Terms of Service

To use the Service you must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and capable of forming a legally binding contract. By registering, you represent and warrant that you meet these requirements, that all information you provide is accurate, current, and complete, and that you are not located in, or a national or resident of, any country or on any list of restricted persons that would prohibit your use of the Service under applicable export-control or sanctions law.

You must register an Account to access most features of the Platform. You agree to (a) provide true, accurate, current, and complete information about yourself and, where applicable, your business, (b) maintain and promptly update that information to keep it accurate, (c) maintain the security of your password and login credentials, and (d) accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your Account. You may not transfer or assign your Account to any other person without our prior written consent.

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your Account at any time, with or without notice, for any conduct that we determine, in our sole discretion, violates these Terms, applicable law, or the rights of any third party, or that is otherwise harmful to the Platform or other Users. You may close your Account at any time by following the instructions on the Platform or by contacting us at support@studiomate.com.

We may, at our discretion, request government-issued identification, business documentation, banking information, or other materials to verify your identity, professional qualifications, or eligibility to use the Service. Verification is performed by us or by trusted third-party providers, and you authorize us to perform such verification.

Studiomate operates an online marketplace that connects independent professional Talent with Clients seeking creative, technical, and production services. Studiomate is not a party to any agreement for services between a Talent and a Client. We do not perform the services posted by Clients or supplied by Talent, and we do not employ Talent. Each Engagement is a direct relationship between the Talent and the Client.

Talent are independent contractors, not employees, agents, partners, joint venturers, or franchisees of Studiomate. Talent are solely responsible for:

determining when, where, and how they perform services;

securing and maintaining any licenses, permits, registrations, and qualifications required to perform the services;

providing their own equipment, tools, and supplies;

paying all federal, state, local, and foreign income, self-employment, and other taxes arising from their work, and for filing all required tax returns and forms;

procuring and maintaining their own insurance, including without limitation general liability, professional liability, and workers' compensation as required by law;

complying with all applicable laws and regulations governing their work, including those related to immigration, classification, and workplace safety.

Nothing in these Terms, in any communications on the Platform, or in any Engagement creates an employment relationship between Studiomate and any User, or between a Client and a Talent absent a separate written agreement to the contrary executed by the Client and the Talent. Studiomate is not responsible for issuing tax forms (such as IRS Form 1099) on behalf of Clients to Talent. Each Client is solely responsible for determining its tax-reporting obligations to its Talent.

We do not endorse, recommend, or guarantee the quality, safety, qualifications, or legality of any Talent, Client, Job, Engagement, or Content. We make no representation or warranty that any Client will receive applications, that any Talent will be hired, that any Engagement will be successful, or that any Talent or Client will be of a particular quality. The Platform is a venue and search tool — outcomes depend on the Users.

Unless we explicitly state otherwise on a particular feature, Studiomate does not perform background checks, reference checks, credential verification, or criminal-history checks on Talent or Clients. Users are responsible for performing their own due diligence before entering into any Engagement.

As between you and Studiomate, you retain ownership of all intellectual property rights in the Content you submit to the Platform.

By submitting, posting, uploading, or otherwise making any Content available on or through the Service, you grant Studiomate a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable license to host, store, copy, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, create derivative works from, publish, publicly display, publicly perform, distribute, and otherwise use that Content for the purposes of (a) operating, providing, improving, and promoting the Service, (b) developing, training, evaluating, and improving Aura AI and other Studiomate machine-learning features (subject to the limitations in Section 7.3), (c) showcasing successful Engagements (in case studies, testimonials, marketing materials, and similar communications), and (d) any other purpose disclosed in our Privacy Policy. This license continues for as long as the Content is on the Platform and, with respect to backups, archives, derived works, and aggregated or de-identified data, after removal.

You represent and warrant that (a) you own or have the necessary rights, licenses, consents, and permissions to grant the licenses in Section 6.2, (b) your Content does not and will not infringe any third party's intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights, (c) any portfolio samples, work product, or testimonials you submit are your own work or are submitted with the express permission of the rights-holder, and (d) you have obtained all necessary releases from any individuals depicted in or contributing to your Content.

If you provide suggestions, feature requests, or feedback about the Service ("Feedback"), you grant Studiomate a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use the Feedback for any purpose without obligation to you.

We may remove, restrict access to, or refuse to display any Content at our sole discretion, with or without notice, including for violations of these Terms or applicable law.

