Mogul says it has tracked $1.5B in music royalties, raised $5M in funding | TechCrunch

TechCrunch

by Ivan Mehta

February 24, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Mogul, a startup helping artists track music royalties and manage their catalogs, has raised $5 million in funding led by the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund. Since its launch last year, Mogul claims to have helped artists recover $1.5 billion in lost royalties. The platform uses a robust data pipeline to ensure accuracy and speed in tracking payments across various platforms, addressing a common challenge for creators who struggle with fragmented systems. With this new funding, Mogul aims to expand its team and continue developing tools that provide actionable insights for artists, including catalog valuation and bulk registration features. Mogul's co-founders, Jeff Ponchick and Joey Mason, bring expertise from their roles at SoundCloud, allowing them to build a product tailored for artists' needs. Initially offering recommendations for improving catalog data, Mogul has evolved to provide more sophisticated solutions, such as cross-platform corrections and bulk registration tools. These features help users maximize their royalty earnings, with an average 20% increase reported by current users. The platform's focus on accuracy and comprehensive data collection sets it apart from competitors, according to Andrew Kahn of Yamaha Music Innovations Fund. In addition to tracking royalties, Mogul has introduced a catalog valuation tool that estimates the financial value of an artist's music across platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. This tool breaks down valuations by individual tracks and revenue sources, giving artists deeper insights into their earnings potential. While Mogul previously offered a free tier, it was discontinued as the startup shifted focus to providing more valuable services to serious creators. The company is now exploring how to address the complexities of AI-generated music in royalty tracking, a growing challenge in the industry. The platform's success highlights the importance of streamlining royalty management for artists, who often face tedious and fragmented systems for tracking payments. Mogul's innovative approach not only simplifies this process but also empowers creators to maximize their earnings through better data management. As the music industry continues to evolve, tools like Mogul play a critical role in helping artists navigate complex financial landscapes and ensure they receive fair compensation for their work.

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Originally published on TechCrunch on 2/24/2026