Merlin Connect Challenges Startups to Unlock Music as a Killer Feature at New York Tech Week Event

Merlin Connect, the innovative music licensing solution for startups and scaleups, today announced its upcoming event, “Pitch Lab: Why Music is Your Missing Killer Feature,” to be held during New York Tech Week on June 3rd from 1:00pm-4:00pm. This unique event will challenge startups to approach music as a core driver of platform growth and user engagement, with a special focus on non-music platforms proposing innovative music use cases.

Selected startups, to be announced soon, will have the invaluable opportunity to pitch their platforms and ideas for music integration to a distinguished panel of experts. The panel includes Kerry Trainor, founding partner at Creator Partners and former CEO of SoundCloud and Vimeo; renowned artist manager and strategic advisor Randy Nichols; and Michael Mignano, partner at Lightspeed Ventures and former Head of Talk Audio at Spotify and co-founder of Anchor. These 15-minute focused sessions will provide direct feedback and explore how strategic music implementation can significantly enhance their product offerings. Startups interested in pitching, and individuals interested in attending, can register HERE.

“We’re excited to bring Merlin Connect’s Pitch Lab to New York Tech Week and spark a new conversation about innovation and the power of music,” said Jeremy Sirota, CEO, Merlin. “Many startups have never considered how powerful and integral music can be to their success. This event is designed to open their eyes to its transformative potential, connecting them with leading minds in both the music and tech industries.”

Even for those not pitching, the event promises to be an eye-opener, demonstrating the versatile and impactful role music can play in diverse digital experiences. Following the pitch sessions, attendees are invited to a mixer, offering a prime networking opportunity with panelists, startups, and other industry professionals.

This event is a part of #NYTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem.

ABOUT THE PITCH LAB PANELISTS

Randy Nichols is a veteran artist manager with Fly South Music Group, known for guiding gold-certified, Grammy-nominated acts like Underoath and Bayside. Through his advisory firm, Force Media Management, he works with tech startups like Bandsintown and atVenu on growth strategy. A strong voice for live music reform, he also serves on the board of the National Independent Talent Organization, leading anti-scalping efforts.

Kerry Trainor is the founder of Creator Partners, an investment firm backing creative industry leaders like SoundCloud, Fender, and BMI. A former CEO of both SoundCloud and Vimeo, Kerry helped transform each platform into a global home for creators, with a focus on sustainable growth and innovation in music and video.

Michael Mignano is a partner at Lightspeed Ventures and co-founder of Anchor, the podcasting platform acquired by Spotify. At Spotify, he led the Talk Audio division, scaling podcasts and live content globally. With deep roots in both product development and creative tech, he’s an active investor in early-stage companies at the intersection of media and innovation.

ABOUT MERLIN CONNECT

Merlin is the digital music licensing partner for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors. We’ve negotiated premium deals with Apple, Canva, Meta, Spotify, YouTube, and 40 other innovative platforms around the world. Our global membership is from 70+ countries around the world, representing 15% of the recorded music market. Merlin operates for the benefit of its members, without investors looking for an exit, and is funded entirely by our low 1.5% admin fee. Merlin helps the world’s leading independents to own their digital business through world-class deals and white-glove support.

Merlin Connect reimagines how digital platforms license and integrate independent music. The initiative seamlessly unlocks a curated selection of quality music from across Merlin’s membership of leading independent record labels and distributors, and makes it available to the next generation of digital platforms. Designed for startups and scaleups alike, Merlin Connect provides a streamlined, API-driven solution that removes the complexities traditionally associated with music licensing. 

But Merlin Connect is more than a licensing deal, it’s an innovation hub, a growth engine, and a strategic partner invested in each platform’s success. The initiative was recognized by Fast Company as part of their 2025 Most Innovative Companies List. 

With flexible licensing, streamlined operations, and strategic support, Merlin Connect enables companies from diverse industries to harness the power of independent music in groundbreaking ways. Merlin Connect is here to create a better future for artists, fans and platforms alike. 

For more information, visit www.merlinnetwork.org/merlinconnect.