Aura AI is a suite of artificial-intelligence features that includes, without limitation: (a) AI talent matching that ranks and recommends Talent for a Client's Job based on profile information, skills, prior Engagements, and other signals, (b) resume and portfolio analysis that parses and extracts structured information from documents and work samples that you upload, and (c) AI Job Finder that surfaces Jobs to Talent based on their profile, preferences, and behavior on the Platform.

Aura AI outputs — including matches, rankings, recommendations, summaries, extracted attributes, and confidence scores — are probabilistic, generated on a best-efforts basis, and may contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. Aura AI outputs are intended to assist, not replace, human judgment.

You agree that you will not rely solely on Aura AI to make any hiring, employment, contracting, compensation, promotion, demotion, termination, or other consequential decision. A qualified human reviewer must independently evaluate any Aura AI output before any consequential action is taken. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Studiomate disclaims any liability for decisions made based on Aura AI outputs.

You acknowledge and agree that, subject to our Privacy Policy and applicable law, we may use Content, Account information, Engagement metadata, and aggregated or de-identified usage data to train, evaluate, and improve Aura AI and other Studiomate machine-learning features. We will not use the contents of private direct messages between two Users to train generally-available models without those Users' consent or de-identification. Where required by applicable privacy law, we will provide opt-out mechanisms for the use of identifiable personal data in model training; see our Privacy Policy.

We design Aura AI to surface relevant matches without unlawful discrimination. Notwithstanding our efforts, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your use of Aura AI outputs complies with all applicable employment, anti-discrimination, equal-opportunity, and fair-credit laws, including without limitation Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (where applicable), New York City Local Law 144, and similar laws in your jurisdiction. Where the law requires you to perform a bias audit, provide a candidate-notice, or maintain records of automated employment decision tools, you, not Studiomate, are responsible for that compliance.

You may not (a) use Aura AI outputs to develop, train, or improve any artificial-intelligence model that competes with the Service, (b) attempt to extract, reconstruct, or copy the underlying weights, parameters, or training data of Aura AI, (c) submit prompts or inputs designed to cause Aura AI to produce harmful, infringing, or unlawful outputs, or (d) misrepresent Aura AI outputs as having been generated by Studiomate-employed humans.

Aura AI may incorporate third-party large-language and machine-learning models. You agree that, as between you and Studiomate, your use of features powered by such third-party models is also subject to the third-party providers' usage policies as referenced in our documentation.

Talent set their own hourly or project rate ("Set Rate") in their dashboard. Studiomate adds a markup of seventeen and one-half percent (17.5%) to the Talent's Set Rate to compute the Client-Facing Rate. The Client-Facing Rate is the rate displayed to Clients on Talent profiles, in search results, and on Jobs.

The Talent receives one hundred percent (100%) of the Set Rate for hours worked and accepted under an Engagement, less any payment-processing fees that the Talent has expressly agreed to bear. Studiomate retains the difference between the Client-Facing Rate and the Set Rate (i.e., the Markup amount).

The Markup percentage may change from time to time. Any change to the Markup will apply only to Engagements formed after the effective date of the change unless we provide reasonable notice and the parties agree otherwise.

By engaging Talent through the Platform, the Client agrees to pay (a) the Client-Facing Rate for hours worked and accepted, (b) any agreed-upon project fees, milestones, or expenses, (c) applicable taxes, and (d) any platform fees described in this Section 8.

The Client may be required to pay a non-refundable fee to post a Job. As of the Effective Date, the standard Job Posting Fee is one hundred and ninety-nine United States dollars (US$199) per posting. We may change Job Posting Fees from time to time and will display current fees on the Platform before purchase.

Studiomate offers paid subscription plans for Talent and Clients. Current plans (which we may modify from time to time) include:

Talent subscriptions (focused on visibility and AI matching):

Starter — US$29 per month: AI Job Finder basic features and standard search visibility.

Pro — US$79 per month: priority matching, boosted search visibility, and basic analytics.

Premium — US$99 per month: full AI suite, top search visibility, and dedicated support.

Client subscriptions:

Pro — US$299 per month: advanced search and filters, saved talent lists, and analytics.

Enterprise — US$999 per month: dedicated matching support, multiple team seats, and API access where applicable.

Subscriptions automatically renew at the then-current rate at the end of each billing cycle (monthly or annual, as selected) until cancelled. You may cancel your subscription at any time through your Account settings; cancellation takes effect at the end of the then-current billing period and you will retain access through that period.

