These are the Terms of Service for the Quietide application (the "App"), distributed on Google Play (smartphone and tablet), Google Play Cars (Android Automotive OS), and the Appning by FORVIA AOSP head-unit store. By installing or using the App you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not install or use the App.
Quietide is a free, no-account, no-server ambient sound player. It plays nature soundscapes (rain, ocean, forest, wind, fire) and generated noise (white, pink, and brown). The audio is streamed directly from a public archive (the Internet Archive, archive.org) and played via the Android media stack; Soundica does not host or rehost it. There is no advertising, no subscription, and no in-app purchase.
Soundica grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to install and use the App on devices you own or control, for personal, non-commercial use, subject to these Terms and to Google Play's Terms of Service (or, for the Appning store, the FORVIA distribution terms). Soundica retains all intellectual-property rights in the App itself (the code, UI, assets, and brand).
You agree not to:
The App's sound library is a vetted set of recordings streamed directly from the Internet Archive (archive.org); the audio files are not hosted or rehosted by Soundica. Audio is sourced only from:
The App streams the audio over HTTPS directly from archive.org, and may also fetch a small catalog-manifest update (no personal data); see the Privacy Policy. Every asset in the library passes a per-asset due-diligence gate before inclusion (see Section 5).
What the App does not use:
Natural sounds — rain, waves, wind, birdsong, fire — are not copyrightable in themselves; copyright is the product of human authorship, and a naturally occurring sound has no author. The only right that can attach is the sound-recording (fixation) right in a specific recording of that sound. Quietide uses only (a) recordings dedicated to the public domain (CC0 or Public Domain Mark) and (b) algorithmically generated noise and tones, streamed from archive.org and not rehosted. White, pink, and brown noise lack the originality required for copyright protection and are not owned by anyone.
Each asset passes a per-asset due-diligence gate before inclusion, and its provenance is logged in an internal ledger:
Where a third-party CC0 recording is relied upon, Soundica notes that a CC0 dedication is offered as-is and without warranty of title; the App's reliance on CC0 is one factor in the gate, alongside source credibility and the absence of embedded third-party material. Where, rarely, a CC BY asset is used, the required attribution is surfaced in the App's in-app Credits/Legal screen.
Quietide is operated by Soundica and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any content source, recording library, or other third party. References to any source are nominative — they identify the origin of an asset, they do not imply endorsement.
Several collecting societies operate a presumption of representation under their domestic law. Because Quietide's library consists of natural sound (not copyrightable), generated noise (uncopyrightable), and CC0 / CC BY recordings, no such society administers the rights in the App's audio. Where required, Soundica will provide on request a Public-Domain & Owned-Catalogue Declaration listing the relevant assets, their source, licence (CC0 / Public Domain Mark / generated / CC BY), source URL, and verification date. Send requests to the copyright contact in Section 14.
If you are a rights holder and believe a specific asset is included in error, contact Soundica's designated copyright agent at admin@soundica.app with subject line "Copyright/DMCA — Quietide". We will acknowledge promptly and, on verifying a valid claim, remove the asset from the library within 7 days.
For a notice under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 512, please include the elements required by § 512(c)(3): identification of the copyrighted work, identification of the material to be removed (the specific asset id and title in our library), your contact details, the good-faith statement, the accuracy certification, and the physical or electronic signature of the rights holder or authorised agent. Soundica maintains a policy of excluding sources that draw repeated valid infringement complaints (repeat-infringer policy under § 512(i)).
For the EU, Soundica acts as a hosting/conduit-style service for the purpose of the Digital Services Act (DSA) Art. 16 notice-and-action mechanism: notices may be sent to the same address and will receive a substantiated decision and information on appeal.
The App does not display or rely on any person's name, likeness, or voice; its audio is natural sound, generated noise, and CC0 / CC BY recordings. If you hold publicity or personality rights and believe a specific use is inappropriate, contact the address in Section 14.
The App is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. Soundica does not warrant that the App or any specific sound will be uninterrupted, error-free, or continuously available; the audio is hosted by a third party (archive.org) and may change, move, or become unavailable. Third-party CC0 dedications relied upon in the library are themselves offered without warranty of title. In jurisdictions where certain statutory rights cannot be excluded (notably under EU and UK consumer-protection law and Singapore's Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act), those rights are unaffected.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Soundica's total liability arising out of or relating to the App is limited to the amount you paid for the App (which is zero). Soundica is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
You agree to indemnify and hold Soundica harmless from any claim, demand, or damages arising out of your breach of these Terms or your violation of any law or third-party right.
When used on an Android Automotive head unit, an Android Auto projection, or an Appning by FORVIA AOSP head unit, the App follows the distraction-free interaction model required by Google's Cars policy and the FORVIA portal: large touch targets, voice-first or single-tap controls, glanceable layout, and parked-only settings panels. You remain solely responsible for driving safely and complying with all road rules in your jurisdiction; do not interact with the head unit when doing so would be unsafe or illegal.
General contact — Soundica: admin@soundica.app
Designated copyright / DMCA agent — admin@soundica.app (subject "Copyright/DMCA — Quietide").
You may stop using the App at any time by uninstalling it. Soundica may suspend or discontinue the App or any feature at any time, with or without notice. The licence in Section 2 terminates automatically on uninstall or discontinuation.
Soundica may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes are reflected in an updated "Effective" date at the top. Continued use of the App after a change constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
These Terms are governed by the laws of Singapore, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. If you are an EU or UK consumer, you may rely on mandatory provisions of the law of your country of residence. Disputes may be brought in the courts of Singapore, without prejudice to any non-waivable right you have to bring proceedings in the courts of your own jurisdiction.