Distributor comparison
ONCE vs Amuse
for AI music
Amuse Artist is $23.99/year with a 10-AI-release weekly cap and Meta excluded for AI tracks. ONCE is $2 per AI release, paid once, with 100% royalties and automatic AI disclosure to every DSP.
Disclosure: We're ONCE. We built one of the two distributors in this comparison. Every number on this page comes from Amuse's own pricing and support pages as of June 2026. If anything's stale, email us and we'll fix it.
| ONCE | Amuse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $2 per AI song / $1 per human song, paid once | $23.99–$59.99/year subscription (Artist to Professional) |
| Tracks live if you stop paying | Forever | Stays live when downgrading or canceling |
| Royalty split | 100% to artist | 100% on streaming (15% fee on YouTube Content ID for Artist tier) |
| AI music policy | Explicit support, auto-disclosure to DSPs | Allowed; max 10 AI releases per rolling 7-day window |
| AI provenance scanning | Built in (Vobile partnership) | Detected at Amuse's discretion; no creator disclosure field |
| Meta / Instagram delivery (AI) | Standard global DSP delivery | Excluded for AI-generated content |
| YouTube Content ID (AI tracks) | Not bundled | Excluded for AI content |
| Royalty advances & mobile app | Not bundled | Advances eligible; iOS/Android apps included |
| MCP / AI agent support | Public MCP server at /mcp | None |
Where ONCE wins
- Pay once ($2 AI / $1 human), not $23.99–$59.99 every year for unlimited access.
- No 10-AI-release-per-week cap — release as many AI tracks as you want.
- Automatic AI provenance scanning and DSP disclosure — Amuse detects AI at its discretion with platform exclusions.
- ONCE is the ethical AI distributor: the extra dollar on every AI release routes to the Artist Compensation Fund.
- Meta and Instagram delivery for AI tracks — Amuse excludes AI content from Meta entirely.
- ONCE's MCP server lets AI agents distribute tracks programmatically.
When Amuse is still the right call
- You release very high volume and $23.99/year unlimited beats per-track pricing.
- You want royalty advances, mobile apps, and ASAP 24-hour distribution in one subscription.
- You distribute human-made music and want free Content ID on Artist Plus ($39.99/year).
Verdict
Amuse is a polished mobile-first distributor with a real perk: your music stays live when you cancel. But the free tier is gone, AI releases are capped at 10 per week, and Meta plus Content ID are off the table for AI tracks. For AI music artists in 2026, ONCE wins on per-track cost, upload freedom, platform coverage, and built-in ethical compliance with the Artist Compensation Fund.
Skip the subscription — invite Suno friends instead
Earn +5 free credits when each friend submits their first release. Three friends = 15 free releases.
Common questions
Does Amuse still have a free tier?
No. Amuse ended its free plan in March 2024. The entry Artist plan is now $23.99/year for unlimited releases from one artist profile. ONCE charges $2 once per AI release with no annual subscription — ten AI tracks cost $20 total, not $24/year every year.
Does Amuse accept AI-generated music?
Yes, with restrictions. Amuse caps AI releases at 10 per rolling 7-day period and automatically excludes Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and YouTube Content ID for AI tracks. ONCE accepts AI music from every major generator with automatic provenance scanning and mandatory DSP disclosure — no weekly upload cap.
What happens to my Amuse music if I cancel?
Amuse keeps your music live even when you downgrade or cancel — one of their genuine strengths. ONCE matches that: pay $2 once for an AI release and the track stays distributed forever. The difference is you never owed Amuse $24–$60/year to begin with.
When is Amuse still the better choice?
If you release very high volume from a single artist profile and the $23.99/year unlimited model beats per-track pricing, Amuse Artist can work. Artist Plus and Professional add royalty advances, hi-res audio, fan email collection, and free Content ID on human-made tracks. For AI music distribution with no upload caps, built-in ethical compliance, and pay-once economics, ONCE wins.