Maximize Your Independence With Merlin Membership
Why Merlin?
Merlin enables Secretly and many independent companies like ours to compete shoulder to shoulder with the biggest music companies in the world.
Darius Van Arman, CEO of Secretly Group
From its inception right through to today, Merlin has been an incredibly important partner for Ninja Tune. Merlin’s best in class deals and low admin rate have enabled Ninja Tune to thrive in the digital space and compete at the frontline of the market, driving growth opportunities and value back to our artists and penetrate the market at the highest level.
Marie Clausen, Managing Director North America at Ninja Tune
Merlin has helped us expand into new markets and grow our business all while ensuring the voice of our independent artists and record labels are properly represented.
Jorge Brea, CEO of Symphonic
When Reach Records began in 2003, and started to grow, we found distribution had a hard time putting us in a category. Merlin’s combination of independent spirit and major lever power has allowed us to continue to chart a course without compromising on identity or our capability.
Katie Alberts, COO of Reach Records
Merlin has always supported us with knowledge, guidance, and opportunities that helped us grow and be confident in our value in the global music community. We are proud to say that we are the biggest provider of Korean music content in the world, and Merlin has been a big part of making this happen.
Jeffrey Chiang, International and Global Marketing at Fluxus
Merlin has enabled us to stay at the controls of our digital business for 15 years, allowing us to truly understand our deals, adapt and maneuver operations in real time, and all with the comfort of knowing we are receiving the best rates for our artists’ hard work.
Chris Maund, COO of Mushroom Labels
Merlin allows for a path that would not otherwise be available to us. For Secret City, being a Merlin member with control of our digital business allows us to better compete on the global stage.
Justin West, CEO of Secret City Records
The impact of Merlin has been very positive for our company in bringing the music of our artists to many territories. In addition to this, Merlin provides marketing opportunities, trend reports, and tons of benefits that keep us up to date in the industry.
Hugo Moreno, Marketing Director LATAM at Cinq Music
Merlin continues to lead the charge on leveling the playing field. Merlin empowers indies like Reservoir and our labels Chrysalis Records and Tommy Boy Music by providing access to global licensing deals and distribution channels to which we would not otherwise have access.
Rell Lafargue, President & COO of Reservoir Media
IDOL has been a Merlin member since the organisation started. Negotiations are becoming more and more complex, payment models are changing and Merlin’s support has become extremely valuable in helping us effectively navigate these new markets.
Pascal Bittard, Founder & CEO of IDOL
In this current landscape, it’s important for us and our artists to be as nimble as possible. That’s just how the world works now. Merlin allows Godmode to compete on the same level as the bigger companies, but on our own terms.
Talya Elitzer, Co-Founder and President, Godmode
Merlin helped us shape the way we do business with our artists, labels, and partners. Being Merlin members has granted us access to opportunities and connections that would have been difficult to get for an independent company founded in South America.
Mark Meyer, CEO of Random Sounds
Being independent enables our clients to maintain control in all business and creative decisions they look to take. Our partnership with Merlin allows us to participate on a major level whilst maintaining control and ownership.
Mark Dowling, Marketing Director at Absolute Label Services
Merlin has played a vital role in our company’s growth and success by providing us with valuable resources and opportunities.
Fer Isella, Founder & CEO
Merlin has empowered our business and our artists in ways we could have never imagined. They are really working towards a fairer music industry.
Disetti Music
Merlin membership allows Paradise Worldwide to maintain its independence, securing deals that complement our operations and enhance our strategic positioning.
Ralph Boege, Managing Director, Paradise Worldwide
InnerCat Music Group has enjoyed a fruitful 10-year partnership with Merlin, which has allowed us to access exclusive deals with digital service providers, invaluable data that informed our business decisions on artist development and marketing strategies, as well as networking opportunities and a stronger voice in the industry.
