Effective Date: January 1st, 2025
Welcome to the not-actually-binding-but-still-important introduction to our Terms of Use!
We get it—it can feel like you’re slogging through a three-hour jam session on a single chord. But reading and agreeing to these terms is essential before you can use Sleeve. We’ve kept the legalese at a minimum and tried to keep things easy to follow—no magnifying glass needed, we promise. This introduction is provided for clarity and is not legally binding.
Still, this intro is just a quick overview. The Terms that follow are legally binding, so let’s start by answering the three biggest questions you might have:
Not at all. We only need the standard permissions necessary to run the platform for you—like the right to host your music, stream or sell it on your behalf, display your artwork or lyrics, or any other content you share on Sleeve.
You must fully own or control every right to the music and content you upload. If you’re posting a cover, you need explicit written permission from the original rights holder. This applies whether you’re selling music or sharing it with paying members. If it’s your song but you co-wrote or recorded with others, make sure they’re also on board before you upload it to Sleeve.
We only use your data as described in our Privacy Policy. Artists you support can see certain information about you—like your email address—so they can connect and share updates with you.
Nope. Sleeve’s model is designed so artists earn the lion’s share of every purchase. We take a modest 15%—just enough to keep building a platform that helps them connect with you seamlessly—plus any third-party payment processing fees. You can check out our handy calculator if you want to see the breakdown in detail.
And with that, read on for the official (legally binding) Terms of Use.
Welcome to SleeveFM, Inc. (“SleeveFM,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, services, or applications (collectively, the “Service”). Please read these Terms carefully.
By accessing or using Sleeve (the “Service”), you agree to these Terms of Use (“Terms”) as well as any additional guidelines or policies referenced herein (collectively, the “Agreement”). These include, without limitation, our Privacy Policy, Content Guidelines, and any other rules or procedures we publish from time to time.
Your participation in the Service is also subject to these Terms of Use as well as our Privacy Policy, Copyright Policy, Acceptable Use and Moderation Policy, and Beta Terms and Conditions. By agreeing to these Terms, you also agree to be bound by these additional terms and policies, which are incorporated by reference.
If you create an account or use the Service on behalf of a company, label, band, or other “Artist Entity,” you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that entity and its represented artists to these Terms.
You must be at least 16 to use the Service. If you are not, you may only use the Service under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to these Terms. If you are a minor who wishes to sell music or merchandise, your parent or guardian must create or approve your account and assume responsibility for all transactions. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, at any time, for any reason.
We may update or change these Terms and any related policies at our discretion. If we make material changes, we will notify you via email or other methods before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after changes go into effect signifies your acceptance of the updated Terms.
• Registration: To access certain features of the Service, such as subscribing to artists or purchasing content, you may need to create an account. You agree to provide accurate and complete information when creating your account.
• Security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account.
• Subscriptions: By subscribing to an artist’s content, you agree to the payment terms specified at the time of subscription. If content you purchased or subscribed to becomes unavailable due to legal, DMCA, or other issues, SleeveFM is not obligated to provide refunds or compensation.
• Purchases: All purchases of music, merchandise, or other content are subject to the terms and conditions provided during the purchase process.
• Access Rights: You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the content you have purchased or subscribed to through the Service. Artists you support may access information such as your email address for communication and promotional purposes in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
• Restrictions: You agree not to reproduce, distribute, or publicly display any content without proper authorization from SleeveFM or the content owner.
• Account Creation: You must create an artist account to list your music, sell merchandise, or interact with fans. You agree to provide accurate and complete information during registration.
• Content Submission (including Cover Songs):
• By submitting content to the Service, you grant SleeveFM a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, display, and perform your content in connection with the Service.
• Cover Songs: You may only upload cover songs if you have explicit written authorization or a valid license from the original rights holder. Uploading covers without permission is strictly prohibited.
First and foremost, you own what you create. Any original content you post, upload, share, store, or otherwise provide to Sleeve remains yours and is protected by copyright and any other applicable intellectual property laws.
