Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions about ONCE.

Looking for step-by-step instructions instead? Quick Answers covers the most-asked requests as short numbered procedures.

Getting Started

Visit beta.once.app and click Sign Up. You’ll need to verify your email address before you can start releasing music.

Is ONCE free to use?

ONCE uses a credits-based system. You purchase credits and spend them when submitting releases. You can also earn free credits through our referral program.

What platforms does ONCE distribute to?

ONCE distributes to 30+ streaming platforms and stores including:

Featured: Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, TikTok
Also included: Amazon Music, Tidal, Pandora, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, Audiomack, Facebook/Instagram Audio Library, Snapchat, Peloton, Mixcloud, Boomplay, and more
Rights management: Facebook Rights Manager supports royalty collection on user-generated content. YouTube Content ID and related YouTube channel services are available for new releases only through approved ONCE distribution partners

Is ONCE still delivering releases to YouTube?

Yes. ONCE still delivers new releases to YouTube Music, the streaming service. That delivery usually creates an Art Track on an artist Topic channel, makes the release available in the YouTube Music app, and earns streaming royalties.

YouTube Music is separate from YouTube Content ID, which finds matching audio in videos across regular YouTube, and from an Official Artist Channel (OAC), which organizes eligible artist surfaces under an artist-owned channel. Starting July 17, 2026, new Content ID enrollment is limited to approved ONCE distribution partners, and new OAC requests are limited to ONCE Insiders and approved partners. Existing Art Tracks, OACs, and Content ID coverage are not being removed. See YouTube Music, Content ID, and Official Artist Channels for details.

Releases

Can I schedule a release date?

Yes! You can set a future release date when working with the chat agent. This allows time for platform processing. If you choose today’s date, ONCE sends the release to stores as soon as possible instead of scheduling it for a later day.

Can I distribute a cover song?

Yes, but only when your release is a straightforward cover recording of a song that has already been released to the public and you have the rights needed to distribute it.

Keep the song as a faithful cover. Small style or arrangement changes are fine, but translated lyrics, rewritten lyrics, melody changes, or use of any original master audio move the release out of standard cover-song handling.
Instrumental covers are allowed.
Keep the original song title as the base title. If you need a qualifier, use a title version such as Cover or Techno Version rather than Mix or Remix.
Credit the original writers, lyricists, and publisher accurately.
If you plan to release a premium music video version of a cover to YouTube/VEVO, you also need sync rights for the video.
ONCE does not support cover-song delivery for India or Pakistan territories.

How much does AI-generated music cost?

Pricing is flat and you only pay at submission time:

Human track: 1 credit ($1) per track.
AI track: 2 credits ($2) per track when your uploaded audio is flagged by ONCE’s AI detector.

So a single-track release with one AI track costs 2 credits. A 5-track EP where 2 tracks are AI costs 7 credits (3 human × 1 + 2 AI × 2). The AI surcharge funds the ONCE Artist Compensation Fund (ACF). Every AI song you distribute through ONCE contributes. See the ACF guide or once.app/blog for more.

Can I distribute AI music on ONCE?

Yes. AI-assisted and fully AI-generated tracks made with any tool are welcome, as long as you hold the rights and follow ONCE’s content policies (no impersonating real artists with voice clones, no audio you can’t commercialize). Uploads are screened by ONCE’s AI detector, and detected tracks are billed at the flat 2-credit AI rate and disclosed to stores that require it. See beta.once.app/ai-music for the full rundown of how AI music works on ONCE, also available in French and Spanish.

What if my artist name includes “and” (like “Simon & Garfunkel”)?

The chat agent will ask whether that is one artist name or two separate primary artists.

If it is one artist name, ONCE keeps it as a single primary artist (for example, “Art and Garfunkel”)
If it is two artists, ONCE keeps the first as the main primary artist and saves the others as additional primary artist contributors

Can I use a generic name like “Christmas Music” or “Yoga Music” as my artist?

No. Your primary artist must be a real performing identity (solo artist, band, or stage/DJ/producer name), not a category or playlist-style label.

