Legal
Imprint
Information disclosed in accordance with §5 of the Austrian E-Commerce Act (ECG) and §25 of the Austrian Media Act (MedienG).
Operator & Media Owner
Sounding Future
Platform for sound innovations in technology, music, and visual arts
Fränk Zimmer
Steilweg 5
8046 Graz - St. Veit, Austria
E-Mail: office[at]soundingfuture.com
Operating as a sole proprietorship under Austrian law. VAT ID: ATU65384915. Applicable law: Austrian E-Commerce Act (ECG), Austrian Media Act (MedienG), EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Purpose & Editorial Direction
Sounding Future is an editorial platform dedicated to sound innovations in technology, music, and the visual arts. The site publishes articles, interviews, audio works, and educational resources. Editorial responsibility lies with the operator named above.
Online Dispute Resolution
The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR), available at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. We are not obliged and not willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.
Liability
For details on liability, copyright, and external links, please see our Disclaimer. For information on personal data, see our Privacy Policy.
© 2024-2026 Sounding Future.
Privacy Policy
Sounding Future is committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Austrian Data Protection Act (DSG). This policy explains what data we collect, on what legal basis, how long we keep it, and what rights you have.
Last updated: April 2026
1. Data Controller
The controller responsible for processing your personal data on this website is:
Sounding Future — Fränk Zimmer
Steilweg 5, 8046 Graz - St. Veit, Austria
E-Mail: office[at]soundingfuture.com
2. Data We Collect & Legal Basis
We process the following categories of personal data on the legal bases set out in Art. 6 GDPR:
- —Account registration (name, email, password) — Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of contract). Required to provide you with an account and access to member features.
- —Contact & support requests (name, email, message content) — Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in responding to enquiries).
- —Newsletter (email address) — Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent). Consent can be withdrawn at any time via the unsubscribe link.
- —Analytics (anonymised page views, session duration, referrer) — Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in improving the service). Collected via our self-hosted Matomo instance in Austria. IP addresses are anonymised before storage; no cross-site tracking takes place.
- —Server log files (IP address, browser type, time of request) — Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in security and operation of the website). Logs are deleted after 14 days.
3. Retention Periods
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described above, or as required by applicable law:
- —Account data: for the duration of your account. After deletion, data is removed within a reasonable period unless statutory retention obligations apply.
- —Newsletter: until you unsubscribe.
- —Support messages: as long as necessary to handle and follow up on your enquiry, and in line with applicable statutory retention obligations.
- —Analytics: only in anonymised or aggregated form; no personal identification.
- —Server logs: for the period necessary to ensure the security and stable operation of the service, and then deleted or anonymised.
4. Embedded Third-Party Content
Authors may embed content from YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, and Spotify. When you load a page that contains such embeds, the respective provider may receive data (IP address, browser information) and set its own cookies. We have no control over this data processing. Please consult the privacy policies of these providers:
- —YouTube — policies.google.com/privacy
- —Vimeo — vimeo.com/privacy
- —SoundCloud — soundcloud.com/pages/privacy
- —Spotify — spotify.com/legal/privacy-policy
5. Cookies
We do not use tracking, advertising, or third-party cookies. Only strictly necessary cookies are set — for example, to keep you logged in or remember your theme preference. These do not require consent under the ePrivacy Directive.
6. Data Storage & Security
All personal data is processed exclusively within the European Union or in countries covered by an adequacy decision under Art. 45 GDPR. We use TLS encryption for data in transit, encrypted storage for credentials, and access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel only. We do not sell, rent, or share your email address or password with third parties.
7. Your Rights Under GDPR
- —Right of access (Art. 15) — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- —Right to rectification (Art. 16) — Request correction of incomplete or inaccurate data.
- —Right to erasure (Art. 17) — Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten").
- —Right to restriction (Art. 18) — Request that we limit processing of your data.
- —Right to data portability (Art. 20) — Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- —Right to object (Art. 21) — Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- —Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7) — Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.
