FAQ

Short answers about how ONCE works. For step-by-step fixes (takedowns, edits, rejections, payouts), see Quick Answers.

Getting started

Is ONCE free to use?

ONCE is credits-based: 1 credit ($1) per human track, 2 per AI track, paid once when you submit. Edits are free, and ONCE takes 0% of royalties. You can earn free credits through referrals.

What platforms does ONCE distribute to?

30+ streaming platforms and stores:

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 collects royalties on user-generated content. YouTube Content ID is available for new releases only through approved ONCE distribution partners.

Is ONCE still delivering to YouTube?

Yes. Every release still goes to YouTube Music, the streaming service. What changed on July 17, 2026 is access to two separate services: new Content ID enrollment is partner-only, and new Official Artist Channel requests are open to ONCE Insiders and partners. Existing coverage is untouched. See YouTube.

Do I need Discord to use ONCE?

No. Discord is optional; every core workflow happens in the app. It is the place to reach the team and other artists when ONCE Support is not enough. See Discord.

Releases

Can I schedule a release date?

Yes. Set a future date in the chat to give stores time to process. If you pick today’s date, ONCE sends the release as soon as possible instead of scheduling it. Stores usually take 1 to 3 days to put a new release live, so it may appear a day or two after a date that close.

Can I distribute a cover song?

Yes, when your release is a straightforward cover of a song already released to the public and you hold the rights to distribute it.

Keep it a faithful cover. Small style or arrangement changes are fine; translated or rewritten lyrics, melody changes, or any use of the original master move it out of cover-song handling.
Instrumental covers are allowed.
Keep the original title as the base title. Do not add the word Cover on its own to the title or version (stores reject it; marking the song as a cover already tells them). A version like Acoustic Cover or Techno Version is fine; never use Mix or Remix for a cover.
Credit the original writers, lyricists, and publisher accurately.
A premium music video of a cover on YouTube/VEVO also needs sync rights.
Cover-song delivery is not supported for India or Pakistan.

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 cannot commercialize). Uploads are screened by ONCE’s AI detector; detected tracks are billed at the flat 2-credit AI rate and disclosed to stores that require it. The full rundown is at beta.once.app/ai-music, also in French and Spanish.

How much does AI-generated music cost?

2 credits ($2) per AI track, 1 credit per human track, paid at submission. A 5-track EP with 2 AI tracks costs 7 credits. The extra credit funds the Artist Compensation Fund.

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

The chat agent asks whether that is one artist name or two. If it is one, ONCE keeps it as a single primary artist. If it is two, the first becomes the main primary artist and the others are saved as additional primary artists.

Can I use a generic name like “Christmas 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. Names such as “ASMR”, “Binaural Beats”, “EDM”, “Christmas Songs”, “Study Music”, “Sleep Music”, or non-English equivalents like “Kindermuziek” are rejected in chat and blocked at submission, and so are names written as one word (“SoulfulMindfulEDM”) or built around an AI music tool’s brand (“Ai Knight Suno”). A descriptive word next to a real name is fine (“Mindful Mike”). Various Artists is allowed when tracks on the same release genuinely have different primary artists.

What audio formats and cover art do you accept?

WAV is recommended; MP3, AAC, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AIFF, and MP4 are accepted. Cover art is a square JPG or PNG, 3000×3000 recommended, with no platform logos or URLs. Full lists: audio requirements and cover art requirements.

Can I change my release after it’s live?

Yes. Metadata and artwork go out directly; a new audio file, UPC, or ISRC goes through a takedown that ONCE sequences for you. Edits never cost credits. See Changing a Release.

Does ONCE support publishing registration?

Yes. Prepare and register per-track songwriting and publishing details from the release page, or give them to the chat agent while building the release and they register automatically once each ISRC arrives. See Publishing.

Credits and payment

How do credits work?

Buy them on the pricing page or from My Account, then spend them when you submit. Bulk packs are discounted, credits never expire, and edits are free. See Credits & Referrals.

