PRIVACY POLICY FOR THE EUROPEAN BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION (EBMA)

Last Updated: June 10, 2026

1. Introduction and Data Controller

The European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement, promotion, and preservation of bluegrass music throughout Europe. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal information when you visit our website, apply for an EBMA membership, register your bluegrass band or festival in our directories, or sign up for our newsletter updates.

Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EBMA acts as the Data Controller for the personal data collected through our services.

Association Name: European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA)
Data Protection Contact: info@ebma.org (or your primary support email)

2. The Data We Collect About You

We collect information that allows us to manage our bluegrass network, host community directories, and process memberships. This data is split into the following categories:

Membership Account Data: When you sign up for an individual, band, or institutional membership via our website, we collect your name, email address, username, password, country, and billing profile details.
Artist & Industry Profile Data (Public Directory Data): If you opt to register a band, festival, workshop, or media outlet with the EBMA, we collect the details you choose to make public. This includes band names, bios, promotional photos, social media links, and professional booking contact information.
Financial & Transaction Data: Details about your membership dues, renewals, or donations.Note on Payment Security: The EBMA does not store or process credit card numbers or bank credentials on our servers. All financial transactions are safely handled by secure third-party payment gateways linked to our registration system.
Technical & Communication Data: Your IP address, browser type, and information regarding how you navigate our site, alongside your preferences for receiving marketing and community updates.

3. Core Platforms and How We Process Your Data

We integrate trusted industry tools to manage our association operations securely. Your data interacts with these platforms under strict data privacy protocols:

MemberPress: We use the MemberPress platform to securely manage our member database, handle account registrations, control member-only website access, and automate membership renewals. Your account data is stored securely within this system.
Mailchimp: We use Mailchimp to design and distribute our electronic newsletters, community updates, and festival announcements. When you opt-in to receive our updates, your name and email address are securely synchronized with our Mailchimp distribution list. You can easily opt-out at any time using the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email we send.

4. Lawful Bases for Processing Your Information

We process your data strictly under the following legal frameworks provided by the GDPR:

Performance of a Contract: Processing your Identity and Transaction Data via MemberPress to manage your active EBMA membership, validate voting rights, or update your account status.
Legitimate Interests: Maintaining public-facing directories of European bluegrass bands, luthiers, and festivals to grant maximum visibility to roots music artists and connect fans with live acoustic music events.
Consent: Sending you our community newsletters via Mailchimp. You have the right to withdraw your consent to receive these emails instantly at any time.

5. Third-Party Links and Media Embeds

Because bluegrass is a highly social and auditory genre, our website includes embedded media components (such as YouTube videos, Spotify tracks, or Bandcamp players) and links to external event pages or national bluegrass associations. Clicking those links or interacting with those media players may allow third parties to collect data about you. We do not control these external sites and recommend reviewing their respective privacy policies.

6. Data Security and Retention

We implement industry-standard digital security measures (including SSL/HTTPS encryption) to keep your account credentials and personal profiles safe from unauthorized access.

We retain your data only for as long as necessary to fulfill association tasks:

Membership Data (MemberPress): Retained for the duration of your active relationship with the EBMA plus any standard statutory periods required for financial audit tracking.
Newsletter Data (Mailchimp): Kept until you choose to unsubscribe or request explicit removal from our lists.
Directory Listings: Retained until you request the removal of your band or event profile, or until a listing is verified as permanently inactive.

7. Your Legal Rights under GDPR

As an individual residing within the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you hold the following statutory rights regarding your personal data:

The right to access and receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectify or update any inaccurate or incomplete profile information.
The right to erasure (“The Right to be Forgotten”) from our MemberPress databases or Mailchimp lists.
The right to restrict or object to certain types of data processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please send a direct request to our team at the email address listed in Section 1. To safeguard your account, we may verify your identity before processing the request.