The chat agent will reject names that describe a type of music or audience instead of a specific act, for example “ASMR”, “Binaural Beats”, “EDM”, “Solfeggio Frequencies”, “Christmas Songs”, “Study Music”, “Sleep Music”, or non-English equivalents like “Kindermuziek”, and ask you for your actual artist or band name. These names are also blocked automatically when you submit a release. Various Artists is still allowed when different tracks on the same release truly have different primary artists.

What audio formats do you accept?

WAV is recommended. MP3, AAC, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AIFF, and MP4 are also accepted. See audio requirements.

What are the cover art requirements?

Square, JPG or PNG, 3000x3000 recommended, with no streaming platform logos and no URLs. See cover art requirements for the full list and the most common rejection reasons.

Changing a Release

Can I change my release after it’s live?

Yes. You can update metadata (titles, genres, artwork, etc.) and even replace a track’s audio using Edit & Redistribute on the release page. Audio replacements route through a takedown first, and the release page shows a progress banner while the new audio is verified and goes live. See Changing a Release for the full walkthrough, and Things to Know for details on how edits affect release dates.

How do I change a song that I’ve uploaded?

It depends on where the release is:

Draft: expand the track in the chat sidebar and click Replace audio, or tell the chat agent what to change.
Submitted, not live yet: click Edit & Redistribute on the release page. Nothing has been accepted by stores yet, so even an audio swap saves without a takedown.
Live on stores: use Edit & Redistribute. Metadata and artwork go out directly; new audio needs a takedown first, which ONCE sequences for you.

Full steps for each case: Changing a Release.

How do I put a different audio file up on a song I’ve already released?

Open the release, click Edit & Redistribute, open the manual editor, and upload the new file under Track Audio Replacement (or ask the Edit Agent to “replace the audio on track 2”). Stores won’t accept new audio on a live release, so ONCE takes the release down, applies your changes, and puts it back up under the same UPC and store links. You confirm once and the release page tracks the whole sequence. See replacing audio on a live release.

How do I change the artwork on a song I’ve already released?

Open the release, click Edit & Redistribute, and replace the image in the Album Art section at the top of the editor. Artwork does not need a takedown, so your music stays live. Stores refresh art on their own schedule, so allow a few days. See changing artwork.

I found a problem in a track. Should I replace the audio or submit a new release?

Replace the audio when it’s the same recording with a technical problem fixed (an artifact, a click, clipping, a bad export). You keep the same UPC, ISRCs, store links, and streams.

Submit a new release when it’s a different recording: an acoustic version, remix, live take, or radio edit. An ISRC identifies one specific recording, and replacing audio keeps the existing ISRC, so a different version should get its own release and its own ISRC. If you want the original gone as well, request a takedown of the original and submit the new version separately. See replace or release new.

Does editing or replacing audio cost credits?

No. You’re charged once per release, at first submission. Edits, artwork swaps, audio replacements, and redistributions are free, however many times you make them.

My release is live on Spotify or YouTube, but ONCE shows no track or no cover art

Your music is fine: ONCE’s copy of the release is out of step with the distributor. This most often follows a deleted duplicate release. Ask ONCE Support in the app, giving the release name, its release date, and a link to the live store page, and it will open a tracked thread for the team.

Do not resubmit the release or create a new one for music that’s already live, since that risks a duplicate delivery to stores. Your release keeps earning while it’s corrected. See the full answer.

Publishing & Splits

Does ONCE support publishing registration?

Yes. ONCE includes a publishing workflow where you can prepare and register per-track songwriting and publishing details from your release page. You can also share publishing details (writer roles, societies, IPIs, splits) with the assistant while building your release in chat. They are queued at submission and registered automatically once each track’s ISRC arrives.

See Publishing with ONCE for the full flow and requirements.

Credits & Payment

How do credits work?

Purchase credits from the My Account page, then spend them when submitting releases. Human tracks cost 1 credit each; AI tracks (flagged by ONCE’s AI detector on upload) cost a flat 2 credits each.

How do I earn free credits?

Share your referral link from the My Account page. When someone signs up and submits their first release, you earn +5 credits.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. If your device has a wallet set up, its one-tap button appears at the top of checkout automatically.

Can I get a refund on credits?