What payment methods do you accept?

Cards through Stripe, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay when your device has a wallet set up.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, as a tracked request through ONCE Support or Settings → Account. Refunding credits that already paid for a release takes that release down. See Refunds.

Royalties

Does ONCE take a cut of my royalties?

No. ONCE takes 0% and only charges credits for distribution. The only deduction between the stores and you is the 6–8% the distribution pipeline partner takes before the money reaches ONCE.

How and when do I get paid?

Automatically, every quarter, for any balance of $20 or more, once you have completed payout setup through Tipalti. Setup unlocks with your first earnings. See Payouts.

Troubleshooting

My release is stuck in “Submitted”

Submitted releases go through inspection and then store processing. Most clear inspection within a day, nearly all within two to three days. If it is still not live once the release date has passed and it has had 3 days to process, ONCE detects it and emails you. Steps and when to escalate: Quick Answers.

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

Wait for the status to show Distributed on the Releases page, then search by exact title and artist, or by UPC or ISRC from the release’s Identifiers panel.

My cover art was rejected

Almost always a platform logo, a URL, low resolution, or explicit imagery that is not marked. Replace it through Edit & Redistribute; see changing artwork.

Your password was accepted; the session just isn’t being kept by that browser. It is almost always your computer’s clock being wrong, or cookies being blocked for the site. ONCE names which one on the login page — the fix for each is in Your Account.

Why did my performance totals just change?

Performance pages refresh automatically as new analytics arrive. ONCE uses Revelator as the primary source for stream counts and adds YouTube Music view deltas from its own tracking, so totals can update while you are looking at them.

Account

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

Yes. Set a Public display name on your profile. See Your Account.

Yes. A new account can start with any of them, and an account you created with a password can add one: go to Settings → Sign-in methods and click Connect, or click Continue with Google (or Apple, Discord) on the login page using the same email address as your ONCE account. ONCE connects it to your existing account rather than creating a second one, and shows you a confirmation. Your releases, credits, and history are unchanged; it is the same account with another way in. Spotify sign-in is shown as coming soon and isn’t available yet.

Yes, from Settings → Sign-in methods, as long as it isn’t your last one. If Google or Apple is the only way into your account, set a password first.

Why does ONCE want my phone number?

Accounts created with an email address or Discord confirm a mobile number with a texted code before they are ready. It is a one-time step that keeps people from mass-producing throwaway accounts. Google and Apple signups usually skip it, though ONCE occasionally asks there too, and accounts that existed before this step was added are never asked. The number is used only to secure your account, never for marketing, and only its last four digits are shown in the app. Add or change it from Settings → Sign-in methods.

I never got my verification code

Wait 60 seconds and click Send another code. If codes still don’t arrive, check that the number is a mobile line that can receive SMS, and that you included the country code for a number outside the US. A number already verified on another ONCE account can’t be reused, so you’ll need a different one. Still stuck? Ask the ONCE team in the ONCE Discord.

Does signing in with Discord give me my Insider role?

If you’re an ONCE Insider and already in the ONCE Discord server, yes: signing in with Discord assigns the role automatically, with no separate step. If you haven’t joined the server yet, use Connect Discord on your Insider page; that flow can add you to the server as well as set your role, which a plain sign-in can’t do. It’s one Discord account per membership. To switch to a different Discord account, ask the ONCE team in the ONCE Discord.

Can I delete my account?

Yes, from Settings → Account. Deletion is reviewed and takes down any live releases. See Your Account.

What does “flagged for suspension” mean?

Your access is paused pending a review, with a 24-hour window to reply to the email before anything further happens. See If your account is paused or flagged.

How do I contact support?

Start with ONCE Support in the app. If it cannot solve something, start a thread in #help-needed in the ONCE Discord, where the team is. Bugs go to ONCE Support in the app, with a screenshot. ONCE does not offer email support, except for suspension appeals.

Things to Know

FAQ