Bellingham Sounds is a local music publication operated by Bellingham Digital LLC, doing business as Bellingham Sounds. This policy applies to our website, newsletter, social posts, calendars, and posters.
For a correction, disclosure question, or rights complaint, use Privacy requests and legal contact. Include the page link or the publication's date and the specific item you want us to review.
How we choose and present information
We choose coverage for its relevance to local readers. Listings are selective and may be based on organizers' announcements, public sources, or direct submissions. We aim to distinguish verified details from uncertain information and identify original sources where useful. Readers should confirm important event details with the venue or organizer before making plans.
Descriptions of events and public show notes may be edited for readability and length. A named editor's recommendation expresses that editor's judgment; it is not a promise about a performance or an assessment of every other event. Opinions should be recognizable as opinions. We seek supporting information before publishing a serious factual allegation and consider an appropriate opportunity for the affected person to respond.
“My Pick” is an editorial selection. It cannot be purchased. A sponsor may support a publication without controlling our conclusions or requiring favorable independent coverage. Any separately purchased placement must be identified as advertising or sponsorship rather than presented as an independent pick.
Paid relationships, gifts, and affiliate links
When relevant to a published endorsement or recommendation, we disclose payments, complimentary tickets, significant discounts, commissions, employment, family relationships, ownership interests, and other connections that readers would reasonably want to know about. A relationship with Bellingham Digital LLC or another of its businesses can require disclosure just as a relationship with an unrelated sponsor can.
If we publish paid content, the item will carry a clear label such as “Advertisement,” “Sponsored,” or “Paid promotion.” If a purchase through a link can earn us a commission, we explain that beside the link or in an equally apparent nearby disclosure. If a venue provides complimentary admission relevant to a recommendation, we identify the provider, for example: “The venue provided complimentary admission.” A general statement on this page does not replace the disclosure on the item itself.
Disclosures must remain readable on a phone and travel with the relevant social slide, caption, email section, or printable item. We use platform disclosure tools where appropriate and add clear wording when needed. We do not accept an arrangement requiring us to conceal a material relationship, invent an experience, or make an unsupported claim.
This policy describes how a commercial relationship will be handled if one exists; it does not imply that every listing or publication is sponsored.
Corrections and updates
Tell us which fact is wrong, what the correction should be, and any source that helps verify it. Distinguish an urgent cancellation or wrong address from a stylistic preference. We review good-faith requests without requiring you to be a subscriber, advertiser, or account holder.
We correct material factual errors on channels we control when verified. A significant correction should make clear what changed; routine formatting or minor typographical changes may be made without a notice. If a distributed issue contains an important error, we assess whether a follow-up message, corrected post, or correction in the next issue is appropriate. We do not issue a second marketing message merely because a correction request includes an email address.
We cannot replace an email already delivered, recall a printed poster, or guarantee that an independent platform or reader will update a copy. Where useful, we direct readers to the current online listing. We do not change an accurate historical record solely because coverage later becomes inconvenient, but we consider context, harm, privacy, and applicable rights.
Copyright, artwork, and attribution
Public event facts and permission to reproduce a photograph, flyer, recording, or written description are different questions. We use protected material under an appropriate license, permission, public-domain status, or another applicable legal basis. Attribution is not a substitute for permission. We do not assume that a promoter or artist owns every image they send us. Fair use, where applicable, is assessed in context.
Submitters keep their ownership. The limited publication permission is described in our Submission Terms. We aim to honor agreed credits and restrictions. Our own sharing permission for a calendar or poster does not grant separate rights to every third-party asset in it or authorize misleading endorsements.
For a copyright complaint, identify the work, where the disputed material appears, your connection to the rights owner, why you believe the use is unauthorized, and a way to contact you. We review credible complaints, may temporarily restrict the material while reviewing, and may ask for evidence of ownership or authority. We consider permission, applicable exceptions, mistakes, and any response from the submitter before deciding what to do. Do not send identity documents or unrelated private records unless requested through an appropriate process.
Privacy, safety, and review of decisions
Private reply addresses are not public bylines. Please flag exposed private contact details, credible safety concerns, impersonation, or unlawful content promptly. We assess these separately from a disagreement with editorial opinion. Privacy rights requests follow our Privacy Policy.
We may decline, remove, or limit submissions for rights, relevance, accuracy, legal, or safety reasons. A person affected may ask us to reconsider and supply additional evidence. We will review the request in good faith, taking account of any conflict of interest. We cannot promise confidentiality unless we expressly agree to it, but we handle complaint information with care and disclose it only as reasonably necessary to investigate, respond, obtain advice, or comply with law.