Record Crush

Privacy

You choose what to capture, what to analyze and what to keep.

Updated October 10, 2026.

Audio access

Choosing Listen & analyze requests microphone permission and records up to 15 seconds. On a phone or tablet, Record Crush uses the audio input provided by the browser. On a computer, it prefers an available built-in or identifiable local microphone. If it cannot identify a local input, it asks you to check your browser’s microphone setting. It rejects a connected phone as a computer’s recording source.

The browser may briefly activate its current input while granting permission. Record Crush checks the granted source before starting a computer recording. Capture and cancellation stop the acquired tracks. Microphone access begins only when you choose to listen.

When audio is sent

Choosing Listen & analyze records up to 15 seconds of microphone audio and then sends the completed clip to Useful Magic Engine, hosted on Railway, through the Record Crush website. Canceling before recording finishes sends nothing. You can also cancel preparation before upload starts. Once audio has been sent, Stop waiting ends your wait; processing may continue. Loaded files stay in your browser until you choose Analyze. File analysis uses the complete uploaded file. Uploaded audio is held temporarily for processing and removed from the analysis service when the request finishes or times out. Analysis does not contribute your audio to a training dataset.

You do not need an account to analyze audio. To limit usage, the website derives a keyed hash from the connection's IP address and stores that hash with request times. The usage database does not store the raw IP address, audio, filenames, notes or analysis results. Engine analysis usage entries older than two days are removed when new requests arrive. When identification is enabled, hashed request receipts are retained to prevent duplicate submissions and enforce the recognition allowance. Hosting providers also process connection information to deliver and protect the service.

Song identification

Identification is separate from Engine analysis. When enabled, the notice beside the capture controls names the provider used for your next capture. Identification uses an excerpt of up to 12 seconds and is limited to live microphone captures. Loading or analyzing a file does not send it for song identification.

With Shazam, the website sends the excerpt through an authenticated Railway relay to a Mac operated by Useful Magic. ShazamKit creates an audio signature on that Mac and sends the signature to Shazam for matching. Our relay and Mac hold the excerpt in memory during processing and do not save it as an audio file. They release it when processing ends, is canceled or reaches its time limit. Song-match information comes from Shazam. Read Apple’s Shazam privacy information.

If the capture notice names AudD, the excerpt is sent to AudD instead. AudD states that it discards submitted recordings after fingerprinting and retains audio fingerprints. Read AudD’s service information. No identification request is made when identification is disabled. Record Crush does not use these clips or song matches to train recognition models.

Catalog details and artwork

After a song match, Record Crush may send its Apple Music track identifier to Apple’s catalog service to look up album details. This lookup does not include your audio, notes or corrections. Artwork supplied by Shazam loads from Apple’s image servers when displayed. Opening a music or catalog link takes you to that service, where its own policies apply.

Your discoveries

Choosing Save on this device keeps the source, time, optional filename, listening note, any song match, catalog details, analysis result, corrections and Wantlist selection in this browser's local database. Audio is saved only if you also choose Keep the audio on this device. Your notes and corrections remain separate from the original analysis result. They are not uploaded to Useful Magic or used for training. Discoveries do not sync between devices. Export downloads a copy of your discovery details, notes and corrections; it does not include audio.

Files and YouTube links

Loading a file for playback does not upload it. YouTube links are checked and saved locally. Record Crush does not download or analyze YouTube audio. Opening a saved link takes you to YouTube, where Google's policies apply.

Deleting data

Delete a discovery in Discoveries or clear this browser's site data to remove local records. Unsaved audio is released when discarded or when the page closes. Browser storage can also be cleared or evicted by your browser, so keep your source files. Deleting a discovery does not delete the original file from your computer or content from YouTube.

Hosting and contact

Record Crush is a Useful Magic product. The website uses Sites hosting. Railway processes Engine analysis requests and relays Shazam identification requests to our Mac when Shazam is enabled. These services handle the connection and operational information needed to deliver the service. No advertising or newsletter integration is connected.

For privacy questions, contact support@usefulmagic.studio. Useful Magic cannot recover discoveries stored only in your browser.