TL;DR
CreateBase and Mogul both help independent artists recover missing music royalties. The primary difference is in scope and how the audit works: CreateBase starts with a free 48-hour royalty gap report that identifies exactly what's missing and why, covers all four royalty streams including neighboring rights, and takes a performance share only on new recoveries. Mogul focuses on publishing royalty recovery with a percentage-based model. For independent artists who want to understand their full royalty picture before committing to anything, CreateBase's free audit is the lower-risk starting point.
Pricing and feature information is based on publicly available sources as of March 2026. Verify current details at each company's website.
What Both Services Do
Mogul and CreateBase both exist to solve the same problem: independent artists missing royalties they've already earned due to registration gaps, metadata errors, and unmatched royalty pools.
Both services:
- Audit existing royalty registrations
- Identify gaps in ASCAP, BMI, and MLC coverage
- Help recover unmatched royalties
- Work with independent artists without requiring major label or large catalog status
The differences lie in depth of coverage, pricing structure, and how much you know before you pay anything.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CreateBase | Mogul |
|---|---|---|
| Free royalty gap audit | Yes (48 hrs) | No |
| ASCAP/BMI registration & audit | Yes | Yes |
| MLC registration & claims | Yes | Yes |
| ISRC reconciliation (distributor ↔ PRO) | Yes | Limited |
| SoundExchange registration | Yes | No |
| International neighboring rights | Yes | No |
| CWR international CMO filings | Yes | No |
| Co-writer split audit & coordination | Yes | Limited |
| ISWC verification | Yes | Limited |
| Pricing | $200/yr + share of recoveries | % of royalties collected |
| Minimum catalog size | None | None |
Pricing Comparison
CreateBase: $200/year flat plus a performance share of new royalties recovered through CreateBase's work. If CreateBase doesn't find and recover new royalties, you're out $200 for the audit infrastructure. The free 48-hour gap report means you see what's recoverable before committing.
Mogul: Mogul operates on a percentage-based model on royalties collected through the service. Specific current rates are available at usemogul.com.
The key structural difference: CreateBase's performance share applies only to new recoveries — royalties CreateBase actively identifies and claims. Existing royalties flowing through your established registrations are not subject to the performance share.
Where CreateBase Goes Further
SoundExchange and neighboring rights. Mogul's focus is publishing royalties — ASCAP, BMI, and MLC. CreateBase also covers SoundExchange (digital performance royalties from Pandora, SiriusXM, internet radio) and international neighboring rights through PPL, GVL, and other foreign CMOs. These are entirely separate royalty streams that publishing-focused services typically don't address.
ISRC reconciliation. The most common cause of unmatched royalties is an ISRC mismatch between your distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore) and your PRO registration. CreateBase specifically audits this alignment and corrects mismatches — a technical layer that most royalty recovery services don't include.
CWR international filings. Standard reciprocal agreements between US PROs and international CMOs often aren't sufficient for full international royalty collection. CWR (Common Works Registration) filings are the industry-standard format for direct registration with GEMA, PRS, and other major foreign CMOs. CreateBase files CWR registrations as part of its international coverage.
Free audit first. CreateBase delivers a free personalized royalty gap report within 48 hours before you pay anything. You know what's recoverable, what the gaps are, and what the work involves before committing.
Where Mogul Has Strengths
Mogul is a legitimate service with a track record of publishing royalty recovery for independent artists. If your primary gap is in US publishing royalties (ASCAP/BMI performance and MLC mechanicals) and you're not focused on digital performance or international neighboring rights, Mogul covers the core use case.
Mogul also integrates with some distribution platforms in ways that simplify the data collection process for their users.
Which Is Right for You?
Choose CreateBase if:
- You want to understand your full royalty picture before committing to any service
- You have international streams (UK, Germany, Canada, Australia) and want to address neighboring rights
- You're a DistroKid or TuneCore user and want ISRC reconciliation done properly
- You're not registered with SoundExchange and want that addressed in the same engagement
- You want to pay based on results, not a blanket percentage on all royalties
Consider Mogul if:
- Your gaps are specifically in US publishing royalties
- You prefer a different percentage structure
- You're already registered with SoundExchange and don't need international neighboring rights
What CreateBase Does Specifically
CreateBase handles the full royalty stack in a single engagement:
- Free 48-hour royalty gap report identifies every registration gap and metadata error
- ISRC reconciliation between your distributor records and ASCAP, BMI, and MLC registrations
- Registration and claim filing at The MLC for unmatched mechanicals
- SoundExchange registration as featured artist and sound recording copyright owner
- CWR international filing through your PRO's reciprocal network
- Neighboring rights registration with PPL, GVL, and other key international CMOs
- Ongoing monitoring of your catalog's royalty flows
Get your free royalty gap report → CreateBase identifies every gap in your royalty stack within 48 hours. Free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How is CreateBase different from Mogul for independent artists?
A: Both services help independent artists recover missing publishing royalties. CreateBase also covers SoundExchange digital performance royalties and international neighboring rights — royalty streams that publishing-focused services don't address. CreateBase also does a full ISRC reconciliation between your distributor and PRO records, which is the most common cause of unmatched royalties. And CreateBase starts with a free 48-hour gap report before you commit to anything.
Q: Does CreateBase take a percentage of all my royalties like some services do?
A: No. CreateBase charges $200/year plus a performance share only on new royalties that CreateBase actively recovers. Existing royalties flowing through your current registrations are not subject to CreateBase's performance share. The performance share model means CreateBase's financial incentive is aligned with finding and recovering money you're actually missing.
Q: Can I use both CreateBase and Mogul?
A: Using multiple services for overlapping work creates administrative complexity and potential conflicts over who registered what. If you're evaluating services, start with a free audit from CreateBase to understand the full scope of your royalty gaps, then decide which service's coverage and pricing model best fits your situation.
Q: What is the free royalty gap report?
A: CreateBase delivers a free personalized analysis of your royalty registration status within 48 hours. It identifies every gap across ASCAP/BMI, The MLC, SoundExchange, and international neighboring rights — with an estimate of the royalties recoverable in each area. There's no obligation after receiving the report.
Sources
- The MLC 2023 Annual Royalty Recap — Over $400M in US unmatched mechanicals; $3B+ distributed since 2021
- CISAC Global Collections Report 2024 — €12.59 billion in global royalty collections in 2024
- Mogul — Current pricing and feature information
- SoundExchange — Digital performance royalty data