Privacy Policy — How Riyadh Music Collects, Uses, and Protects Your Data

Effective Date: March 23, 2026 Last Updated: March 23, 2026 Publisher: The Vanderbilt Portfolio Website: riyadhmusic.com Contact: info@riyadhmusic.com

The Vanderbilt Portfolio (“Publisher,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the Riyadh Music website at riyadhmusic.com (“Website” or “Site”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Website, subscribe to our services, or otherwise interact with our digital properties. It applies to all users of the Website regardless of geographic location.

Riyadh Music serves as the Vanderbilt Terminal for Saudi Arabia’s music revolution, providing editorial content, market intelligence, and industry analysis covering MDLBEAST, Soundstorm Festival, concerts, artists, streaming data, and the broader Saudi entertainment ecosystem. Our audience includes music industry professionals, entertainment executives, artists, investors, and culturally engaged consumers across Saudi Arabia, the wider MENA region, and international markets.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about our data practices. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using the Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information through several mechanisms, each serving a specific purpose in delivering and improving our services.

1.1 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Website, certain information is collected automatically by our servers, analytics tools, and third-party services:

Server Log Data: Our web servers automatically record information about each visit, including your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time and date of visit, time spent on each page, and other standard server log data. This information is collected for all visitors and is essential for Website operation, security monitoring, and performance optimization.

Device Information: We collect information about the device you use to access the Website, including device type (desktop, tablet, mobile), screen resolution, hardware model, operating system and version, and unique device identifiers. This data helps us optimize the Website’s presentation across different devices and screen sizes.

Usage Data: We track how you interact with the Website, including pages viewed, articles read, search queries entered, links clicked, scroll depth, session duration, and navigation patterns. This usage data informs our editorial decisions about what content our audience finds most valuable and helps us improve the user experience.

Location Data: We may infer your approximate geographic location from your IP address. This data is used for content personalization (such as highlighting events relevant to your region), advertising targeting, and analytics. We do not collect precise GPS-level location data through the Website.

1.2 Information You Provide Voluntarily

Certain interactions with the Website involve you providing information directly:

Contact Form Submissions: When you contact us through our contact page or email (info@riyadhmusic.com), you provide your email address, name, and any additional information included in your message. This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry and, with your consent, to add you to relevant mailing lists.

Newsletter and Subscription Sign-ups: When you subscribe to our editorial newsletters or intelligence briefings, you provide your email address and, optionally, additional information such as your name, organization, job title, and areas of interest. This information is used to deliver the subscribed content and to personalize our communications.

Premium Subscription Purchases: When you purchase a premium subscription, we collect billing information including your name, email address, billing address, and payment method details. Payment processing is handled by our third-party payment processor, and we do not store full credit card numbers on our servers.

Lead Generation Forms: When you download reports, access gated content, or complete lead generation forms, you provide contact information that may include your name, email address, organization, job title, phone number, and areas of professional interest. This information is used to deliver the requested content and, with your consent, for marketing communications.

1.3 Information Collected by Third Parties

Several third-party services operating on our Website collect information independently:

Google AdSense: Our Website displays advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our Website and other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our Website and other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings at https://adssettings.google.com or by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page at https://optout.networkadvertising.org.

Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to collect and analyze Website usage data. Google Analytics uses cookies to track and report on Website traffic patterns. The data collected includes pages viewed, session duration, bounce rate, geographic location, device information, and acquisition source. Google Analytics data is processed in accordance with Google’s privacy policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Social Media Platforms: Our Website may include social media sharing buttons and embedded content from platforms including but not limited to X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. These platforms may collect information about your interaction with their features, subject to their respective privacy policies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected for the following purposes:

Website Operation and Delivery: To operate, maintain, and deliver the Website and its content to you. This includes serving pages, processing search queries, delivering newsletter content, and providing premium subscription access.

Content Improvement and Editorial Decisions: Usage data informs our editorial strategy. When we observe that articles about Soundstorm Festival or streaming market data receive high engagement, for example, we allocate more editorial resources to those topics. This data-driven editorial approach helps us serve our audience more effectively.

Advertising: To display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense and any direct-sold advertising placements. Advertising revenue supports the free access to editorial content that constitutes the majority of our Website.

Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send newsletter content you have subscribed to, deliver premium subscription products, and send transactional communications related to your account or purchases.

