Pulse

Terms of service.

Last updated: 2026-10-07

The short version

We don't store your audio as user audio. Files are fetched and processed for analysis, then cleaned up after the job.
Payment entry is hosted by Stripe. Pulse uses payment IDs, status, amounts, currency, and ownership metadata to fulfill purchases. Signed events may contain other checkout fields; the fulfillment handlers do not use customer details.
No behavioral analytics scripts. Pulse keeps operational, account, job, and billing records needed to provide the service. This page loads typography from Google Fonts.
We do store your account email, banked-token balance, analysis results (BPM number, key, waveform peaks), and payment records. Submitted URLs and job metadata can also be retained; submitted audio is not stored as user audio.
You're responsible for the audio you submit. You do not need to own the song, but you must have rights, permission, lawful access, or another legal basis to submit it for Pulse to process.
Measured billing. Failed tools are excluded from settlement; fully failed paid jobs request a full refund. One-off overage refunds have a threshold and settlement floor.

1. What Pulse does

Pulse is a pay-per-use audio-intelligence API operated by StudioSphere Inc.. You give Pulse a public audio URL or upload a file, and Pulse returns analytical metadata about the track — currently BPM (tempo), musical key, and a waveform-peaks visualization. Structure and chord analysis are coming later.

Pulse does not host submitted analysis audio as a user library. Separate public demo audio and Pulse Open Loops samples may be hosted for listening and discovery. It reads, measures, and reports non-expressive technical metadata. BPM and key are facts about the track. Waveform peaks are compressed amplitude samples for visualization, not playable audio and not enough to reconstruct the original recording.

2. What we store — and what we don't

This section describes the current processing and stored records. Payment entry uses hosted Stripe Checkout.

Audio processing and payment entry

Submitted audio. The worker downloads URL audio to its configured temporary directory (production uses tmpfs), or uses the submitted upload file. Its cleanup block attempts to delete owned temporary files and upload directories after processing. Pulse does not store submissions as a user audio library.
Decoded audio buffers. Analysis scripts decode audio to compute BPM, key, and waveform metadata. These results are retained separately from submitted audio.
Hosted payment entry. Card entry and payment authentication happen on Stripe’s page. Pulse sends checkout line items and purchase metadata; signed webhook payloads may include additional fields such as customer details. Current fulfillment handlers use payment identifiers, payment status, amount, currency, and Pulse metadata, rather than customer details or card fields.
Behavioral analytics. No Google Analytics, no Mixpanel, no Segment, no fingerprinting.

What persists, and why

What	Where	Why
API key + email + ToS metadata	`pulse_accounts`	Authentication, account administration, and terms acceptance. Signup reveals the key once; keep a saved copy.
Banked-token balance	`pulse_accounts.banked_tokens`	Per-second pricing model.
Hash of the URL you submitted (API path)	`pulse_usage_log.audio_url_hash`	SHA-256 only — the URL itself is never written to this table. Used to dedupe identical submissions for billing-cache lookups.
The URL you submitted (Checkout path)	`pulse_payment_jobs.audio_url`	Stripe Checkout completes asynchronously; the worker needs a way to fetch the audio after payment confirmation. Stored as text on the payment record. Not the audio — only the link.
Hash of the audio bytes	`pulse_analysis_cache.content_hash`	SHA-256 of the file. Lets us return cached results when the same content is analyzed twice without re-running compute.
Analysis results	`pulse_analysis_cache.result_json`	BPM number, key string, waveform peaks (an array of compressed amplitude samples — visualization data, not the original audio and not sufficient to recreate it). Sample size: BPM ~70 bytes, waveform ~30 KB, key ~70 bytes.
Stripe checkout-session ID	`stripe_checkout_session` on `pulse_payment_jobs`, `pulse_pack_purchases`, `pulse_usage_log`	String like `cs_live_a1...` — an opaque handle Stripe assigned to your checkout. Pulse uses it to look up payment status. Not payment data.
Stripe payment-intent ID	`stripe_payment_intent` on the same tables	String like `pi_3T...` — an opaque handle for the underlying charge. Pulse uses it to issue refunds. Not payment data.
Stripe checkout URL	`pulse_payment_jobs.stripe_checkout_url`	The `https://checkout.stripe.com/...` URL Stripe gave us for the customer to pay at. We persist it so repeat `/pay` calls return the same URL instead of creating a new session.
Dollar amounts (integer cents)	`amount_estimate_cents`, `amount_buffered_cents`, `amount_paid_cents`, `amount_refunded_cents`, `cost_usd`	Just integers and a 3-letter currency code. The amount you paid, the amount we estimated, the amount we refunded. No card-specific fields.
Webhook event IDs	`pulse_stripe_events`	Idempotency table — stores `event_id` + `event_type` + timestamp. Prevents Stripe re-deliveries from double-charging or double-crediting.

Two columns exist in the schema but are reserved and not currently written: pulse_accounts.stripe_customer_id (Pulse doesn't create Stripe Customer objects today) and pulse_payment_jobs.conversion_email (planned post-checkout follow-up flow that hasn't shipped). We mention them only because someone reading the schema might notice them.

How payment processing actually works

Stripe hosts payment entry. Pulse uses the resulting payment records to fulfill purchases and reconcile refunds.

You continue with a one-off analysis or choose "Buy a pack" on Pulse. Pulse calls stripe.checkout.sessions.create() with: payment mode, the line item (a price ID or amount + currency + product reference), and Pulse-specific metadata (job IDs, account IDs — no user-identifying fields). Pulse receives back a session ID and a checkout URL.
You continue to checkout.stripe.com. Token purchases provide an explicit link that opens in a separate tab. From this point until you finish or cancel, you are on a page hosted by Stripe, not by Pulse. The card form, the form validation, the 3-D Secure challenge if any — all on Stripe's domain.
You enter your card on Stripe's page. Stripe receives the card number, CVV, expiration, and (for some payment methods) billing address. Pulse does not provide a card-entry form. Stripe handles payment authentication and processing on the hosted page.
Stripe processes the payment. Stripe charges your payment method and (for Pulse Checkout) captures the funds.
Stripe sends Pulse a webhook. The checkout.session.completed event arrives at pulse.studiosphere.space/webhook/stripe, signature-verified. Pulse checks payment status before fulfillment. Pack validation uses id, payment_intent, metadata, amount_total, and currency, together with the stored purchase. Refund reconciliation uses payment identifiers, charge/refund amounts, currency, and ownership metadata. The signed payload can contain other fields; these fulfillment handlers do not use customer_details.
After confirmed paid status, Pulse triggers the work. For analyze-checkout: enqueue the analysis job. For pack purchases: credit the banked-token balance.

Refunds happen the same way in reverse: Pulse calls stripe.refunds.create({ payment_intent: pi_…, amount: cents }) with an opaque PaymentIntent ID. Stripe issues the refund to the original payment method without Pulse knowing what that payment method is.

The Stripe API is also used by Pulse for billing-display purposes only — fetching the public receipt URL Stripe hosts for the customer (pi.latest_charge.receipt_url), so we can show a "View on Stripe" link on the success page. The receipt is rendered by Stripe.

Short-term caches

Redis estimate cache: 30-minute TTL. Holds the URL you submitted to /estimate so /pay and /analyze can reference the same quote. Auto-expires.
Redis result cache: 24-hour TTL. Holds the result payload (BPM, key, waveform) so /status/<job_id> can serve repeat reads cheaply. Auto-expires.
BullMQ job queue: per-job records cleared after 1 hour for completed jobs and 24 hours for failed jobs.

Analysis receipt context

Pulse is designed to make analysis flows auditable. A normal analysis flow should make clear which URL or upload was submitted, which tools were selected, what estimate was shown, when rights confirmation was given, and whether the job completed, partially completed, failed, or expired. This context supports review and support; it is not a legal clearance certificate.

Backups

The MySQL database is backed up by our hosting provider (DreamHost). Backups inherit whatever's in the live tables — none of which contain audio. Backup retention is managed by the hosting provider.

Want to verify? The cleanup behavior is in src/worker.js step 9. The schemas are in migrations/pulse_001_initial.sql through the latest. The result-cache TTL is in setJobResult() at src/worker.js. Email support@studiosphere.space if you want a deeper walk-through.

3. Your responsibilities

By using Pulse you confirm that:

You have all rights, permissions, lawful access, licenses, or applicable legal exceptions necessary for Pulse to temporarily download, receive, decode, analyze, cache non-expressive metadata from, and delete the audio you submit. You do not need to own the song, but you may not submit audio you obtained unlawfully or have no legal basis to process.
The /analyze, /upload, and /pay routes require explicit attestation of this — your client must send attestation.submitter_has_rights = true. In these terms, submitter_has_rights means you have the rights, permission, lawful access, or other legal basis described above. Your agent, assistant, DAW plugin, MCP client, or other integration may collect that confirmation for a single file or for the current user-requested folder, project, playlist, catalog selection, or batch. Lying about that voids these terms.
You grant StudioSphere a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide license to temporarily reproduce, transmit, receive, decode, analyze, and create non-expressive technical metadata from submitted audio solely to provide Pulse, prevent abuse, calculate billing, cache analysis results, maintain the service, and enforce these terms.
You won't submit pirated audio, unlawfully obtained files, credentialed or private links unless you are authorized to use them, files protected by DRM or access controls you are not allowed to bypass, or ripped audio from streaming or marketplace services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, or Bandcamp.
You won't submit audio that contains unredacted personally identifiable information you don't have the right to process (recordings of private conversations, medical recordings, etc.).
You won't use Pulse to support copyright infringement, harassment, fraud, or any unlawful purpose.
You won't try to crawl, scrape, or stress-test the service beyond reasonable use. Rate limits are documented and enforced; deliberate evasion breaks the contract.
You're at least 14 years old (Quebec residents) or the age of digital consent in your jurisdiction, whichever is higher.

If a claim, demand, loss, or expense arises from audio you submit or from your breach of these responsibilities, you agree to defend and indemnify StudioSphere Inc. and its officers, employees, contractors, and service providers to the fullest extent allowed by law.

4. Pricing, billing, and refunds

Pricing is per-second of audio analyzed, multiplied by per-tool rates. The rate sheet at /tools is the source of truth.

How charges work

Banked-token path: if you have a Pulse account, analyses deduct from your token balance up front based on the estimated duration. After the worker measures actual duration, we settle the difference — refund tokens if we over-charged, charge a small additional amount if we under-estimated. There is no one-off Checkout minimum on this path.
Stripe Checkout path (anonymous, one-off): the current admission minimum is $0.50; zero disables that admission check. Below-minimum estimates can proceed only when you explicitly accept the minimum-charge offer and approve an upfront spending limit. The offer previews the buffered Checkout amount; it is not a reservation or a promise of an exact final price. Checkout may capture a buffered estimate. After processing, overage refunds are requested only when buffering is enabled and the spread reaches the configured threshold (currently $0.25). Worker settlement applies a $0.50 actual-cost floor. Smaller spreads are not automatically refunded, so the net payment may exceed measured analysis cost.
Token packs: available in the token shop via /account/topup. Tokens never expire. Pack refunds remove tokens proportionally using whole-token rounding and the available balance. The purchase record reports the tokens actually removed; refund evidence received before fulfillment reduces the later grant.
Failed jobs are free. If an analysis tool fails, you don't pay for it. If every tool in a job fails, Pulse requests a full refund. Refund completion depends on Stripe; a return page alone does not prove a refund.

Disputes

Email support@studiosphere.space within 30 days of the charge. We'd much rather work it out directly than route through Stripe disputes.

Payment data, again

Payment entry happens on Stripe’s hosted page. Pulse consumes the payment identifiers, statuses, amounts, currency, receipt URLs, and ownership metadata needed for billing and fulfillment. Signed events may include additional checkout fields; the current handlers do not use customer details to fulfill purchases.

5. Data deletion and access

You have two ways to remove your data:

Stop using Pulse. Pulse does not store submitted audio as user audio, so abandoning your account leaves no audio library behind. Cached analysis results (keyed by content hash, not by you) remain for as long as anyone benefits from the cache.
Account deletion: email support@studiosphere.space from the address attached to your account. We'll close the account and remove identifying records (email, account row) within 30 days. Billing records are retained as required for tax compliance.

If you want a copy of what we have on file (banked-token balance, recent jobs, recent purchases), email the same address.

Rights holders can also email support@studiosphere.space to request removal of cached analysis metadata associated with a specific audio file. Include enough information for us to identify the file or submission. Because Pulse does not store audio, we may need a copy or hash of the file to match the cache entry.

6. Warranties and liability

Pulse is provided "as is." We make our best effort at accurate analysis, uptime, and timely processing, but we don't warrant fitness for any specific purpose. Audio analysis is statistical; results can be off, especially on very short clips, distorted recordings, or content the model wasn't designed for.

StudioSphere Inc.'s aggregate liability under these terms is limited to the amount you paid Pulse in the twelve months preceding the claim.

7. Changes to these terms

If we change these terms in a way that materially affects your rights or our obligations, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top and email a heads-up to any account with a registered address. Continued use after the update means you accept the new terms.

8. Governing law and parent platform terms

StudioSphere Inc. is based in Quebec, Canada. These terms are governed by the laws of Quebec and the federal laws of Canada that apply there. Disputes that can't be resolved by direct conversation are handled in Montreal courts.

Pulse is a service of StudioSphere. The broader StudioSphere platform terms — covering accounts, payments, and the listening-room product — are at studiosphere.space/terms. Where the two documents address the same topic, this Pulse-specific document controls for Pulse-related questions.

9. Contact

Questions, requests, or anything we should know: support@studiosphere.space.