That includes publications, subscriber lists, any other text or photos you upload to your subdomain on Sleeve, and any information that you provide to obtain a Sleeve username and account. It also includes any comments posted on any current or future discussion board features on Sleeve.
By submitting content, you grant SleeveFM a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and transferable license to host, reproduce, distribute, modify, adapt, publicly display, and perform your content in connection with the operation of the Service. This includes sublicensing these rights to third parties as needed to operate the platform (e.g., content delivery networks).
Anything posted, uploaded, shared, stored, or otherwise provided through Sleeve is referred to as a “Post” in these Terms. There are a few rules that apply to all Posts:
We reserve the right to remove any content from Sleeve at any time, for any reason (including, but not limited to, if someone alleges you contributed that content in violation of these Terms), in our sole discretion, and without notice.
• Revenue Share: SleeveFM retains a 15% share of each transaction. Additional payment processing fees (e.g., Stripe, credit card fees) may apply and will be deducted automatically.
• Payouts (U.S.-based): Payment processing services on SleeveFM are provided by Stripe and are subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which includes the Stripe Terms of Service. By agreeing to these Terms or continuing to operate as an artist on SleeveFM, you agree to be bound by the Stripe Services Agreement.
• Payouts (Outside of U.S.): SleeveFM uses Stripe to make payouts to you. The Stripe Recipient Agreement applies to your receipt of such Payouts. You must provide SleeveFM with accurate and complete information about you and your business, and you authorize SleeveFM to share its transaction information with Stripe.
• Ownership: You retain ownership of any content you submit, subject to the license granted to SleeveFM. You warrant that you have the rights to the content and that it does not infringe on any third-party rights.
• Data Portability (Fan Emails): If you collect fan emails through SleeveFM, you may export these for your marketing purposes at any time, except in cases of termination due to a violation of these Terms. In such cases, SleeveFM reserves the right to restrict access to that data.
Your privacy is important to us. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and share your information. By using the Service, you consent to our collection and use of your information as outlined in the Privacy Policy.
• General Restrictions: Regardless of your role (fan or artist), you agree not to engage in any activity that could damage, disable, or overburden the Service or interfere with any other user’s enjoyment of the Service.
• Specific Restrictions (Fans): You must not use automated means to access or collect data from the Service.
• Specific Restrictions (Artists/Musicians): You must not submit content that violates copyright or other intellectual property rights, including unlicensed cover songs.
You agree not to circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Service, including those that prevent or restrict the unauthorized copying or distribution of content.
• Moderation: SleeveFM reserves the right to review, remove, or refuse to display any content that we believe violates these Terms or our Acceptable Use and Moderation Policy.
• Enforcement: We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service for any violation of these Terms or for any other reason at our sole discretion.
If your content is removed, we will notify you and provide a reason for the removal. You may appeal the decision by contacting our support team. SleeveFM reserves the right to make the final determination regarding the removal of content.
The Service is provided “as is” and “as available” without any warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. SleeveFM disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, SleeveFM, Inc. shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, or business, arising out of or in connection with your use of the Service. If the content you purchased or subscribed to is removed from the Service (e.g., due to legal or DMCA issues), you agree that SleeveFM is not obligated to provide refunds or otherwise compensate you for lost access.
SleeveFM is not responsible for the actions or omissions of third-party services or platforms integrated with our Service, such as payment processors or hosting providers.
To the fullest extent allowed by applicable law, under no circumstances and under no legal theory shall Sleeve, its licensors or its suppliers be liable to you or to any other person for:
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SleeveFM and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or in any way connected with your use of the Service or violation of these Terms.
SleeveFM may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, for any reason, without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. If your account is terminated due to violation of these Terms, SleeveFM may revoke your ability to export fan email lists.
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.
Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). The arbitration shall take place in Wilmington, Delaware, and decisions rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and binding. You and SleeveFM agree to waive the right to a jury trial or to participate in a class action lawsuit.
SleeveFM reserves the right to update or change these Terms at any time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the updated Terms on our website. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
SleeveFM, Inc.
Email: terms@sleevefm.com
By using Sleeve, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.