	Legal obligation / Legitimate interests
Parental consent verification for minors	Legal obligation
Sending lesson reminders and updates	Legitimate interests
Improving our services	Legitimate interests
TikTok Creator Network management	Legitimate interests / Consent
Creator mentoring and support via TikTok	Contract performance / Consent

We will never sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling.

Children's Data Protection

We take additional care when processing data relating to children under 18. Our practices comply with the ICO Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code), which sets out standards for online services likely to be accessed by children.

Age Appropriate Application (Standard 3)

We collect date of birth during registration to identify users under 18 and apply appropriate protections. This enables us to:

Require parental consent before services can be accessed
Apply higher privacy settings by default for minors
Provide appropriate content and communications

Default Settings (Standard 7)

Accounts for users under 18 start in a restricted state with maximum privacy protections. Features are enabled only after parental consent is verified. This "privacy by default" approach ensures children are protected from the outset.

Data Minimisation (Standard 8)

We collect only the minimum data necessary to provide our educational services. For children, this means:

No collection of location data
No behavioural tracking or profiling
No data collection for marketing purposes
Progress data used solely for educational purposes

Data Sharing (Standard 9)

We do not share children's personal data with third parties except:

With explicit parental consent
Where required by law (e.g., safeguarding concerns)
To payment processors for subscription management (minimal data only)

We never sell children's data or share it for advertising purposes.

TikTok LIVE Creator Network

James Music Academy operates a TikTok LIVE Creator Network, providing mentoring and support for live streamers. This section explains how we handle data related to TikTok interactions and Creator Network membership.

Data We Collect via TikTok

TikTok username and profile - publicly available information when you interact with us
Direct messages - when you contact us for mentoring enquiries or support
Live stream interactions - comments, gifts, and engagement during our streams (visible to all viewers)
Creator Network membership - your status as a network member

How We Use TikTok Data

To provide creator mentoring and support services
To manage Creator Network membership and communications
To respond to enquiries sent via TikTok
To facilitate collaboration between network members (with consent)

What We Do Not Do

We do not access your private TikTok account data or login credentials
We do not sell or share your TikTok data with third parties for marketing
We do not use automated systems to collect data from TikTok
We do not store data beyond what is necessary for our services

Your Rights

You can request deletion of any data we hold about you from TikTok interactions by contacting us at privacy@jamesmusic.academy. You can leave the Creator Network at any time by unfollowing or contacting us.

Parental Rights and Controls

Parents and guardians of students under 18 have specific rights and controls over their child's data:

Consent control - You must provide verified consent before your child can access our services
Access rights - You can view all data held about your child through your parent account
Consent history - You can view when consent was given and for what purposes in your dashboard
Progress visibility - You can view your child's learning goals and progress
Consent withdrawal - To withdraw consent, please contact us at privacy@jamesmusic.academy

Please note that declining consent will prevent your child from accessing our services. This is a permanent decision in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy.

Data Retention

We retain your data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:

Data Type	Retention Period
Account information	Duration of account plus 2 years
Lesson and progress data	Duration of account plus 2 years
Payment records	7 years (legal requirement)
Parental consent records	7 years (UK child data standard)
Technical logs	90 days

Consent records for minors are retained for 7 years in accordance with UK best practice for child data protection, enabling us to demonstrate compliance if required.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right to access - Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification - Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure - Request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
Right to restrict processing - Request limitations on how we use your data
Right to data portability - Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
Right to object - Object to processing based on legitimate interests

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@jamesmusic.academy. We will respond within one month as required by law.

Please note that some rights may be limited where we have a legal obligation to retain data (e.g., consent records for regulatory compliance).

Contact and Complaints

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact our data protection contact:

Email: privacy@jamesmusic.academy

Address: James Music Ltd, 128 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to a data protection concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF