Privacy & Local-First Principles

Last updated: July 2026

The short version: Decaud collects nothing. There is no account, no analytics, no advertising, no tracking, and no server of ours that ever sees your data. Your music and your library stay on your devices. Every online feature is optional, off by default or clearly initiated by you, and sends the minimum it needs.

What we collect

Nothing. Decaud has no analytics or telemetry of any kind. We cannot see what you play, what you own, or how you use the app. The app works fully offline.

Where your library lives

Your music files stay in your folders, on your disks and network shares. Decaud's library database (titles, tags, ratings, play counts, artwork) is a local file on your device. Deleting the app's data deletes it; nothing is retained anywhere else.

iCloud sync (optional, off by default)

If you turn on library sync, Decaud stores your library metadata and cover thumbnails in your own iCloud account (via Apple's CloudKit) so your devices stay in step. That data is between you and Apple; we have no access to it. Turning sync off, or using "Reset iCloud Library", removes it.

Online metadata lookups (opt-in, per feature)

These features contact third-party services only when you use them, and only with text or an audio fingerprint, never your audio, never your identity:

Discogs — album/artist text searches for tags, covers, artist photos, and discographies.
MusicBrainz — text searches for tag matching, and CD identification by disc table-of-contents.
AcoustID — "Identify by Sound" sends a compact acoustic fingerprint (not audio) to find a match.
LRCLIB — synced lyrics looked up by title, artist, album, and length.

Results are cached on your device. Each service sees a normal web request (including your IP address, as any website does) governed by its own privacy policy.

Local network features

SMB/NAS streaming, DLNA browsing and casting, AirPlay, and the iPhone remote all talk directly between your devices on your own network. Nothing is routed through us. The remote requires you to approve each new device on the Mac first.

Purchases

The App Store edition offers optional tips through Apple's in-app purchase system; Apple processes those and shares no payment details with us. The direct edition contains no in-app purchases; support links (Buy Me a Coffee, Bitcoin) open in your browser and are governed by those services' policies.

What we would need to change to break these promises

This page is written from what the app actually does. If a future feature ever needs to send more than described here, it will be opt-in, documented on this page before release, and default-off. "Local-first" is the design, not a marketing phrase.

Contact

Questions about this policy: www.decaud.io.