Yes, refunds are handled as tracked requests. Go to Settings > Account, click Request refund, and tell us what happened. Your request appears on the page with a status (Received, In review, Refunded, or Not approved), and you can cancel it while it’s still open. Refunds are reviewed, and approved refunds go back to your original payment method.

Discord

How do I ask ONCE questions in Discord?

Use the /ask command in a Discord channel where the ONCE bot is available, then enter your question.
For more details, see Discord on ONCE.

How do I report a bug in Discord?

Bug Bot and the /bug-report command have been retired. Report issues to ONCE Support inside the ONCE app so your conversation, screenshots, and fix progress stay together in one thread. Include what you tried, what happened, and steps to reproduce.

Can I reply to ONCE Support’s message with a follow-up?

Yes. Use the follow-up button on ONCE Support’s message:

Ask follow-up continues an /ask conversation

Older Add bug update buttons now direct you to ONCE Support in the ONCE app.

Will Discord answers always include docs links?

Not always. The assistant prefers docs.once.app sources when relevant, but it can still answer using best-effort guidance when specific docs links are not available.

Do I need Discord to use ONCE?

No. Discord is optional and helpful for fast Q&A, but all core release workflows happen in the ONCE app.

Royalties

Does ONCE take a cut of my royalties?

No. ONCE takes 0% of your streaming royalties and only charges for distribution via the credits system. The only deduction between the stores and you is the 6-8% our distribution pipeline partner takes before the money reaches ONCE.

How do I get paid?

Royalties are paid automatically through the Payouts page:

Once your music earns its first royalties, payout setup unlocks on the Payouts page.
Complete the payout form (tax info and payment method) through Tipalti, our payment partner.
Payouts are then sent automatically every quarter for balances of $20 or more. There is nothing to request or withdraw.

See the Payouts guide for the full walkthrough, status meanings, and what to expect.

When do payouts happen?

Quarterly, automatically, for any balance of $20 or more. Balances under $20 roll over to the next quarter. Track everything, including what has been sent, on the Payouts page.

ONCE Support

ONCE Support is the in-app assistant, reachable from any page in ONCE.

Can ONCE Support submit my release, edit metadata, or map IDs?

ONCE Support can look up your releases, list them by status, answer questions about them, and propose metadata-only edits.

ONCE Support cannot complete release setup, submission/distribution, initial artist ID mapping, file replacement, or takedown workflows for you. If music that is already live landed on the wrong or duplicate Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, or Facebook artist profile, ONCE Support can file a tracked remap request after you provide the correct profile link. The team performs the store-side move, and you can follow the request on your artist profile page.

For those tasks, use the main chat agent in the ONCE app. If you ask ONCE Support about a specific release, it can also hand you a direct link to that release page so you can continue there.
See Releasing Music.

Can ONCE Support generate images or navigate me to pages in the app?

ONCE Support can navigate you to any page within the ONCE app: just ask something like “take me to my releases” or “open the payouts page” and ONCE Support will take you there automatically.

ONCE Support cannot generate images or navigate you to external websites outside of ONCE. For image generation, use the main chat agent in ONCE.

What are ONCE Support alerts?

Alerts are proactive messages from ONCE Support when ONCE has important product or account information to share with you. They appear in your conversation history with an Alert badge.

When an alert is waiting, the ONCE Support button shows a red dot and glows until you open it and read the message. Alerts are separate from the bell in the header, which carries release, payout, and account notifications.

Can I view past alerts and conversations with ONCE Support?

Yes. In the ONCE Support panel, click History (next to the close button) to view previous ONCE Support conversations.

A conversation stays open until it’s resolved, so you can keep replying and add relevant details. If your question needs a person, ONCE Support can flag it for the ONCE team; you can also email the ONCE team at hey@once.app. Replies come as the team is able, with no guaranteed turnaround. Open conversations in History show a Continue this conversation button so you can pick up right where you left off.

When ONCE Support sends a thread to the team, the thread shows Escalated. It changes to In review after the team opens it and Resolved when the flag is cleared, so the handoff never disappears without a visible outcome.

Once a conversation is closed (or after it’s been quiet for a while), it becomes read-only. Just click Start a new conversation and ONCE Support will pick things up fresh.

What happens when ONCE Support needs to investigate or fix something?