Ana Gonzales, CFO of Inner Cat
Premium Deals That Strengthen
Your Digital Music Business
Our specialized approach to licensing delivers more valuable deals to help you earn more revenue, access more opportunities, and drive more engagement.
Members get transparency into deal terms before opting in and have discretion into which deals they participate. Your future is in your hands.
Our premium deal terms may include:
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Advances
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Revenue guarantees
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Contractual marketing opportunities
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Protections against deductions and other royalty reducing mechanisms
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Equity in digital services
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Access to marketing and daily trends data not always made available to independents
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Breakage paid to our members in a transparent and pro rata manner
A Bridge to Over 40 Digital Partners
Ensure that your music is fairly valued alongside the world’s largest music rightsholders.
Receive specialized commercial and operational information to better understand, evaluate, and prioritize opportunities from digital platforms.
Maximize editorial opportunities via direct relationships and by accessing Merlin’s pitching forms, best practices, webinars, one-sheets, and more.
Be the first in line for beta programs and new opportunities from digital partners.
Access bespoke marketing opportunities created specifically for Merlin members by our digital partners.
Join other cutting-edge rightholders as Merlin strikes early, pioneering deals with innovative digital partners and providing new ways for our members’ music to reach their fans.
Benefits That Go Beyond Digital Licensing
Our experienced team ensures members are paid and reported accurately, efficiently, and consistently. We diligently track payments and reports from digital partners, review them for discrepancies, and facilitate smooth currency exchanges.
We built a cutting edge interface to help members manage and control their digital rights — known as the Wizard.
We ensure that Merlin members have access to indispensable data via our digital partnerships: API data feeds, trends data, and expert analysis to make actionable decisions for their businesses.
Our international team is focused on enabling and supporting the independence of our members in the ever-evolving music industry. We provide our members with the most competitive deals with digital partners, while providing various resources to help them take full advantage of their membership.
Merlin operates like a not for profit. We charge an admin fee of 1.5%* from the revenues you generate in the deals you participate in, and return any remainder back to our members. No other fees to participate.
Before applying for Merlin membership, please read below to make sure you qualify by satisfying the following requirements:
Your Digital Rights Are Free from Obligations to Third Parties
You must control digital rights free from obligation to third parties like distributors or other licensors.
You Can Professionally Deliver Your Content to Digital Music Services
Merlin is not a distributor, meaning Merlin does not deliver your music, metadata, and assets to digital partners. You must deliver your own content and meet the professional specifications of each digital music service, either via a third party delivery service or through an in-house delivery solution. Once you are working with a professional supply chain provider, you must be an active client and have your content loaded into your delivery provider’s platform prior to submitting an application. Merlin will not approve membership for companies that still need to secure their delivery solution.
You Have Demonstrable Experience and Resources to Manage Direct Relationships With Digital Partners
Prospective Merlin members need to have the internal resources to:
- Manage direct relationships with digital partners.
- Implement quality control protocols.
- Run their own marketing campaigns.
- Ingest and process raw data reports.
- Translate trends data into accessible analytics.
Consider Joining a Trade Association
While not a requirement to become a Merlin member, we strongly recommend you join a Trade Association, if available in your country, before applying for membership. Merlin members who are members of Trade Associations receive a 1.5% admin fee, discounted from 3% for those who are not Trade Association members (also 1.5% if there is no TA active in your territory).
Submitting an Application
- If you meet Merlin’s membership requirements, submit an application for consideration below. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee Merlin membership. The Merlin team reviews all applications, but only proceeds with applicants who clearly meet our membership qualifications.
- Merlin was created to support the world’s most significant and sophisticated independents; companies who have a proven track record of successfully managing direct relationships with digital partners. Due to the number of applications received, only those who are being considered for membership will be contacted by the Merlin team within 30 days of submitting your application.
- You are always welcome to submit a new application for reconsideration as your business grows or when you can provide information that better supports your ability to qualify for and succeed as a Merlin member.
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