The ONCE Artist Compensation Fund (ACF)

Why the ACF exists

AI-generated music is already on streaming platforms in large volume, and that is not going to reverse. ONCE's position is simple: if AI music is going to be distributed, it should run on infrastructure that is honest, compliant, and gives something back to the artists the models learned from. Distributing through ONCE means your AI releases are disclosed to the platforms that require it, tracked for provenance, and routed through a model that sets aside real money for artist compensation. Hiding AI content makes the problem worse. Labeling it clearly and funding compensation moves the industry toward something sustainable.

How your distribution funds the ACF

ONCE uses a flat, transparent credit model:

An AI track is any track ONCE treats as AI for billing and compliance: audio generated in OMG, audio flagged by ONCE's AI detector on upload, or partner-submitted AI content. Regenerating in OMG is free. You only pay the AI rate when you submit for distribution.

The second credit on an AI track is the funding mechanism for the ACF. It is not a hidden fee. Roughly half of the margin ONCE retains on AI distribution is allocated to the fund, and the rest covers operations, AI detection, and distribution infrastructure. So a single flat $2 does three things at once: it gets your music to 20+ stores with proper metadata and AI disclosure, it supports ONCE's compliance and detection stack, and it contributes to the ACF. There is no separate donation step. Distribution is the contribution. See how AI tracks are priced on the homepage.

Where the money is today

We are going to be precise about this, because a fund is only as credible as how it handles the money. Today, every dollar allocated to the ACF sits in a dedicated account that ONCE does not touch. It is accumulating, not being spent. ONCE is in the process of establishing an independent fiduciary to administer disbursement to artists and rightsholders, and is building toward transparent accounting of what comes in and public reporting on fund activity over time. The surcharge is priced so the fund is real rather than symbolic, and we would rather tell you exactly where it stands than imply a disbursement program that is not live yet.

What the fund is for

The ACF exists to compensate artists whose recordings, compositions, and creative work underpin the AI music ecosystem, whether through training, style reference, or the broader cultural corpus the models draw on. As the fiduciary and disbursement programs come online, the fund is built to pay eligible artists and rightsholders, with public reporting on how it is allocated.

AI distribution as a positive choice

Plenty of creators use AI as a tool, for demos, hybrid production, or full AI releases. ONCE does not ask you to pretend that work is human-only. It asks you to distribute it responsibly. Choosing ONCE for AI distribution means you are disclosing AI content rather than flooding platforms without it, and you are funding artist compensation rather than routing around it. Human-only music is a flat 1 credit per track, with the same distribution quality. Release music with ONCE Music Generation (OMG) or upload from Suno, Udio, and other generators. Read more about ethical AI music distribution and distribute AI music responsibly.