Things to Know
Important information about how ONCE and music distribution works. Understanding these details will help you avoid surprises.
Release Dates
Original Release Date Behavior
When you edit or redistribute a release, the release date shown on streaming platforms may change to today’s date. To preserve your original release date history, ONCE automatically sets the Original Release Date to the earliest successful distribution date on record.
This is important because:
- Editing metadata (like fixing a typo) triggers a redistribution
- Streaming platforms may interpret redistributions as “new” releases
- The Original Release Date field preserves when your music first went live
What this means for you:
- Your music will still show its historical release date where platforms support it
- Spotify and Apple Music use Original Release Date for sorting and discovery
- You don’t need to manually track this — ONCE handles it automatically
Scheduling Releases
For best results:
- Schedule ahead — This gives time for platform processing
- Avoid weekends — Most platform processing happens on business days
- Consider time zones — Release times are typically in UTC
Release Date Changes
- Changes to release dates before distribution are usually possible
- Changes after distribution require a redistribution and may affect metrics
- Contact support quickly if you need to change a date
Making Edits After Distribution
What Happens When You Edit
When you update a distributed release:
- The update is sent to all platforms
- Platforms will reflect changes after processing
- The release date may be affected (see above)
- Stream counts and playlist placements are not affected
This includes standard metadata edits, replacement cover art, and replacement track audio. For simplicity, ONCE currently treats distributed track-audio replacements as takedown-required changes.
What You Can Edit
- Track titles and artist names
- Album artwork
- Track audio files, but ONCE currently routes audio replacements through a takedown before redistribution
- Release title
- Metadata (genre, copyright info, etc.)
- UPC and ISRC changes, which ONCE will require a takedown for before redistribution
What You Cannot Edit
- Adding/removing tracks (requires a new release)
- Reordering tracks in the edit modal
If you need to change the track list itself, create a new release or contact support.
Platform-Specific Behaviors
Spotify
- Requires separate pitching for editorial playlists
- Shows release date prominently on album pages
Apple Music
- Has stricter cover art requirements
- Pre-add feature helps build anticipation
YouTube Music
- Connected to YouTube Content ID
- Generates an Art Track automatically
TikTok / Instagram
- Distribution enables music in their sound libraries
- Artists can claim their sound page
- Great for viral potential
- TikTok does not display featured artists — featured artist credits are submitted but will not appear on TikTok
Status Meanings
When tracking your release on the Releases page, you’ll see various statuses:
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Release created but not submitted |
| Submitted | Queued for distribution, being processed |
| Delivered | Successfully delivered to streaming platforms |
| Distributed | Live and available on streaming platforms |
| Attention Needed | An issue requires your action |
| Rejected | Rejected by one or more platforms — review and resubmit |
Common Situations
”My release shows the wrong date”
This usually happens after an edit/redistribution. The Original Release Date field should preserve your history. If the displayed date is incorrect, contact support.
”My release is stuck in Submitted”
Platforms have processing and review queues. This is normal. If you haven’t seen any progress after an extended period, contact support.
”I can’t find my release on [platform]”
- Search by exact title and artist name
- Try searching the UPC or ISRC
- Make sure the status shows “Distributed” on the Releases page
- Some platforms have separate apps (e.g., YouTube vs YouTube Music)
“I need to take down my release”
Contact support to request a takedown.
Best Practices
- Triple-check before submitting — Errors are hard to fix after distribution
- Save your original files — Keep your source audio and artwork backed up
- Note your ISRCs — These are permanent track identifiers useful for royalty tracking
- Monitor your release — Check status on the Releases page regularly