ONCE Support decides whether your message needs only an answer, an automatic fix attempt, or help from the ONCE team. During an automatic fix, a small progress card stays in the conversation, including after you leave and return through History. The card does not show private system logs, but it does show whether ONCE Support is starting, working, finished, or handed the issue to the team.

When it finishes, ONCE Support posts a short update explaining what changed and whether it worked. If ONCE Support cannot complete the fix safely, the conversation is passed to the ONCE team with the next step already recorded.

What are ONCE Support page snapshots?

When you open ONCE Support, it may ask if you’d like to allow page snapshots. If you opt in, ONCE Support captures a snapshot of the current ONCE page before each reply so it can see exactly what you’re looking at and give more helpful answers.

What ONCE Support can see:

Only the current once.app page you’re viewing

What ONCE Support cannot see:

Your desktop, other browser tabs, or non-ONCE websites, snapshots are strictly limited to once.app pages

How to control it:

ONCE Support asks once, the first time you use it, and your choice is saved to your account
You can change your preference any time in My Account under the ONCE Support Page Snapshots toggle
If you decline, ONCE Support works normally without any snapshots

Snapshots are stored privately per session and may be reviewed by ONCE staff. They are processed by the same AI provider ONCE Support uses (OpenAI) under API terms that do not use your data for model training.

Can I paste a screenshot into ONCE Support?

Yes. Paste an image from your clipboard directly into ONCE Support’s message box and it attaches to your message automatically. This is handy when reporting a bug or showing ONCE Support exactly what you’re seeing.

Account & Support

What does “flagged for suspension” mean?

If ONCE flags your account for automatic suspension, your app access is paused and we email you immediately. The email and login message show that your account is scheduled for suspension in 24 hours.

No catalog termination begins during that 24-hour review window. If you believe the flag is a mistake, email hey@once.app before the deadline in your notice. If the flag is cleared, your access is restored. If it is not cleared, the normal suspension and catalog termination process begins after the deadline.

How do I contact support?

Start with ONCE Support in the app for product and account questions. You can also email the ONCE team at hey@once.app; replies come as the team is able, with no guaranteed turnaround. For more immediate support from the community, join the ONCE Discord.

Can I use a stage name instead of my real name?

Yes. Profiles support an optional public display name. Edit your name on your profile page and fill in the “Public display name” field: when set, it’s shown on your public profile instead of your account’s first and last name. Leave it empty to display your name as usual.

Can I delete my account?

Yes. Go to Settings > Account and click Request deletion. The form asks you to confirm twice, including typing DELETE MY ACCOUNT, before it creates the request. Deletion is still a reviewed process: ONCE verifies it before anything is removed, then takes down any live releases and removes your account and data. You can follow the request’s status on the same page (Received, In review, Completed) and cancel it while it’s still open.

I forgot my password

Use the “Forgot Password” link on the login page. You’ll receive an email to reset your password.

Troubleshooting

Why did my performance totals just change?

Performance pages now auto-refresh when new analytics arrive, so totals can update while you are viewing the page.

ONCE uses Revelator as the primary source for stream counts, then adds YouTube Music view deltas from ONCE’s view tracking. This keeps release totals, top releases, and track-level numbers aligned as fresh data comes in.

My release is stuck in “Submitted”

After submission, releases go through processing and platform review. This is normal. Your status will change to “Delivered” then “Distributed” once platforms confirm. If a submitted release passes its release date without going live, ONCE detects it automatically, emails you, and alerts the team, so there’s no need to open a support ticket. If something else seems off, you can always contact support.

I can’t find my release on Spotify/Apple Music

Search by exact title and artist name
Wait for the status to show “Distributed” on the Releases page
Try searching by UPC or ISRC code

My cover art was rejected

Almost always one of: a streaming platform logo, a website URL, low resolution or blur, or explicit imagery that is not marked. Replace the artwork through Edit & Redistribute and resubmit. See cover art requirements and changing artwork.

I need to take down my release

You can do it yourself. Open the release, click View details to open the Distributions panel, then use the takedown icon on a single store, or Take Down From ALL Stores under the store list (that one asks you to type TAKE IT ALL DOWN to confirm). Takedowns take several days to process at stores. Full steps: how to take your release down.

Things to Know Overview