Skills & Gears is officially recognized by Apple as an Apple Digital Masters encoding house. This certification attests that our encoding process meets the strict quality standards required by Apple Music for high-resolution audio delivery.
The badge that appears on Apple Music
What This Means for Your Music
Any release processed through our AM.Pro2 module benefits from the Apple Digital Masters certification. Your tracks will carry the Apple Digital Master badge on Apple Music, signaling to listeners that your music has been mastered and encoded to the highest possible standard.
Distributor Compatibility
To display the Apple Digital Master badge on Apple Music, your distributor must be compatible with the Apple Digital Masters program. If your distributor supports this certification, the badge will automatically appear on your release page on Apple Music once the track is delivered through our certified encoding pipeline.
Compatible distributors include major platforms such as DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse and others participating in the Apple Digital Masters program. Contact your distributor to confirm compatibility.
Automatic Submission to Apple Music Curators
Releases encoded through AM.Pro2 are automatically submitted to Apple Music curators for playlist consideration, as part of the privileges associated with our Apple Digital Masters certification status.
For any question regarding Apple Digital Masters certification, contact us at contact@skillsandgears.com
Privacy Policy
Last updated: April 30, 2026
1. Who We Are
Skills & Gears ("we", "our", "us") is operated by skillsandgears, based in France. We provide online audio mastering, Apple Digital Masters certification and lossless audio encoding services accessible at skillsandgears.com.
When you create an account or subscribe, we collect:
Your name and email address
Your encrypted password (bcrypt hashing — we never store plaintext passwords)
Your IP address at registration
Payment information processed exclusively by Stripe — we never store card details
Usage data: number of uploads and downloads performed
Audio files you upload are processed locally in your browser. They are not transmitted to or stored on our servers.
3. How We Use Your Data
To create and manage your account
To process your subscription and send payment confirmations
To send transactional emails (account activation, password reset)
To send service-related communications (usage reminders, offers)
To prevent abuse and enforce usage limits
4. Legal Basis (GDPR)
We process your data under the following legal bases:
Contract performance — processing necessary to deliver the service you subscribed to
Legitimate interest — fraud prevention, usage monitoring, service communications
Legal obligation — invoicing and accounting records required under French law
5. Data Retention
Your personal data is retained for the duration of your account, plus 3 years after closure for accounting purposes as required by French law. You may request deletion at any time by contacting us.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the French data protection authority: CNIL (cnil.fr)
8. Cookies
We use only strictly necessary session cookies to keep you logged in. We do not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies.
Terms of Service
Last updated: April 30, 2026
1. Acceptance
By accessing or using Skills & Gears, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use our service.
2. Service Description
Skills & Gears provides web-based audio processing tools including AI mastering (EM.Pro2), Apple Digital Masters certification (AM.Pro2) and lossless audio encoding (EC.Pro4). The service is provided "as is" and may be updated or modified at any time.
3. Accounts
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You must provide accurate and complete information when registering. One account per person — sharing accounts is not permitted.
4. Free Trial
A free trial allows limited access to EM.Pro2 with a maximum of 2 uploads and 2 downloads. The trial is available once per person. Attempting to circumvent these limits by creating multiple accounts may result in termination of access.
5. Subscription & Payment
The Pro subscription is billed annually. Your subscription renews automatically at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date. Payment is processed securely by Stripe.
6. Cancellation
You may cancel your subscription at any time by contacting us at contact@skillsandgears.com. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access to the service until that date.
7. No Refund Policy
All payments are final and non-refundable. By subscribing, you acknowledge that you have had the opportunity to test the service through the free trial before purchasing. In exceptional circumstances, refund requests may be considered at our sole discretion by contacting contact@skillsandgears.com.
8. Intellectual Property
You retain full ownership of all audio files you process through Skills & Gears. We do not claim any rights over your content. The Skills & Gears platform, interface and technology remain our exclusive property.
9. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
Use the service for any unlawful purpose
Attempt to reverse-engineer, copy or reproduce the platform
Circumvent usage limits or security measures
Upload content that infringes third-party intellectual property rights
10. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by French law, Skills & Gears shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising from the use or inability to use the service. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount paid by you in the 12 months preceding the claim.
11. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by French law. Any dispute arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of France.
12. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. We will notify active subscribers by email of any material changes.
