Distributor comparison
ONCE vs TooLost
for AI music
TooLost offers 450+ stores at $19.99/year. ONCE is $2 per AI release, paid once - with no subscription and no 15% royalty penalty if you ever stop paying.
Disclosure: We're ONCE. We built one of the two distributors in this comparison. Every number on this page comes from TooLost's own pricing and help center as of June 2026. If anything's stale, email us and we'll fix it.
| ONCE | TooLost | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $2 per AI song / $1 per human song, paid once | $19.99/year (Artist) or $35.99/year (Label) |
| Tracks live if you stop paying | Forever | Stay live, but royalties drop to 85% |
| Royalty split | 100% to artist | 100% while subscribed; 85% after cancel |
| AI music policy | Explicit support, auto-disclosure to DSPs | Allowed, manual QC review required |
| AI provenance scanning | Built in (Vobile partnership) | None (manual documentation requested) |
| Store reach | 20+ major DSPs | 450+ stores and platforms |
| MCP / AI agent support | Public MCP server at /mcp | None |
Where ONCE wins
- No subscription. Pay $2 once per AI release vs $19.99/year on TooLost.
- 100% royalties forever - TooLost drops you to 85% if you cancel but keep music live.
- ONCE is the ethical AI distributor: the extra dollar on every AI release routes to the Artist Compensation Fund.
- Automatic AI provenance scanning - TooLost requires manual documentation and QC review for AI tracks.
- AI tracks eligible for standard delivery without Content ID exclusions.
- ONCE's MCP server lets AI agents distribute tracks programmatically.
When TooLost is still the right call
- You specifically need distribution to 450+ stores including niche international DSPs.
- You want TooLost's royalty advance, Profile Defender, or enterprise B2B tooling.
- You release very high volume under one artist and the $19.99/year unlimited model beats per-track pricing.
Verdict
TooLost built an impressive platform with broad store reach and useful label tools. For budget-conscious AI music artists, though, the subscription model plus 15% post-cancel royalty penalty makes it expensive over time. ONCE's pay-once pricing, automatic AI compliance, and 100% royalties forever are the better default for AI music distribution.
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Common questions
What is TooLost's 'keep music live' penalty?
If you cancel your TooLost subscription but want your tracks to stay on stores, your royalty share drops from 100% to 85% permanently. That 15% cut applies for the life of those releases. ONCE charges $2 once for an AI release and you keep 100% of royalties forever - no post-cancel penalty.
Does TooLost accept AI music?
Yes, but with friction. TooLost accepts AI-generated music subject to Quality Control screening. They ask for documentation proving ownership and make no guarantees that AI content will be accepted by all stores. AI tracks are also ineligible for YouTube Content ID through TooLost. ONCE scans for AI provenance automatically and delivers disclosure metadata to every DSP.
Is TooLost's 450+ store count worth the subscription?
TooLost delivers to more stores than most distributors, including niche international platforms. If you specifically need distribution to obscure regional DSPs, that reach matters. For the vast majority of AI music artists targeting Spotify, Apple Music, and the major platforms, ONCE's 20+ store reach covers where listeners actually are.
Can I move from TooLost to ONCE?
Yes. Re-release tracks through ONCE ($1 human / $2 AI) and cancel your TooLost subscription. If you keep the TooLost versions live, you'll pay the 85% royalty penalty. Preserve ISRCs where possible so streaming history transfers cleanly.