Analytics and Performance: To understand how our Website is used, identify performance issues, measure the effectiveness of our content, and improve the user experience.

Security: To detect, prevent, and respond to security incidents, fraud, and other malicious activity.

Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. A comprehensive description of our cookie practices is provided in our separate Cookies Policy. Key categories of cookies used on the Website include:

Strictly Necessary Cookies: Required for the Website to function properly. These cannot be disabled without impairing Website functionality.

Analytics Cookies: Used by Google Analytics and similar tools to collect usage data that helps us understand how visitors interact with the Website.

Advertising Cookies: Used by Google AdSense and advertising partners to deliver relevant advertisements and measure ad performance.

Functional Cookies: Used to remember your preferences, such as language settings and display options.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or through the cookie consent mechanism presented when you first visit the Website. For detailed information about specific cookies and how to manage them, please see our Cookies Policy.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We share information with third parties only in the following circumstances:

Service Providers: We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including web hosting, email delivery, payment processing, analytics, and advertising. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only for the purposes of providing services to us and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Advertising Partners: Google AdSense and other advertising partners receive information through cookies and tracking technologies as described in this Privacy Policy and our Cookies Policy. This information is used to serve targeted advertisements and measure ad performance.

Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

Server Log Data: Retained for up to 12 months and then deleted or anonymized.

Analytics Data: Google Analytics data is retained according to Google’s data retention settings, which we have configured to a maximum of 26 months.

Contact and Subscription Data: Retained for the duration of your subscription or engagement with our services, plus a reasonable period thereafter to allow for reactivation or follow-up.

Premium Subscription Data: Billing records are retained for as long as required by applicable tax and accounting regulations.

Cookie Data: Retention periods vary by cookie type and are detailed in our Cookies Policy.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS) for all Website communications.
• Secure server infrastructure with access controls and monitoring.
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability monitoring.
• Limited employee access to personal information on a need-to-know basis.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100 percent secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.

Opt-Out of Marketing: You may opt out of receiving marketing communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in any marketing email or by contacting us at info@riyadhmusic.com.

Cookie Management: You may manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or the cookie consent mechanism on our Website.

Google Ad Personalization: You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings at https://adssettings.google.com.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@riyadhmusic.com with “PRIVACY” in the subject line. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7.1 European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom Residents

If you are located in the EEA or United Kingdom, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR, including:

• The right to data portability.
• The right to restrict processing.
• The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• The right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Our legal basis for processing your personal information includes consent (for marketing communications and non-essential cookies), legitimate interests (for Website operation, analytics, and security), contractual necessity (for premium subscription fulfillment), and legal obligations (for tax and accounting compliance).

7.2 California Residents

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including:

• The right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
• The right to delete personal information.
• The right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. Note: We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA.
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.

7.3 Saudi Arabia and MENA Region

We comply with applicable data protection regulations in Saudi Arabia, including the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), and other applicable laws in the MENA region where our audience is concentrated. We process personal data of Saudi residents in accordance with the principles of lawfulness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimization, and security.

8. Children’s Privacy

The Website is not intended for children under the age of 18 (or the applicable age of majority in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

9. International Data Transfers

The Website is operated from the United States. If you access the Website from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other jurisdictions where our servers and service providers are located. By using the Website, you consent to the transfer of your information to jurisdictions that may have different data protection laws than your jurisdiction.

Where required by applicable law, we implement appropriate safeguards for international data transfers, including standard contractual clauses approved by relevant regulatory authorities.

10. Third-Party Links

The Website contains links to third-party websites and services. This Privacy Policy applies only to the Website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites, and we encourage you to review the privacy policies of any website you visit.

References to third-party entities in our editorial content — including MDLBEAST, the General Entertainment Authority, Spotify, Anghami, and other organizations — do not imply that those entities’ privacy practices are governed by this Privacy Policy.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting to this page, with the “Last Updated” date revised accordingly. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

For material changes that significantly affect how we use your personal information, we will provide prominent notice on the Website or, where practicable, direct notification via email.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: info@riyadhmusic.com Subject Line: “PRIVACY” Publisher: The Vanderbilt Portfolio Website: riyadhmusic.com

We will acknowledge receipt of your communication within 48 hours and provide a substantive response within 30 days.