8. Right to Lodge a Complaint
If you believe your data is being processed unlawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Austrian Data Protection Authority (Datenschutzbehörde):
9. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The current version is always available on this page; the date of the last update is shown at the top.
Platform Guidelines
At Sounding Future, the focus is on working together. We believe in the value of respectful exchange and knowledge sharing — these guidelines promote a positive and productive community.
- 01Respect each other — Treat community members as you'd wish to be treated; avoid rude or offensive behavior.
- 02No discrimination — The platform does not accept discrimination based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or other personal characteristics.
- 03No harassment — Harassment, stalking or threatening behavior is not allowed. Report such incidents to support.
- 04No spam — Do not post repetitive, irrelevant, or unwanted content, links, or advertisements.
- 05No misinformation — Avoid spreading false information. We value factual and verifiable information.
- 06No plagiarism — Only publish content you created or have the rights to use.
- 07Constructive criticism — Criticism is acceptable if respectful and constructive; avoid personal attacks.
- 08Respect privacy — Do not share others' personal information without explicit consent.
- 09Do not glorify violence — Do not disseminate content glorifying violence or extremism.
- 10Respect the law — Follow applicable laws regarding copyright and data protection.
- 11Accept platform decisions — Contact support if you disagree; respect content removal or temporary blocking.
- 12Communication — Report problems, suggest improvements, or appeal moderation decisions by writing to office@soundingfuture.com.
Violations of these guidelines may result in content removal, temporary suspension, or — in serious or repeated cases — permanent termination of access. Decisions are made at the discretion of the platform and can be appealed via the contact above.
Disclaimer
This Disclaimer governs the use of information, links, and editorial content published on the Sounding Future website. For information on personal data, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
1. Editorial Content
Sounding Future provides articles, interviews, audio works, and other editorial content for informational purposes. We endeavour to ensure that information published on the platform is accurate and up to date, but we make no warranty as to the completeness, correctness, or topicality of content.
Liability claims for material or non-material damage caused by use or non-use of the information provided are excluded unless intentional or grossly negligent fault on our part can be demonstrated. All content is subject to change and non-binding. We reserve the right to amend, supplement, remove, or temporarily or permanently discontinue parts of the website at our discretion.
2. External Links
The website contains links to external third-party websites over which we have no control. At the time of linking, the linked pages were checked for illegal content and none was apparent. We have no influence over the current or future design, content, or authorship of linked pages and expressly dissociate ourselves from any content that has changed since the link was set.
Responsibility for the content of linked pages lies solely with their respective operators.
3. Copyright & Trademarks
All editorial content, design elements, graphics, and code on this website are protected by copyright. Where third-party material is used, it is either licensed or used under an applicable exception (e.g. quotation, fair dealing). Reproduction, distribution, or adaptation of any content beyond the limits of copyright law requires the express written consent of Sounding Future or the respective rights holder.
All brand names and trademarks mentioned on the website are the property of their respective owners and are subject to the provisions of applicable trademark law.
4. Author Contributions & Editorial Review
Articles, interviews, and editorial features submitted by external authors are reviewed by the Sounding Future editorial team before publication. Editorial review covers compliance with our Platform Guidelines, basic factual plausibility, language, and formal quality. It does not constitute an exhaustive verification of every factual claim, source, or legal status of embedded material.
The opinions, statements, and views expressed in author contributions are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sounding Future. Authors retain primary responsibility for the accuracy of their content, the originality of their work, and any third-party rights involved (including image, audio, and citation rights).
User-generated content published outside the editorial review process — such as audio works uploaded to the AudioSpace, profile information, or comments — is the sole responsibility of the user. For such content, Sounding Future acts as a hosting provider within the meaning of §16 of the Austrian E-Commerce Act (ECG).
If you become aware of any content on the platform that may infringe rights or applicable law, please contact us at office[at]soundingfuture.com. We will review the matter promptly and, where appropriate, remove or amend the content without delay.
5. Severability
If any provision of this Disclaimer is or becomes invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.