Last Updated: May 8, 2025

Introduction

This Cookie Policy explains how VinylVerdict ("we," "our," or "us") uses cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our website. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners to make their websites work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information.

Types of Cookies We Use

We use the following types of cookies:

Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and authentication. You may not opt-out of these cookies.
Authentication Cookies: We use these cookies to authenticate your Spotify account and maintain your login session. These cookies are essential for the functioning of our service.
Preference Cookies: These cookies remember your preferences and settings, such as your selected time range for top tracks and artists.
Analytics Cookies: We use these cookies to collect information about how you interact with our website, which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors. This helps us improve our service.

Spotify Authentication Cookies

VinylVerdict.FM uses secure HTTP-only cookies to store authentication tokens received from Spotify. These cookies are essential for the functioning of our service and allow us to:

Maintain your authenticated session with Spotify
Securely store access and refresh tokens
Automatically refresh your access token when it expires

These authentication cookies include:

spotify_access_token: Stores your Spotify access token
spotify_refresh_token: Stores your Spotify refresh token
spotify_token_expiry: Stores the expiration time of your access token
spotify_code_verifier: Temporarily stores the PKCE code verifier during authentication
spotify_auth_state: Temporarily stores the state parameter for CSRF protection during authentication

Third-Party Cookies

We may use third-party services that use cookies on our website, including:

Analytics providers (like Google Analytics) to help us understand how users interact with our website
Error monitoring services to help us identify and fix issues with our application

How to Control Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. However, if you limit the ability of websites to set cookies, you may worsen your overall user experience and/or lose access to certain functions of our website.

To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Essential Cookies

Please note that essential cookies, including authentication cookies, cannot be disabled as they are necessary for the functioning of our service. If you wish to stop the use of these cookies, you can log out of VinylVerdict.FM, which will clear the authentication cookies from your browser.

Cookie Lifespan

Cookies can remain on your computer or mobile device for different periods of time. Some cookies are 'session cookies', which exist only while your browser is open and are deleted automatically once you close your browser. Other cookies are 'persistent cookies', which survive after your browser is closed and can be used by websites to recognize your computer when you re-open your browser later.

Our authentication cookies have the following lifespans:

spotify_access_token: 1 hour (or less, depending on Spotify's token expiry)
spotify_refresh_token: Session cookie (deleted when browser is closed)
spotify_token_expiry: 1 hour
spotify_code_verifier: 10 minutes (used only during authentication)
spotify_auth_state: 10 minutes (used only during authentication)

Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, regulation, or our business practices. Any changes will become effective when we post the revised Cookie Policy on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, please contact us at:

Email: admin@vinylverdict.fm