Privacy Policy
1. Who We Are
Ciderka Labs ("we", "us") develops and distributes Ferment, a creative audio plugin. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why, and how we handle it. Our website is hosted at labs.ciderka.com, our checkout and store API runs at store.ciderka.com, and purchases of both the license key and preset packs are made directly within the Ferment application. Our contact email is .
2. What We Collect
We collect the minimum data necessary to deliver our products and services:
- Purchase data — email address, name, and country, collected and processed by our payment provider Paddle during checkout. We store your email address and license key on our server to deliver and manage your license.
- License data — license key, activation status, device identifier, platform (macOS/Windows) and activation timestamp. This is used to enforce the 2-device limit and verify license validity.
- Preset data — if you choose to save or upload presets to the cloud (for sync across devices or sharing), the preset name, parameter values and associated metadata are stored on our server. Presets are linked to your license key. You are not required to use cloud sync; presets can be kept locally.
- Plugin telemetry — periodic heartbeat requests containing the license key and a device identifier. No audio data, project files, or personal files are ever transmitted.
- Website analytics — anonymized page views via Google Tag Manager with Consent Mode v2. No tracking occurs until you accept cookies.
3. What We Do Not Collect
We do not collect, store or process any audio content, DAW project files, IP addresses (beyond what is inherent in HTTP requests) or any data that could identify your creative work beyond the preset configurations you explicitly choose to upload.
4. AI-Assisted Features
Ferment includes an optional AI-assisted sound design feature ("Magic mode") that generates preset suggestions based on your input. When you use this feature, your request — which may include a text prompt and instrument profile — is sent to Google Gemini, a third-party AI service provided by Google. We do not control how Google processes this data once it leaves our server, and Google's own privacy policy applies. We recommend that you do not include personal or sensitive information in your prompts. You are not required to use this feature; Ferment works fully without it.
5. How We Use Your Data
Purchase data is used solely to deliver your license key via email (sent through Brevo) and to provide customer support. License data is used to verify activations and enforce the device limit. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.
6. Third-Party Services
We use the following services to operate:
- Paddle (paddle.com) — payment processing and Merchant of Record. Paddle handles checkout, invoicing, VAT, and payment data under their own privacy policy.
- Brevo (brevo.com) — transactional email delivery for license keys.
- Google Gemini (Google AI) — AI preset generation in Magic mode. Prompts and instrument profiles are sent to Google for processing.
- Railway (railway.com) — server hosting for our API.
- Google Tag Manager — website analytics with Consent Mode v2.
Each of these services processes data under their own privacy policies. We only share the minimum data required for each service to function.
7. Cookies
Our website uses a cookie consent banner. Analytics cookies are only set after you explicitly accept them. Essential cookies (if any) are limited to site functionality. The Paddle checkout overlay may set its own cookies as part of the payment process.
8. Data Retention
We retain purchase and license data for as long as your license is active, plus a reasonable period afterward for support and legal compliance. You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us.
9. Your Rights
You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data. You can also request a copy of the data we hold about you. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at . We will respond within 30 days.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of our products after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.