Community guidelines
Updated 10/12/2026
StoryFM is built for listeners of all backgrounds, from age 13. These guidelines apply to everything shared here: stories, episodes, covers, author profiles and reviews. They are part of our Terms of Use.
On this page
In short
- Publish only original work you have the rights to.
- Dark themes are welcome in fiction; content that harms real people is not.
- No sexually explicit content, and nothing that sexualizes minors, ever.
- Be respectful in reviews and profiles.
- Report what breaks these rules; we review every report.
1. Our approach
Fiction can be thrilling, sad, scary or uncomfortable, and that's fine. What we don't allow is content that is illegal, that harms or exploits real people, or that isn't suitable for a general audience from age 13.
2. Before you publish
- Publish only stories, narration, music and images you created or have the rights to use.
- Use a title, description, genres and cover that honestly describe the story.
- Put a content note at the start of the description if a story deals with heavy topics (violence, abuse, suicide).
- Don't include real people's private information, and don't present fiction about real people as fact.
3. Sexual content
Allowed
- Romance, attraction and relationships
- Implied intimacy that fades out ("closed door")
Not allowed
- Sexually explicit descriptions or images
- Any sexual or suggestive content involving minors
- Sexual content without consent presented approvingly
4. Violence and horror
Allowed
- Action, crime, war and horror stories
- Violence that serves the story
Not allowed
- Gratuitous gore meant only to shock
- Glorifying real attacks or their perpetrators
- Threats against anyone
5. Self-harm and suicide
Allowed
- Stories that explore these topics with care, with a content note
Not allowed
- Encouraging or instructing self-harm, suicide or eating disorders
6. Hate and harassment
Allowed
- Characters with flawed or hateful views, when the story doesn't promote them
Not allowed
- Attacks on people for their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or similar
- Bullying, harassment or doxxing of real people
7. Illegal and dangerous
Allowed
- Crime fiction
Not allowed
- Real instructions for weapons, drugs or crimes
- Promoting terrorism or violent extremism
- Selling or advertising illegal goods
8. Spam and deception
Allowed
- Mentioning your other series in your author profile
Not allowed
- Misleading titles, covers or descriptions
- Impersonating another author or person
- Spam, scams, links to malware
- Fake plays, reviews or accounts
9. Reviews
- Review the story, not the author as a person.
- Warn before spoilers, or leave them out.
- No ads, links or self-promotion.
- No hate, harassment or personal information.
10. Reporting and enforcement
- Anyone can report a story, episode, author or review with the Report button.
- Our team reviews reports. New authors, new releases and changes to author profiles are checked before they appear.
- Depending on how serious a case is, we may remove content, ask for changes, hide a series or lock an account. Authors are told why.
- Content that sexualizes minors or threatens real harm is removed immediately and may be reported to the authorities.