Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions about ONCE.

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
Content ID: YouTube Content ID and Facebook Rights Manager for royalty collection on user-generated content

Releases

Can Note submit my release, edit metadata, or map IDs?

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

Note cannot complete release setup, submission/distribution, ID mapping, file replacement, or takedown workflows for you.

For those tasks, use the main chat agent in the ONCE app. If you ask Note 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 Note generate images or navigate me to pages in the app?

Note 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 Note will take you there automatically.

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

What are Note-ifications?

Note-ifications are proactive messages from Note when ONCE has important product or account information to share with you.

When you have a new Note-ification, Note shows a red dot and an excited bounce animation until you open Note and read it.

Can I view past Note-ifications and conversations with Note?

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

A conversation stays open until it’s resolved, so it works like a normal support chat: you can keep replying, and if your question needs a person, the ONCE team can jump in — their replies come through to you as Note. Open conversations in History show a Continue this conversation button so you can pick up right where you left off.

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 Note will pick things up fresh.

What are Note page snapshots?

When you open Note, it may ask if you’d like to allow page snapshots. If you opt in, Note 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 Note can see:

Only the current once.app page you’re viewing

What Note cannot see:

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

How to control it:

Note asks once, the first time you use it, your choice is saved to your account
You can change your preference any time in My Account under the Note Page Snapshots toggle
If you decline, Note 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 Note uses (OpenAI) under API terms that do not use your data for model training.

Can I paste a screenshot into Note?

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

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.

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.

Can I generate music with AI on ONCE?

Yes. ONCE includes OMG (ONCE Music Generation), our built-in AI music generator, directly inside the audio upload card. Open the Generate with AI tab on any track slot, pick a model (Lyria 3 today, with Eleven Music v2 coming soon), pick a genre, toggle Instrumental or With Lyrics, add optional direction, and click Generate. Previews stay inside ONCE’s player, nothing is charged until you confirm a track and submit the release.

See Generate With AI (OMG) in the Releasing Music guide for the full walkthrough, credit costs, and the reasoning behind OMG.

How much does AI-generated music cost?

Generating and regenerating tracks in OMG is free: preview as many versions as you like. You only pay at submission time, and pricing is flat:

Human track: 1 credit ($1) per track.
AI track: 2 credits ($2) per track, whether the track was generated with OMG or your uploaded audio was 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). It doesn’t matter how many times you regenerate before confirming, the AI rate is flat. 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 I made with other tools (not OMG)?

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?

Recommended: WAV files for best quality
High-quality audio files are recommended

What are the cover art requirements?

Size: Square image, high resolution recommended
Format: JPG or PNG
Content: No streaming platform logos, no URLs, no excessive text

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 Things to Know for details on how edits affect release dates.

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.

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 (generated through OMG or 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.

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?

Use /bug-report and put your details in the details field. Include what you tried, what happened, and steps to reproduce.

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

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

Ask follow-up continues an /ask conversation
Add bug update forwards more context after /bug-report

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

Do I keep my royalties?

Yes! You keep 100% of your streaming royalties. ONCE only charges for distribution via the credits system.

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’s 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’s been sent — on the Payouts page.

Account & Support

How do I contact support?

Reach out through the support channels on the My Account page or via our website contact form.

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. Deletion is a reviewed process: ONCE confirms with you by email 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

Common reasons:

Contains streaming platform logos (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)
Contains website URLs
Is too low resolution or blurry
Contains inappropriate content without explicit marking

Upload new artwork that meets the requirements and resubmit.

I need to take down my release

Open the release’s detail page and use its distribution controls there.

If you’re already in Note, ask about that release and Note can give you the direct release link. If you still can’t access the takedown controls, contact support with the release details.

Things to Know Overview