What is Mogul Ballad?
Mogul Ballad is Mogul's publishing administration entity. When you opt for Mogul to act as your publishing administrator, your songs are registered with Mogul Ballad listed as the publisher at your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, etc.) and at the MLC.
This is completely normal and expected, and is how our publishing administration works.
Does this mean Mogul owns my songs?
No. Mogul Ballad being listed as your publisher does not mean Mogul owns your music or your copyrights. You retain 100% ownership of your songs.
A publishing administrator is different from a publisher. Here's the distinction:
A full publisher typically takes an ownership stake in your compositions (often 50%) in exchange for advances and services.
A publishing administrator (like Mogul Ballad) collects royalties on your behalf without taking any ownership. Mogul collects at 100/0, meaning you keep 100% of what's collected. Mogul takes no percentage of your royalties.
Why does Mogul need to be listed as publisher?
Royalty collection organizations like ASCAP, BMI, and the MLC require a publisher entity to be associated with each song registration in order to release the publisher's share of royalties. Without a publisher listed, that share goes uncollected.
If you don't have your own publishing entity set up, Mogul Ballad fills that role so your full royalties, both the writer's share and the publisher's share, flow to you.
What if I already have my own publishing entity?
If you have your own publishing entity registered with ASCAP or BMI, you can use that instead. Connect your publishing entity account under Sources and update your songwriter settings accordingly. Mogul Ballad is only applied when you don't have one, or when you opt in to let Mogul handle it.
I'm worried ... What should I do?
If you have questions or concerns about how your songs are registered, reach out to our support team via the chat bubble. We're happy to walk through your specific setup and make sure everything looks right.