We may change subscription pricing or features upon at least thirty (30) days' notice for any new billing period.

Fees do not include taxes. You are responsible for all sales, use, value-added, and similar taxes associated with your use of the Service, except for taxes based on Studiomate's net income. Where Studiomate is required by law to collect tax, the tax will be added to the applicable charge.

Studiomate invests substantial resources in sourcing, vetting, matching, and supporting Talent. If, within twelve (12) months of any introduction made through the Platform, a Client engages, hires, employs, or contracts with a Talent (including any of the Talent's employees, partners, or affiliates) outside of the Platform — directly, through a third party, through a different marketplace, or by any other means — and that engagement is not paid through the Platform, the Client shall pay Studiomate an Off-Platform Conversion Fee of two thousand five hundred United States dollars (US$2,500) per Talent.

The Off-Platform Conversion Fee is owed regardless of who initiated the off-platform contact and is in addition to any other remedies Studiomate may have. The Client agrees to provide Studiomate with reasonable information necessary to determine compliance with this Section 8.6, and Studiomate may, with reasonable notice, audit the Client's records solely to verify compliance.

Payments on the Platform are processed by Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe") and its affiliates. By using the Platform, you also agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy at stripe.com/legal and stripe.com/privacy. Stripe collects payment-card and bank-account information directly; Studiomate does not store full payment-card numbers. Talent who receive payouts via Stripe Connect must complete Stripe's identity-verification ("Know Your Customer") process and accept the Stripe Connected Account Agreement.

You authorize Studiomate (and Stripe acting on our behalf) to charge your selected payment method for all amounts due under these Terms and any applicable order, subscription, or invoice.

If any charge fails or is reversed, we may (a) re-attempt the charge, (b) suspend or restrict your Account or payouts to Talent until the amount is paid, (c) charge interest on overdue amounts at the lesser of 1.5% per month or the maximum permitted by law, and (d) recover reasonable collection costs (including attorneys' fees). Talent payouts may be withheld pending resolution of any chargeback, dispute, or fraud investigation.

If a Client initiates a chargeback or payment dispute that we determine, in our reasonable discretion, was made in bad faith or without merit, the Client shall be liable for the disputed amount, the chargeback fee assessed by Stripe or the issuing bank, and any related collection costs. Bad-faith chargebacks may result in immediate Account termination.

All Fees are in United States Dollars (USD) unless explicitly stated otherwise. International Users are responsible for any currency-conversion charges imposed by their bank or card issuer.

Except where required by applicable law, all Fees are non-refundable. This includes, without limitation, subscription fees (monthly and annual), Job Posting Fees, Off-Platform Conversion Fees, and any other charges paid to Studiomate. We do not offer refunds for partial billing periods, unused subscription time, or failure to use Platform features.

You may cancel a subscription at any time. Cancellation will stop future renewal billing; previously-paid amounts are not refunded. You will retain access to the paid features until the end of the then-current billing period.

Studiomate is not a party to any Engagement and is not responsible for refunding amounts paid by a Client to a Talent for unsatisfactory work, missed deadlines, or other performance issues. Where the Platform offers an escrow, milestone, or dispute-resolution feature, we may, in our reasonable discretion, mediate disputes about Engagement payments; any decision we render in connection with such mediation is provided as a courtesy and is not binding arbitration under Section 22 unless explicitly stated.

Nothing in this Section 9 limits any non-waivable refund or cancellation rights you may have under applicable consumer-protection law (for example, statutory cooling-off periods in your jurisdiction). Where you have such rights, this Section 9 will be construed to give effect to them to the minimum extent required by law.

Promotional credits, free trial periods, discount coupons, and similar offers are non-transferable, have no cash value, and may expire on the terms displayed at issuance. We may revoke promotional credits at any time, including for suspected fraud or abuse.

A binding Engagement is formed when a Client and Talent agree on the scope, deliverables, schedule, rate, and any other material terms through the Platform's hire flow or messaging system, and the Client has authorized payment for the initial period or milestone. The terms recorded in the Platform at the time of acceptance govern the Engagement, supplemented by these Terms.

Talent are responsible for accurately recording hours worked or deliverables produced through the Platform's time-tracking and submission tools. Clients are responsible for promptly reviewing and approving or disputing submitted hours and deliverables. Hours not disputed within the period stated in the Platform are deemed approved.

