Terms of Service
Last updated: February 8, 2026
1. Agreement to Terms
By accessing or using STANDARD ("the Platform"), operated by iowire.com, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.
STANDARD is a professional music review platform that connects artists with qualified reviewers for honest, constructive feedback on their music.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use STANDARD. If you are under 18, you must have parental or guardian consent. By creating an account, you represent that you meet these requirements.
3. Account Registration
You may register for an account using an email address and password, or by authenticating through a third-party provider (Google, TikTok, Facebook, X, or Apple). You are responsible for:
- Providing accurate, current information
- Maintaining the security of your account credentials
- All activity that occurs under your account
- Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.
4. User Roles
Artists
Artists submit original music for review. By submitting a song, you represent that you own or have rights to the content. You retain full ownership of your music at all times. STANDARD does not claim any rights to your songs.
Reviewers
Reviewers provide professional feedback on submitted music. Reviewers must agree to and abide by our Reviewer Ethics Policy, which prohibits pay-for-praise, conflicts of interest, and other unethical practices.
Guests
Guest users may submit music with an email address only. Guest submissions are subject to the same terms as registered artist submissions.
5. Payments & Refunds
Payments are processed securely through Stripe. Review fees are set by individual reviewers and clearly displayed before purchase. By completing a payment:
- You authorize the charge to your selected payment method
- You understand that higher tiers provide more detailed feedback, not more favorable reviews
- Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis (e.g., if a reviewer fails to deliver feedback)
STANDARD's revenue split is 80% to the reviewer and 20% platform fee. Legacy partner commissions (5% from the platform fee) apply to referrals made before the program transition.
Stripe Connect Accounts: To receive payments on STANDARD, you must set up a Stripe Connect Express account. By creating a Connect account, you agree to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement. You are responsible for keeping your account information (banking details, tax info, identity verification) current. Failure to maintain an active Connect account may result in delayed or frozen payouts.
Escrow & Marketplace Payments
For marketplace service orders, payments are held in escrow by Stripe until the buyer approves the delivery or the hold period expires. Hold periods vary by service type:
- Live services (e.g., live review sessions) — No hold; payment completes immediately
- Digital delivery (e.g., mixing, mastering) — 72-hour hold period for buyer review
If the hold period expires without buyer action (approval or dispute), funds are automatically released to the provider. Buyers may pause the auto-release timer by flagging non-delivery.
New Provider Reserve
New providers may have 10% of marketplace earnings held in reserve for the first 90 days or first 10 completed orders, whichever comes first. This reserve protects the platform against chargebacks during the onboarding period.
5a. Service Marketplace Terms
The STANDARD Service Marketplace allows providers (reviewers and music professionals) to offer services directly to buyers (artists). By using the marketplace:
- Providers agree to deliver services as described in their listings
- Buyers agree to review deliverables promptly and act in good faith
- Both parties agree to use the platform's messaging and delivery systems for all order-related communication
- Off-platform payment arrangements to circumvent escrow protections are prohibited
STANDARD facilitates transactions but is not a party to the service agreement between buyer and provider. Disputes are handled through our dispute resolution process.
5b. Coordinator Terms
Coordinators are users who facilitate connections between buyers and providers. By acting as a coordinator:
- You earn a coordination fee (up to 20% of the service price, capped by the platform)
- Your fee is subject to the same escrow and dispute rules as provider payments
- You must maintain an active Stripe Connect account to receive fees
- You must not coordinate orders where you are also the provider
- You must disclose your coordinator role to all parties
- Fee-splitting arrangements outside the platform are prohibited
5c. Dispute Resolution
Marketplace order disputes follow a structured 3-stage process:
- Direct Negotiation (48 hours): Buyer and provider attempt to resolve the issue directly through the dispute messaging system.
- Admin Mediation: If negotiation fails or either party escalates, a STANDARD admin reviews the evidence and issues a resolution (refund, release, or split) within 72 hours.
- Appeal (48-hour window): Either party may appeal. A different admin reviews the appeal and issues a final decision.
Automatic Protections: Disputes that remain unresolved for 7 days result in an automatic full refund to the buyer. Anti-retaliation measures restrict provider contact with the buyer for 30 days after a buyer-favorable resolution.
Chargebacks: Filing a bank chargeback instead of using STANDARD's dispute process will freeze all transfers on the order. STANDARD cooperates with payment processors but strongly recommends using the built-in dispute process first. Excessive chargebacks may result in account restrictions.
6. Content & Intellectual Property
Your Content: You retain all rights to music, comments, and other content you submit. By submitting content, you grant STANDARD a limited, non-exclusive license to display and process it within the platform (e.g., for playback during live review sessions).
Reviewer Feedback: Written feedback, scores, and comments provided by reviewers are owned by the reviewer and licensed to the artist for personal use. Feedback may not be publicly attributed to or used to defame a reviewer.
Platform Content: The STANDARD name, logo, design, and software are owned by iowire.com. You may not copy, modify, or distribute any platform content without permission.
7. Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to:
- Submit content you do not have rights to
- Harass, threaten, or abuse other users or reviewers
- Manipulate ratings, reviews, or the queue system
- Create multiple accounts to circumvent limits or bans
- Use bots, scrapers, or automated tools against the platform
- Attempt to access other users' accounts or private data
- Use the platform for any illegal purpose
Violations may result in immediate account suspension or termination.
8. Third-Party Services
STANDARD integrates with third-party services including:
- Stripe for payment processing
- Google, TikTok, Facebook, X, and Apple for optional social login
- YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music for song playback
- Amazon S3 for file storage
Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms. STANDARD is not responsible for third-party service availability or policies.
9. Live Review Sessions
Live review sessions are real-time events where reviewers provide feedback on submitted music. By participating:
- You acknowledge that reviews are subjective professional opinions
- Sessions may be streamed to other viewers in the queue
- Your song title and artist name may be visible to other users during the session
10. Disclaimer of Warranties
STANDARD is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that reviews will meet specific expectations. Reviews represent the individual opinions of reviewers and do not constitute professional music industry advice.
11. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, STANDARD and iowire.com shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim.
12. Changes to These Terms
We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on the platform. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.
13. Governing Law
These terms are governed by the laws of the United States. Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration, except where prohibited by law.