Refund & Cancellation Policy

This policy explains how cancellations, refunds, no-shows, and disputes are handled on Cadence. It applies to all bookings made through the platform and should be read together with our Terms of Service. Payments on Cadence are held securely after a business pays and are only released to the musician after the event is marked complete — this holding period is what allows us to protect both sides fairly under this policy.

All refunds and dispute outcomes are administered by Cadence support. To raise any issue, contact us through the Help option in the app or by email. We aim to respond within 5 business days.

Before the day of the event: bookings cancelled any time before the calendar day of the event receive a full refund of the booking payment.

On the day of the event (before the start time): a partial refund may be issued at Cadence's discretion, taking into account the circumstances and the notice given to the musician. In extraordinary situations (for example, documented emergencies or venue closures), Cadence may issue a larger or full refund at its discretion.

After the event start time: cancellations made after the scheduled start time are not eligible for a refund, and the musician's payout will proceed as if the booking were completed, unless the musician failed to appear (see Section 4).

Unpaid bookings: an accepted booking that remains unpaid 72 hours after acceptance (or at the event start time, whichever comes first) is automatically released — the booking is cancelled without any charge or penalty, and the musician's date is freed.

If a musician cancels an accepted booking at any time before completion, the business receives a full refund of any funds held. The musician receives no payout for a cancelled booking.

Repeated or late cancellations harm businesses and the platform. Musicians who cancel frequently, or repeatedly cancel close to event dates, may have their account reviewed and may face the measures described in Section 4.

A no-show occurs when a musician fails to appear for a confirmed, paid booking without cancelling in the app beforehand. No-shows are treated as a serious violation of the trust the platform depends on.

When a no-show occurs: the business is refunded in full, and the musician forfeits the entire payout for that booking.

Consequences for the musician: a first unexcused no-show results in a formal strike and a 30-day suspension, during which the musician cannot apply to jobs or receive new invitations. A second unexcused no-show results in permanent removal from Cadence.

Documented emergencies (such as a medical emergency or serious family crisis) may be excused at Cadence's discretion. Musicians should contact support as soon as possible with relevant details if an emergency prevents them from honoring a booking.

Refunds are issued to the original payment method through our payment processor, Stripe. Once issued, refunds typically appear on the payer's statement within 5–10 business days, depending on their bank.

Where a booking is refunded under this policy, Cadence refunds the booking payment collected. Third-party payment processing costs are handled by Cadence and do not reduce the refund owed to the business under Sections 2–4.

If something went wrong with a booking — a service materially different from what was agreed, a payment issue, or any disagreement the parties cannot resolve in messaging — contact Cadence support through the Help menu or by email. Include the booking title and date, the other party's name, a description of what happened, and any supporting evidence (messages, photos, or documents).

Cadence will review the information provided by both parties and issue a determination, which may include a full refund, a partial refund, release of the payout, or another remedy we consider fair. We aim to respond to disputes within 5 business days of receiving the necessary information. Cadence's determination of disputes conducted under this policy is final.

If you believe a charge is incorrect, please contact Cadence support before disputing the charge with your card issuer — most issues can be resolved faster through us, and funds for incomplete bookings are still held safely on the platform. Initiating a chargeback for a transaction that is subject to an open Cadence dispute may delay resolution. Accounts that abuse the chargeback process may be suspended.

Live events involve real-world circumstances that no policy can fully anticipate. Cadence reserves reasonable discretion to deviate from the standard outcomes above where fairness clearly requires it — for example, extraordinary emergencies, venue failures, or misconduct by either party. Any exercise of discretion is intended to protect the fairness and trustworthiness of the platform for both businesses and musicians.