Either party may terminate an Engagement in accordance with the terms agreed at formation or, absent an explicit term, upon reasonable written notice through the Platform. The Talent is entitled to be paid for hours worked and approved (or properly submitted and not disputed) up to the effective date of termination.

Talent and Clients are responsible for entering into any confidentiality, non-disclosure, intellectual-property assignment, or other agreement they desire with respect to an Engagement. Studiomate is not a party to those agreements.

Users may post reviews and ratings about other Users following an Engagement. You agree that your reviews will be honest, based on your actual experience, and free of unlawful or abusive content. We may, but are not required to, review, edit, or remove reviews. We disclaim liability for reviews posted by Users.

The Platform and all software, designs, text, graphics, photographs, video, audio, logos, trademarks, service marks, and trade names appearing on the Platform (other than User Content), including without limitation the Aura AI models, weights, prompts, and outputs (to the extent of our rights), are owned by Studiomate or our licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, trade-secret, and other laws.

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to access and use the Platform for your internal use as a Talent, Client, or Visitor. We reserve all rights not expressly granted.

"Studiomate," the Studiomate logo, "Aura," "Aura AI," and other marks are trademarks of Studiomate. You may not use these marks without our prior written consent except as expressly permitted by our brand guidelines.

Before filing any arbitration, you agree to first contact us at legal@studiomate.com with a written description of the dispute, including the relief you seek and your contact information. We will attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least sixty (60) days from the date we receive your notice. If we cannot resolve the dispute informally within sixty (60) days, either party may initiate arbitration.

Except for the matters described in Section 22.5, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service ("Dispute") will be resolved exclusively by final and binding individual arbitration, rather than in court, except that you may assert claims in small-claims court if your claims qualify.

Arbitration will be administered by JAMS under its Streamlined Arbitration Rules (or, at your election, by AAA under its Consumer Arbitration Rules) before a single neutral arbitrator. The rules are available at jamsadr.com and adr.org respectively. The arbitration will be conducted in the English language. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the seat of arbitration will be the U.S. county where you reside, or, if you are not a U.S. resident, in San Francisco, California. The arbitrator may conduct hearings by video or teleconference.

YOU AND STUDIOMATE AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one party's claims, may not preside over any form of class or representative proceeding, and may award only individual relief.

If a court or arbitrator decides that the class action waiver in this Section 22.4 is unenforceable as to any claim, that claim must be severed from arbitration and brought in court.

Notwithstanding Section 22.2, either party may (a) bring an individual action in small-claims court, (b) seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent actual or threatened infringement of intellectual-property rights, misappropriation of trade secrets, or violation of Section 8.6 (Off-Platform Conversion Fee), and (c) bring an action in court for collection of undisputed Fees.

You may opt out of this Section 22 by sending written notice to legal@studiomate.com within thirty (30) days of first accepting these Terms. The notice must include your full name, mailing address, the email associated with your Account, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration. Opting out will not affect any other provision of these Terms.

If any portion of this Section 22 is found unenforceable (other than the class action waiver, which is governed by Section 22.4), it will be severed and the remainder of Section 22 will remain in effect.

Each party bears its own attorneys' fees and costs except as otherwise required by the JAMS or AAA rules or by applicable law.

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other agreements explicitly incorporated by reference, constitute the entire agreement between you and Studiomate regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or, if that is not possible, severed; the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of that provision or any other.

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights hereunder without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms freely, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets. Any prohibited assignment is void.

We may provide notices to you by email, in-app notification, or through the Platform. Notices to Studiomate must be sent to legal@studiomate.com (and a copy to the mailing address posted on the Platform), and are deemed given upon our acknowledgment.

We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including without limitation acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government action, labor disputes, internet or telecommunications failures, or pandemics.

These Terms do not create any agency, partnership, joint venture, employment, or franchise relationship between you and Studiomate.

You agree to comply with all applicable export-control and sanctions laws and not to use the Service in violation of those laws.

The Service is "commercial computer software" and "commercial computer software documentation" as those terms are used in 48 C.F.R. § 12.212. Government end users acquire only the rights set out in these Terms.

Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.

For questions about these Terms, contact us:

Studiomate

Email (general): support@studiomate.com

Email (legal): legal@studiomate.com

Email (DMCA): dmca@studiomate.com

Email (privacy): privacy@studiomate.com