What this policy covers
This policy explains how Piano Fantasy uses cookies and similar technologies on pianofantasy.com. It applies to all visitors, regardless of where you are in the world — though some of the rights and controls described here apply specifically to visitors in the European Union and European Economic Area.
Piano Fantasy is operated by Lars Nelissen, a Dutch sole proprietor (eenmanszaak) registered at Sint Ursulahof 24, 5995CG, Kessel, The Netherlands.
For how we handle your personal data more broadly, see our Privacy Policy.
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file that a website places on your device when you visit. Your browser stores it and sends it back to the site on future visits, so the site can recognise you or remember your preferences.
Beyond cookies, websites can also use local storage (browser memory that persists between sessions), session storage (memory that clears when you close the tab), and tracking pixels (tiny invisible images that signal when a page or email has been opened). This policy covers all of these technologies.
There are two useful distinctions to know:
- First-party vs. third-party. A first-party cookie is set by pianofantasy.com itself. A third-party cookie is set by an external service — such as Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity — loaded on our pages.
- Session vs. persistent. Session cookies disappear when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device until they expire or you delete them; they can last from a few minutes to several years, depending on how they are set.
How we use cookies — by category
Strictly Necessary
These cookies are required for the site to function. They handle things like maintaining your session, protecting forms against cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and storing your cookie-banner choice so we do not ask again on every page load. Without them, core features of the site would break.
Consent required in the EU: No — these are exempt under the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR because they are essential to a service you have actively requested.
Retention: Session, or up to 12 months for preference storage.
Analytics and Performance
We use Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity to understand how visitors use the site — which pages are visited, how long people stay, where they come from, and where they leave. This helps us improve the site over time.
The data collected is aggregated. We do not use it to identify individual visitors or build personal profiles for advertising.
- Google Analytics 4 sets the
_gaand_ga_<container>cookies. These expire after two years from your last visit (browsers typically cap this closer to 13 months in practice). Google's privacy policy is at policies.google.com/privacy. - Microsoft Clarity records anonymised session replays and heatmaps. Its
_clckcookie persists for one year;_clskis a session cookie. Data is retained on Microsoft's servers for up to 13 months. Microsoft's privacy statement is at privacy.microsoft.com.
Consent required in the EU: Yes. Neither tool sets cookies nor collects data until you have actively opted in. We have configured both tools to respect consent signals in line with Google Consent Mode v2.
Retention: Up to 13 months (analytics data); cookies expire between one and two years from last visit.
Preferences
These cookies remember lightweight choices you make on the site — for example, whether you have dismissed a modal or saved a display preference. They make your experience more consistent across visits.
Consent required in the EU: Preference cookies that go beyond what is strictly required to deliver a service you requested require consent. Where we set these, we ask for it.
Retention: Up to 12 months.
Marketing and Advertising
We do not currently use any marketing or advertising cookies. Piano Fantasy does not run retargeting campaigns, display advertising networks, or third-party affiliate tracking pixels.
If that changes in the future, this policy will be updated and EU visitors will be asked for explicit consent before any marketing cookies are set.
Third-party cookies and tools
The following external services are active on pianofantasy.com:
| Service | Purpose | Provider privacy / cookie page |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Usage analytics | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Microsoft Clarity | Session recording, heatmaps | privacy.microsoft.com |
| Google reCAPTCHA | Form spam protection | policies.google.com/privacy |
We do not use Facebook Pixel, advertising networks, or any other third-party tracking tools beyond those listed here.
How long cookies last
Cookie lifetimes vary by type:
- Session cookies are deleted automatically when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period — anything from a few minutes to up to two years. In practice, most modern browsers cap first-party persistent cookies at around 13 months even if the cookie itself was set with a longer expiry.
- Analytics cookies on this site follow a maximum retention of 13 months from your last visit, in line with EU regulatory guidance.
You can view and delete cookies on your device at any time using your browser settings (see below).
Your choices
On-site consent banner
If you are visiting from the EU or EEA, you will see a consent banner on your first visit. It lets you accept or decline each cookie category individually. You can revisit and change your choices at any time via the Manage cookie preferences link.
Browser-level controls
Every major browser lets you view, block, or delete cookies independently of our banner:
Keep in mind that blocking strictly necessary cookies will prevent parts of the site from working correctly.
Do Not Track
Some browsers can send a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. There is currently no consistent technical standard for how websites should respond to this signal, and the third-party tools we use (Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity) do not treat it as a formal consent mechanism. Our EU consent banner is the reliable way to control analytics tracking.
Updates to this policy
If we make significant changes to how we use cookies, we will update this page and revise the effective date at the top — and if you are an EU visitor, your existing consent choices will be reset so you can review the changes.
Contact
Questions about this policy or how your data is handled?
Email: support@pianofantasy.com
Post: Lars Nelissen / Piano Fantasy, Sint Ursulahof 24, 5995CG Kessel, The Netherlands
For broader data and privacy questions, see our Privacy Policy.