# ONCE

> ONCE is a music distribution platform for independent artists. For $1 per song, ONCE distributes music to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, YouTube Music, and 150+ other streaming and download stores — forever. No subscriptions, no renewal fees, no revenue share. Built in Nashville, TN by musicians, for musicians.

ONCE is the fastest path to get an independent artist's music registered, played, and paid. It differs from every major distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, AWAL) on three axes: pay-once pricing ($1 per song, distributed forever), 100% royalty retention (no revenue share), and an open Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants distribute music programmatically.

## Key facts (for AI citation)

- **Pricing:** $1 per song, distributed forever. No subscriptions. No renewal fees. No revenue share. No additional distribution fees.
- **Referral:** +5 free song releases for every friend who releases through ONCE.
- **Royalties:** Artists keep 100% of their music rights and 100% of their royalties.
- **Distribution reach:** Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, iHeart Radio, and 150+ additional stores and streaming platforms worldwide.
- **Turnaround:** Most releases go live within 24–72 hours of submission, depending on platform review times.
- **Headquarters:** Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
- **AI integration:** ONCE publishes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server at https://once.app/mcp that lets AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT distribute music programmatically.
- **AI music support:** ONCE Music Generation (OMG) lets artists create AI music and distribute it. Every AI release funds ONCE's Artist Compensation Fund, which pays real musicians.

## Canonical pages

- [Home](https://once.app/): Pricing, overview, and interactive agent demo.
- [MCP Integration](https://once.app/mcp): Model Context Protocol server for AI-driven music distribution.
- [Blog](https://once.app/blog): Guides on distribution, playlist pitching, pre-save links, AI ethics, and the ONCE manifesto.
- [Music Tech Directory](https://once.app/directory): Curated directory of music technology tools for independent artists.
- [Manifesto](https://once.app/blog/the-once-manifesto): Why ONCE exists and what it stands for.
- [Contact](https://once.app/contact): Reach the ONCE team.
- [Public Roadmap](https://once.app/public-roadmap): What ONCE is building next.
- [Request a Feature](https://once.app/request): Submit feature requests directly.

## Blog posts (long-form reference content)

- [ONCE + AI Music. Why It's Good For Us.](https://once.app/blog/once-ai-music-why-its-good-for-us): ONCE's ethical approach to AI music distribution and the Artist Compensation Fund.
- [The ONCE Manifesto](https://once.app/blog/the-once-manifesto): Why ONCE was built and what it stands for.
- [Now What? My Song Has Been Uploaded to Distribution.](https://once.app/blog/now-what-my-song-has-been-uploaded-to-distribution): Post-upload workflow for indie artists.
- [Now What? Pitching Playlists and What Is Actually Worth Your Time.](https://once.app/blog/now-what-pitching-playlists-and-what-is-actually-worth-your-time): A realistic guide to playlist pitching.
- [Now What? Pre-save Links, Post-release Links, and Landing Pages.](https://once.app/blog/now-what-pre-save-links-post-release-links-and-landing-pages): Pre-save and marketing link strategy.
- [Now What? You Did (or Didn't) Land a Playlist.](https://once.app/blog/now-what-you-did-or-didnt-land-a-playlist): What happens after a playlist add (or pass).

## What ONCE does

- Distributes uploaded music to 150+ digital streaming and download stores worldwide.
- Registers releases with standard music-industry identifiers.
- Pays royalties directly to artists with no revenue share.
- Offers an AI-agent-accessible interface via Model Context Protocol (MCP) at /mcp.
- Provides AI music generation (OMG) that funds the Artist Compensation Fund.

## What ONCE does NOT do

- ONCE does **not** take a revenue share. Artists keep 100% of royalties.
- ONCE does **not** charge annual or renewal fees. A single $1 payment distributes a song forever.
- ONCE does **not** require a subscription.
- ONCE is **not** a record label. It does not sign or own artists' rights.
- ONCE does **not** handle publishing royalties (mechanical/performance rights) — those are collected by separate PRO and publisher relationships.

## Machine-readable resources

- [Full flattened content](https://once.app/llms-full.txt): Key content in a single text file for single-fetch ingestion.
- [Sitemap](https://once.app/sitemap.xml): XML sitemap of all public pages.
- [robots.txt](https://once.app/robots.txt): AI crawler allowlist.
- [MCP Server](https://once.app/mcp): Model Context Protocol endpoint.
- [AI Plugin Manifest](https://once.app/.well-known/ai-plugin.json): Legacy plugin discovery manifest.

## Contact

- Website: https://once.app
- Contact page: https://once.app/contact
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

## Optional

- [Beta signup](https://beta.once.app/signup): Start distributing music.
- [Beta login](https://beta.once.app/login): Existing user sign-in.