Understanding Domain Connections and Data Privacy at Crates
At Crates, we value transparency and prioritize user privacy. We understand concerns about data usage and external requests made by applications. This article provides detailed explanations about the domains that Crates connects to, the specific purposes for these connections, the data involved, and how you can disable these integrations if you wish.
Additionally, if you notice domains that seem unusual or unfamiliar, they are typically related to Bandcamp releases hosted directly on artists’ custom websites. To verify, please visit the domain directly. If you encounter anything suspicious or have further questions, feel free to reach out to us directly.
| Domain | Purpose | Data Sent | How to Disable / What Happens If Blocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| crates.app | Crates official services domain | User authentication and authorization data | Do not block connections to this domain or authorization may fail and the app may be unusable. |
| bandcamp.com bcbits.com |
Bandcamp content integration | Track streaming requests, metadata queries |
Do not play Bandcamp streams. Disable Settings->General->Metadata “Get Info..” checkboxes. |
|
apple.com |
Metadata retrieval, Apple Music integration | Metadata queries, Apple Music service | Disable Settings->General->Metadata “Get Info..” checkboxes. Disconnect from Apple Music service. |
| googleapis.com | Google API, Google Analytics (if user consents) | API requests (no personal data) | Asked about Anaytics on first time setup. User can opt out google analytics by unchecking Settings->Advanced->Enable Analytics. Other Google API usage may include Google Drive integration or YouTube authorization/playback. If blocked, some assets in the UI may not available. |
| app-measurement.com | Google Analytics (if user consents) | API requests (no personal data) | Asked on first time setup. User can opt out google analytics by unchecking Settings->Advanced->Enable Analytics. |
| gravatar.com | Global User avatars | Avatar requests | User can upload a custom avatar image if they do not want to use a generic gravatar or that is used on other online services. If blocked no global avatar will be displayed. |
| gstatic.com | Google static content CDN (fonts, images) | Static asset requests | Do not add YouTube and/or Google Drive hosted content. |
| gvt1.com | Google video streaming CDN (YouTube) | Video/audio streaming requests | Disable YouTube and/or Google Drive content integration. |
| musicbrainz.org | Music metadata retrieval | Metadata queries | Disable Settings->General->Metadata “Get Info..” checkboxes. |
| sndcdn.com | SoundCloud streaming CDN | Audio streaming data | Do not import and play SoundCloud streams. |
| soundcloud.com | SoundCloud integration | Track streaming requests | Do not import and play SoundCloud streams. |
| spotify.com | Spotify integration | Spotify API requests | Disconnect from Spotify service. |
| last.fm | last.fm integration | last.fm scrobbling | Disconnect from last.fm service. |
| ytimg.com | YouTube thumbnails/images | Image thumbnail requests | Do not import and play YouTube music or videos. Do not connect your YouTube account. Disable Settings->General->Metadata “Get Info..” checkboxes |
| arbitrum.io | Blockchain service used by Gems feature | Blockchain transactions (wallet public address, gem info posted) | No way to disable Gems yet; a setting will be added in a future update. |
| coingecko.com | Cryptocurrency price retrieval, used for blockchain features | Price queries | No way to disable Gems yet; a setting will be added in a future update. |
You may also see requests to DNS servers, like Google, OpenDNS, Cloudflare, dns.sb or ones by your internet service provider (ISP); this is normal and these servers are either defined by the user, the operating system or the ISP.
Crates comes preloaded with some sample tunes from Bandcamp, YouTube and Soundcloud, so you may see some requests made even if you have not explicitely added such content yourself; you can permanently remove such tunes.
When querying for tune, artist or label metadata, Crates does not send any personally identifiable information, but in the cases you are signed-in to certain services like YouTube or Apple Music, your requests may be associated with you.