Global Music Licensing
Merlin is the independent’s digital music licensing partner. We've negotiated premium deals with Apple, Facebook, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and 40 other innovative platforms around the world. Our global membership represents 15% of the recorded music market, from independent record labels to distributors, and from artist management companies to other rightsholders. We are a mission-driven organization that operates like a not-for-profit and is funded entirely by our members at a 1.5% admin fee. Merlin’s world-class relationships, white-glove support, and suite of partnerships helps independents compete at the highest level.Member Led, Music Focused
Merlin works collaboratively with our digital partners to drive additional benefits to our members while delivering value back to our digital partners. We are a partner to digital services, a bridge for our members, and a know-how resource across the music industry.Who We Are
Merlin provides independents the means to own their future. We are a member led, music focused organization. We provide digital music licensing for independents across the globe. Members benefit from Merlin’s premium deals, but work directly with key digital partners, to help them compete at the highest levels. Merlin’s collective approach has enabled our membership to grow to represent 15% of the global market share.What We Do
After we strike a premium deal, Merlin works collaboratively with our digital partners to drive additional benefits to our members while delivering value back to our digital partners. The benefits to our members include:
- Admin fee of 1.5% ››
- Free to join and no other fees
- Transparency for members into deal terms
- Equity and breakage paid out in a fair manner
- Participation in deals is voluntary
- New members typically see an increase in performance on key digital partners
- Tools and incremental opportunities
Our Members
Who can become a member? Any independent label, distributor, or other rights-holder who is:- Ready to diligently manage their Merlin relationship
- Controls significant digital rights free from obligation to third parties
- Set up with professional digital supply chain to deliver content (e.g., AudioSalad, CI, FUGA, Labelcamp, Revelator)
- Resources to manage direct relationships with digital partners, including marketing, analytics and processing raw reports
Who We License
We provide a means for independents to own their future. As a member led and music focused organization, we empower independence to help ensure our members can compete at the highest level.- Best-in-class deals with the key digital music services
- Nearly 40 digital partnerships
- Transparency for members into deal terms
- Admin fee of 1.5% ››
- Free to join and no other fees
SoundCloud and Merlin Announce Global Licensing Deal to Bring Fan-Powered Royalties (FPR) to Merlin Members and Their Artists
May 4, 2023NEW YORK, May 4, 2023 – SoundCloud and Merlin today announced a global licensing deal enabling Merlin members and their artists to participate in...
Getting to Know Wizard 2.0 With Merlin Product Manager Mel Zacks
April 6, 2023How would you describe Wizard for someone who has never used it before? MZ: Wizard is the tool that our Members use to manage their...
CmdShft’s Morgan Mills Discusses Building Fanbases Through Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategies for Independent Artists, Labels, and Distributors
April 6, 2023Merlin’s Executive Interview Series is a monthly series featuring executives from across Merlin’s dynamic and diverse worldwide membership,...
Merlin Congratulates Its 60+ Member Labels and Distributors Nominated for 2023 Libera Awards, Making Up 76% of Total Nominations
March 29, 2023Congratulations to all of the Merlin Members nominated for 2023 Libera Awards. Over 60 Merlin label and distributor members have nominations with...
Merlin Celebrates 15 Years of Charting a Better Future for Independents
March 10, 2023Merlin, the independents’ digital music licensing partner, is thrilled to announce 2023 as “15 Years of Merlin” to celebrate its 15th...
Revelator’s Bruno Guez on Decentralization, NFTs, and the Role of Web3 in the Evolution of Independent Music
March 2, 2023Merlin’s Executive Interview Series is a monthly series featuring executives from across Merlin’s dynamic and diverse worldwide membership,...
Merlin Announces New Partnership with STYNGR to License the Largest Collection of Independent Music to Gaming Companies
December 15, 2022Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, today has announced a dynamic new agreement with STYNGR, a B2B technology platform...
Freeme’s Michael Ugwu on Discovering, Freeing, and Developing Independent Artists
November 9, 2022Merlin’s Executive Interview Series offers a range of independent voices from Merlin members around the world. This piece features Michael...
Merlin Strikes Multi-Territory Licensing Deal With Social Platform Kuaishou
October 24, 2022Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, and China-based short-form video platform Kuaishou have signed a broad new...
Pinterest partners with Merlin to expand music experience on platform
October 19, 2022Today, Pinterest announced new partnerships with Merlin and other major rightsholders to bring today’s top artists and music on the platform....
How Damian Thomas Helps Independents Dominate The Digital Music Realm
September 19, 2022Merlin’s Executive Interview Series offers a range of independent voices from Merlin members around the world. This piece features Damian...
Merlin Presents: Twitch Indies Raids
August 15, 2022Presented By Twitch and Merlin August 17th, Exclusively on Twitch Twitch and Merlin come together to present a livestreamed charity...
From Berlin to NYC to Ninja Tune: Marie Clausen’s Independent Music Journey
August 11, 2022Merlin’s Executive Interview Series offers a range of independent voices from Merlin members around the world. This piece features Marie Clausen,...
Merlin Congratulates the 2022 Libera Award Winners
June 17, 2022Congratulations to all independents who were nominated and won at the 2022 A2IM Libera Awards. The following is a list of Merlin Members who won....
Merlin Partners with South Korean Streaming Giant FLO
April 14, 2022View the Korean version of this article here Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, is expanding global access for...
Merlin Congratulates Its Member Grammy Winners for 2022
April 5, 2022Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, extends a heartfelt congratulations to its members who are celebrating their...
Twitch and Merlin Announce Strategic Partnership to Empower Independents to Better Engage Audiences
February 1, 2022Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, today announced a dynamic new agreement with Twitch, the interactive live streaming...
