Data & Privacy

Docs out of date

Due to be updated ASAP (note added 04/07/2026)

Your audio files and personal data stay on your machine. Orbit is designed for local QC and does not upload your ADM files, head-tracking data, camera feed, or device information. This page explains exactly what Orbit does and doesn't do with your data.

Orbit is developed by South Loop Studios and is independent — not affiliated with or endorsed by Dolby Laboratories.

Licensing & updates

• License validation contacts licensing.orbitspatial.io to verify your license key. ADM content and head/camera data are never sent — only the license key and basic device identifier.
• Trial licenses have a 24-hour offline grace period and need to reconnect daily for validation.
• Paid licenses (Standard, Educational, Organizational) have a 30-day offline grace period, with automatic refresh when you reconnect.
• Update checks fetch version info from orbitspatial.io when you choose Check for Updates... (automatic checks run once every 24 hours). No ADM or telemetry is uploaded.
• Outside of licensing and update requests, Orbit runs entirely offline.

Media and ADM metadata

• ADM BWF files are read and processed entirely on your device.
• No media or metadata is sent off-device. Waveform caches (.orbwave) are written next to the ADM for faster reloads—delete them if you prefer.
• Your audio, projects, and metadata are never uploaded. The only optional data Orbit can send is anonymous usage data — see Usage data (Downlink) below.

Usage data (Downlink)

New in Orbit 1.5.1

Orbit can share optional, privacy-first usage data to help us see which features matter most and where to focus next.

• It's optional and off unless you opt in. You'll see a one-time notice on first launch, and you can opt out (or back in) any time under Preferences ▸ Privacy.
• It's never tied to your account, your name, or your projects. No audio, ADM metadata, head/camera data, or file contents are ever included.
• It stays in-house. Usage data goes to Downlink — South Loop Studios' own analytics platform, built specifically for Orbit. There is no third-party analytics platform involved, and we will never sell or share your data with anyone.

Head tracking (AirPods)

• Reads motion data from compatible AirPods for binaural head tracking.
• Requires motion permission; data is used only to update binaural rendering and the on-screen pose indicator.
• No motion samples are stored or transmitted.

Camera tracking

• Captures video from the selected camera (built-in or external) and runs Apple Vision face detection locally.
• You can select from available cameras in Setup → Camera Tracking Settings.
• Only head orientation data (yaw/pitch/roll) is used for binaural rendering; video frames are not saved or sent anywhere.
• Requires camera permission; tracking runs entirely on-device and stops when you disable it or quit.

Audio devices and metrics

• Audio input/output device information is read locally to populate device pickers and configure routing.
• Performance metrics, meters, and diagnostics are displayed locally with no remote reporting.

If you need to keep files clean, you can remove .orbwave cache files next to your ADM. Turning off head/camera tracking stops motion capture immediately.