Plain English
Privacy and terms
What RideJam saves, why, who helps us run it, and the few rules for using it. Last updated September 27, 2026 (added: where you came from, and reporting a problem).
RideJam is a student project at Tulane, run by four students. It's free, it has no ads, and we don't sell anyone's information.
If you're a rider
- What we save: the first name you type, the songs you add, and your votes (including votes to skip). That's it. No email, no account, no phone number.
- Who sees it: everyone on the same ride sees your first name next to the songs you added. After the ride, anyone with the ride's playlist link can see the song list and first names.
- On your phone: your browser remembers which ride you joined so you stay in if you close the page. You can clear this in your browser settings.
- Song search: when you search, your phone sends what you typed to Apple's public music search to get results. Apple's privacy policy covers that. To put the best-known version first, our server also sends just the search words (nothing about you) to Deezer's public music search.
- Scanning a code: if you tap "Scan the host's code," your camera turns on only while the scanner is open. The picture is read on your phone to find the ride code, and is never saved or sent anywhere.
If you're a driver
- Your account: your email and password. Passwords are stored scrambled; nobody at RideJam can read them.
- Your settings: your first name (riders see it), your music app, and the genres, songs and artists you block. We save these so you don't set them up every ride.
- Your rides: when each ride started and ended, and its riders, songs and votes, so you can see past rides and their playlists.
- Auto-play requests: if you ask for Spotify auto-play, the Spotify email you give us, so we can add you to the beta.
Spotify auto-play
- If you turn on auto-play, you approve RideJam in Spotify. Spotify then gives us a private connection that can only see what's playing and control playback: play, add to queue, skip.
- We can't see your Spotify password, playlists, library or listening history, and we can't post or change anything in your account.
- The connection is stored in a locked part of our database that the website can't reach. Only RideJam's server uses it, and only to play your ride's songs.
- To stop it, tap Disconnect Spotify on your driver account page. We delete the connection right away. You can also remove RideJam in your Spotify account settings under Apps.
Where you came from
- If you open RideJam from a tagged link in our TikTok or Instagram bio, your phone remembers which one (for example "tiktok"). If you then start a ride as a driver, that ride is labeled with it.
- We use this only to count how many rides come from each place. It isn't tied to riders, isn't shared, and isn't used for ads.
If you report a problem
- The "Something wrong?" form saves what you pick and type, the page you were on, the ride (and your first name, if you were in one), your phone and browser type, and a contact only if you choose to give one.
- Only the RideJam team can read reports. Our reply shows up on the phone you reported from, and by email or text if you left a contact.
Who helps us run RideJam
We use a few services to run the site. They handle your information only to provide their service to us:
- Supabase: our database and driver accounts.
- Cloudflare: hosts the website and runs our auto-play server.
- Apple: song search and Apple Music links.
- Spotify: auto-play and Spotify links, if you use them.
We don't use advertising, tracking cookies, or outside analytics services, and we don't sell or rent anyone's information.
Keeping and deleting
- We keep driver accounts until you ask us to delete them, and rides so their playlists keep working.
- To see, fix or delete your information, or to have a ride's names removed from its playlist, email socialandonlinemarketing2026@gmail.com. We'll do it within a week.
- RideJam isn't meant for anyone under 13.
Terms of use
- Drive safely. The driver shouldn't touch their phone while driving. Use auto-play, or hand the phone to a passenger to tap Play. Follow the law where you are.
- RideJam never controls your car or its Bluetooth. It only sends songs to the music app you already use.
- Be decent. Don't use names that are hateful or harassing. We may remove names, songs or rides that break this.
- Your music services' rules still apply. Spotify and Apple Music decide what you can play; some features need their paid plans.
- It's free and it's early. RideJam is provided as is. Features may change or pause, and we can't promise it will always work.
- We may update this page. The date at the top shows the latest version.
Questions? Email socialandonlinemarketing2026@gmail.com.