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Cookie Policy
Last updated: 1st June 2026
The short version
AltSounds uses a small number of first-party cookies and browser-storage keys to remember your preferences and power features like shuffle and personalization. Most of what we store stays on your device. We don’t use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. The main third-party cookies you’ll encounter come from YouTube when you play a video, and (where enabled) Google Analytics.
1. What cookies and local storage are
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. “Local storage” and “session storage” are similar browser technologies that let a site save information on your device. We use all three, mostly the latter two, to make the Service work and to remember your preferences.
2. First-party cookies we set
| Cookie | Purpose |
|---|---|
alts_flow_v1 / altsounds_flow | Remembers your listening “flavor” (e.g. new vs. classic) so the experience is consistent. |
alts_recent_ids_v1 | Stores recently-watched video IDs, read by our server so shuffle doesn’t repeat videos. |
alts_pp, alts_ipad | Device detection, to serve the right player and layout. |
alts_debug_v1 | Enables diagnostic/debug behavior (not used in normal browsing). |
chatty_mango_rutp_done, chatty_mango_rutp_lock | Set by a URL-redirect plugin we use; manages one-time redirect behavior. |
3. Local / session storage we use
The bulk of your AltSounds experience is stored on your device in local storage, not in cookies and not on our servers. This includes:
| Category | What it does |
|---|---|
Anonymous identifier (alts_client_id_v1) | A random ID for personalization — not linked to your name or email. |
Watch & history (alts_watch_history_v1, alts_guide_history_v3, and related) | Remembers what you’ve watched so we can build “recently played” and avoid repeats. |
Search history (alts_guide_search_history_v1, alts_m_srch_recent_v1) | Remembers your recent searches for quick re-access. |
Personalization (alts_guide_scores_v1 and related) | The “taste” signals that shape your recommendations — computed and held on your device. |
Location cache (alts_cc_geo_v1) | Caches your location only if you granted the browser permission, for the weather/time widgets. |
Interface & caches (various alts_* keys) | Remembers UI state and caches data so the Service loads faster. |
You can clear all of the above at any time by clearing site data for AltSounds.tv in your browser.
4. Third-party cookies
(a) YouTube
Videos are played through YouTube’s embedded player. We use the privacy-enhanced youtube-nocookie.com mode, which limits cookies until you interact with a video — but once you play, YouTube/Google may set cookies and collect data under Google’s Privacy Policy. These are not our cookies and we don’t control them.
(b) Google Analytics
Where Google Analytics is enabled, it sets cookies such as _ga, _gid, and _gat to measure aggregate, anonymized traffic. We use this only to understand how the Service is used — never for advertising. You can opt out across all sites with Google’s Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
(c) Google Fonts & CDN assets
We load fonts from Google Fonts and a couple of open-source libraries from a public CDN. These typically don’t set tracking cookies but do involve a request to those providers’ servers to deliver the assets.
5. What we don’t use
We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, social-media tracking pixels (no Meta, no TikTok), or third-party analytics beyond Google Analytics. We don’t build cross-site advertising profiles of you.
6. Managing cookies
You can control or delete cookies and local storage through your browser settings, and you can block third-party cookies entirely. Note that disabling some storage may reset your preferences, history, and personalization, since those features rely on it.
7. More on your privacy
For the full picture of what we collect and how we handle it, see our Privacy Policy.
8. Changes & contact
We’ll update this policy as our use of these technologies evolves. Questions? info@altsounds.tv, AltSounds Ltd, 151 Grove Street, Clifton, NJ 07013, USA.