Merlin Announces Its Next Board; Welcomes Nine New Board Members
January 11, 2022Merlin, the independents’ digital music licensing partner, starts the new year announcing its newly-elected Board. The organization’s...
Merlin Partners with Lickd to Make Independent Music Accessible to Creators
January 18, 2022LONDON, 12.01.22: Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, has announced a multi-year deal with Lickd, the platform helping...
The Benefits of Merlin Partnership
November 3, 2021Merlin is the independent’s digital music licensing partner. We’ve negotiated premium deals with Apple, Facebook, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube,...
Boomplay and Merlin Extend Licensing Agreement to Cover 47 Countries Across Africa
January 3, 2022LAGOS, NIGERIA and LONDON, UK – DECEMBER 21, 2021 – Boomplay, Africa’s leading music streaming service and Merlin, the independent’s digital...
Merlin Strikes Strategic Partnership with Global Streaming Music App TREBEL
November 2, 2021Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, has announced a deal with TREBEL, the maker of a licensed music app with on-demand and...
Merlin and JioSaavn Sign Enhanced Global Music Licensing Partnership
September 16, 2021Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, has extended and enhanced its existing music licensing partnership with JioSaavn, a...
The Benefits of Merlin Membership
June 16, 2021es | ja | pt | ko Merlin is the independent’s digital music licensing partner. We’ve negotiated premium deals with Apple, Facebook,...
Adaptr, Feed Media Group’s All-In-One Music Solution for Startups, Inks Deal with Merlin
August 3, 2021Deal Unlocks Independent Music Catalogs for Early-Stage Start-ups Feed Media Group, the leading B2B music licensing subscription service,...
Floris van Dam Joins Merlin as VP of Insights
June 9, 2021Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, has announced the hire of Floris van Dam as VP of Insights. Van Dam, the former...
JOOX and Merlin Announce Licensing Agreement, Expanding Access and Driving Value to Audiences
April 7, 2021Merlin is excited to announce a new licensing agreement with JOOX, a leading music streaming platform in Asia. JOOX is a new strategic partner...
NetEase Cloud Music and Merlin Extend Strategic Partnership in China
March 31, 2021Merlin is proud to announce the extension of our strategic partnership with NetEase Cloud Music, a leading interactive music streaming service...
Merlin Promotes Chaida Kapfunde to Director, Technology & Business Solutions
February 8, 2021Merlin, the world’s largest and most trusted digital licensing partner for independents, has promoted Chaida Kapfunde to Director, Technology...
The Path to Merlin Membership
March 9, 2021We’re excited you’re interested in learning more about joining Merlin. In order to potentially qualify for membership, applicants need to satisfy...
Merlin Member Updates – FaroLatino
February 4, 2021In recent months, we’ve had the privilege to interview many of our members about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has impacted the music...
Merlin Promotes Chris Tarbet to Director, Commercial Partnerships
February 3, 2021Merlin, the world’s largest and most trusted digital licensing partner for independents, is proud to announce the promotion of Chris Tarbet to...
Merlin Member Updates – Hopeless Records
January 28, 2021In recent months, we’ve had the privilege to interview many of our members about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has impacted the music...
Merlin Welcomes Euphoria Media Group as a New Member
January 20, 2021Merlin is pleased to welcome 81 independent labels, distributors, and other rights-holders as new members in 2020. These new members, like all of...
Merlin Member Updates – Aparataje
January 20, 2021In recent months, we’ve had the privilege to interview many of our members about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has impacted the music...
Merlin Welcomes Many Hats Endeavors as a New Member
January 13, 2021Merlin is pleased to welcome 81 independent labels, distributors, and other rights-holders as new members in 2020. These new members, like all of...
Merlin’s Celebrate Music Event
January 13, 2021If you missed our Celebrate Music event on January 13th, you can watch an event recap above, or watch a recording of the full event below. Thank...
Merlin Member Updates – !K7
December 30, 2020In recent months, we’ve had the privilege to interview many of our members about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has impacted the music...
“Our Members’ Success Is Our Success”: Merlin Makes Key Hires to Deliver More Value to its Growing Member Base
December 4, 20202020 has been a dynamic year of challenges, innovation, and hard work for Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner. In January,...
Tencent Music Entertainment and Merlin Renew Multi-Year Licensing Agreement
October 26, 2020Tencent Music Entertainment Group (Tencent Music or TME, NYSE: TME), the leading online music entertainment platform in China, and Merlin, the...
Merlin: Enabling Provocative Music Since 2008
September 21, 2020Written by Jeremy Sirota Independent music is provocative. It can be audacious, disruptive, and defiant. Independent music can shake you out of...
Amuse Joins Merlin To ‘Secure The Most Artist-Friendly Terms’ from Spotify, TikTok and More
July 8, 2020Fast-growing, Stockholm-based distribution company Amuse – which also runs its own in-house record label – has joined independent collective...
Merlin Promotes Charlie Lexton to Chief Operating Officer
April 28, 2020In an expanded role, Lexton will continue to oversee Merlin’s deal-making efforts. New remit includes oversight of Merlin’s Data Analytics...
Merlin and TikTok Agree to a Landmark Global Music Licensing Partnership
January 23, 2020Merlin, the digital licensing hub for the world’s independent music sector, has entered into a multi-territory partnership with TikTok, the...
Merlin Appoints Jeremy Sirota as the New Chief Executive Officer
January 8, 2020Sirota joins from Facebook’s Music Team Merlin diversifies its board, adding eight new executives from Australia, Brazil, Nigeria, the...
Boomplay And Merlin Bring the World’s Best Independent Music to Africa
December 10, 2019A landmark licensing partnership with Merlin, the global digital rights agency for the independent label sector, will ensure that Boomplay,...