AUTHOR TERMS OF SERVICE
Anthony Pica Productions, LLC (d/b/a Academy Voices)
Agreement Overview
These Terms of Service ("Agreement") govern use of the Academy Voices platform by an author or rights holder ("Author") submitting audiobook projects, auditioning narrators, or otherwise using the site. By checking "I Agree," the Author acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by this Agreement. This document covers use of the platform generally — the specific deal terms for any individual audiobook (compensation model, rights, cancellation terms) are governed separately by that project's own signed production agreement.
Account Establishment & Eligibility
The Author affirms that they are at least eighteen (18) years of age and legally capable of entering into this Agreement. The Author is responsible for the accuracy of information provided on the platform, including payment and tax information, and for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials. Accounts are personal to the Author and may not be transferred or shared.
Content Ownership & Rights Confirmation
The Author represents and warrants that they own or control the full rights necessary to submit a given work for audiobook production and distribution, consistent with the confirmation the Author makes at project submission. The Author further represents that submitted content does not infringe any third party's rights and does not contain unlawful material. The Author remains solely responsible for the accuracy of these representations.
Promotional Use
The Author grants Anthony Pica Productions, LLC and its brands, including Academy Voices and VO's Journey Academy, a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to use, in any media: any audiobook produced or distributed through the Company (the complete audiobook where the Company owns it, otherwise excerpts only); its title, cover art and description; and the Author's name or pen name, biography, and any photo the Author provides. These may be used to promote the audiobook and the Company's brands, products and services. This license applies whoever owns the audiobook, covers audiobooks completed before this version of these terms, and continues after any project's production agreement or this Agreement ends. It never permits artificial intelligence training, voice cloning, or synthetic voice generation.
Company Use of AI-Assisted Tools
Every Academy Voices audiobook is narrated by a real person. AI is never used to create, alter or replace a narrator's voice. Behind the scenes, some of our tools use a paid, commercial AI service to process text and audio, for example to check recorded narration against the manuscript, draft book descriptions, and caption Social Clips. Under our paid agreement, nothing processed this way is used to train AI models, and the provider deletes it within 30 days. Nothing is ever used for voice cloning or to build synthetic voices.
Platform Conduct
The Author agrees to communicate with narrators and Company staff professionally, and not to use the platform to solicit narrators for work outside the platform in a manner that circumvents the Company's role in a production already underway on the platform.
Confidentiality of Account & Financial Data
Sales figures, royalty statements, and other financial data made available to the Author through the platform are provided for the Author's own use in tracking their own work. The Author agrees not to publicly disclose another party's financial data encountered through the platform (for example, a narrator's compensation) that was not intended for public disclosure.
Payment & Fees
Fees, royalty splits, and production costs for a specific project are governed by that project's own production agreement, not by this document. This Agreement does not itself create any payment obligation. The Author is solely responsible for any tax obligations arising from payments received.
No Guarantee of Outcomes
Submitting a project does not guarantee narrator interest, casting, or completion. The Company does not guarantee sales, distribution outcomes, or revenue for any published work.
Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability
The platform is provided "as is," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the platform, beyond amounts actually paid by the Author to the Company in the twelve months preceding a claim.
Indemnification
The Author agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company from claims arising from breach of this Agreement, infringement or misrepresentation regarding submitted content, or violation of applicable law.
Termination
Either party may terminate this Agreement — the Author by closing their account, the Company for material breach of this Agreement or of any individual project's production agreement. Termination does not affect obligations already accrued under any project's own production agreement.
Modifications to Terms
The Company may update these terms from time to time. Material changes require renewed acceptance. Continued use of the platform after acceptance constitutes agreement to the then-current terms.
Electronic Acceptance & Records
By checking "I Agree," the Author acknowledges that this constitutes a legally binding electronic signature. The Company may maintain electronic records of acceptance, including date, time, and version of terms accepted.
Dispute Resolution
The parties agree to attempt mediation first. If mediation fails, disputes will be resolved by binding arbitration in the Commonwealth of Virginia under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The Author waives any right to take part in a class action.
Governing Law
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Entire Agreement
This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties regarding platform use and supersedes all prior versions of this document. It does not supersede any individual project's own production agreement.
ACCEPTANCE
By checking "I Agree," the Author affirms that they have read, understood, and accepted this Agreement.
