Privacy & cookies.
This notice explains how Ian Dixon, operating Synthworks by Ian Dixon, uses personal information when you visit this site or contact us.
1. Who we are
Synthworks by Ian Dixon is an independent synthesizer sound-design label operated by Ian Dixon. For personal information handled through this website, Ian Dixon is the data controller.
Privacy enquiries: contact@synthworksbyiandixon.com. Website: synthworksbyiandixon.com.
2. What information we collect
Contact form and email
When you send an enquiry, we receive your name, email address, enquiry category and message, together with any information you choose to include. The form sends the enquiry to our email inbox; the website's PHP form handler is not designed to keep a separate database of message contents. Email messages and replies may be stored in our mail accounts and may be forwarded to another inbox we use to respond.
Website operation
Our hosting and security providers may process technical information such as your IP address, browser information, requested pages, timestamps and security events as needed to deliver and protect the site. The contact form also uses a short-lived session cookie and a security token to help prevent misuse.
Analytics and links
If you permit Google Analytics, we may collect information about page visits, broad device and location details, traffic sources and interactions with links to sound libraries, tutorials, free editors and the newsletter. Your analytics choice is stored in your browser.
3. Why we use this information
- To answer enquiries: respond to messages about sounds, tools, support or collaboration. Our usual lawful basis is legitimate interests in communicating with visitors and customers, or taking steps towards a contract where applicable.
- To operate and protect the site: maintain security, defend against spam and ensure requested pages and form submissions work. Our usual lawful basis is legitimate interests in website security and service provision.
- To understand site use: use Google Analytics only after you have chosen to allow it. We rely on your consent for this optional analytics processing.
Providing contact information is optional, but we need an address to reply to your message. We do not use contact form enquiries to add people to marketing lists automatically.
4. Cookies, local storage and analytics choices
Google Analytics 4: Our website uses the Google Analytics measurement service (measurement ID G-KSGMJYQF0P). On the homepage, Google Analytics is not loaded until you select Allow analytics. If you reject analytics, the optional Analytics script is not loaded by that page.
With analytics enabled, Google may set first-party analytics cookies such as _ga and related identifiers to help measure visits and site interactions. We also store your consent decision in browser local storage under synthworks_analytics_choice_v1.
How to change your choice: Open the homepage and select Analytics preferences in its footer. Rejecting analytics after accepting reloads the homepage to stop its already-loaded analytics script. Clearing site storage in your browser also resets your choice.
Essential operations: The contact form uses a session cookie named synthworks_contact to protect submissions. Cloudflare may use security-related signals or technologies to defend against automated traffic. These functions are separate from optional Google Analytics.
We do not enable Google Analytics advertising personalisation through our site code. Other providers, including embedded YouTube videos, have their own technology and privacy practices described below.
5. Embedded content and external services
YouTube
Our featured video uses YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed (youtube-nocookie.com). The player may still contact Google/YouTube and process technical information, and YouTube may use cookies or similar technologies when you interact with it. Video thumbnails and links may also load resources from YouTube. Playing a video or visiting YouTube is subject to Google's privacy practices. Read Google's Privacy Policy.
Cloudflare
Cloudflare helps deliver and protect our website. Cloudflare Turnstile is used for the contact form to identify and block automated submissions. It can process security signals including IP address, browser and connection information. See the Cloudflare Turnstile privacy notice.
Shopify, newsletter and other sites
Sound-pack purchases take place on our separately hosted Shopify storefront. The Synthworks landing page does not directly collect payment-card details. If you follow a Shopify product link, purchase or download a product, information is handled by that site and its service providers under their applicable privacy notices. Newsletter registration and free synthesizer editors are linked to our existing The Digital Lifestyle website, which is a separate site with its own information practices.
7. How long we keep information and how we protect it
Contact messages and replies are retained for as long as reasonably needed to respond, handle follow-up questions, support requests or any related dispute, and are then reviewed for deletion. We do not need to keep enquiries indefinitely. Technical logs, email backups and analytics information have retention settings determined by their operational purpose and the relevant services.
We use HTTPS, form validation and anti-spam controls to reduce the risk of unauthorised access. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Please do not send passwords, payment-card numbers or other sensitive information through the contact form.
For visitors: If you would like to know whether we still hold a particular message, or want it deleted where the law permits, contact us at the email address below.
8. Your privacy rights
Depending on your circumstances and the lawful basis, you may have rights to request access to your information, correction, erasure, restriction of processing and (where applicable) data portability.
You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, subject to any lawful reasons we may have to continue processing. You can withdraw consent for optional analytics at any time through the homepage's Analytics preferences control.
To exercise your rights, email contact@synthworksbyiandixon.com. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
9. Contact and updates
Questions about this notice or how we use your information can be sent to contact@synthworksbyiandixon.com, or via the Synthworks contact form.
We may revise this notice as the website evolves. The revision date at the top of this page shows when the wording was last updated.