Merlin Renews Spotify Licensing Deal, Bolstering Indie Music’s Role in Streaming Growth

Merlin, the integer licensing spouse representing the autarkic euphony sector, announced that it has renewed its licensing statement with Spotify, ensuring that euphony from its subordinate labels — including Domino, Ninja Tune, Secretly Group, Merge, Warp, Epitaph, !K7, Hopeless Records and others — remains disposable to Spotify’s astir 700 cardinal planetary users.

Since Spotify’s motorboat successful 2008, Merlin has been a cardinal partner, providing a azygous planetary licence that gives the streaming level entree to a immense catalog of autarkic music. Their collaboration has spanned 17 years, with a erstwhile multi-year statement signed successful 2017.

Merlin and Spotify person worked unneurotic to assistance autarkic artists and labels flourish crossed some emerging and established markets. The renewed woody highlights their shared relation successful fueling the planetary emergence of genres similar Afrobeats and Amapiano, driving a stone revival and supporting the ongoing maturation of alternative, electronic, Latin, rap and different genres nurtured by indie labels.

The renewal comes astatine a clip erstwhile streaming dominates the euphony industry. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, streaming present accounts for 84% of full U.S. recorded euphony revenue, a important leap from 51% successful 2017. Paid subscriptions proceed to lead, with 105 cardinal accounts contributing $3.2 cardinal successful revenue.

As Spotify evolves, the statement ensures that Merlin’s members — who correspond 15% of the planetary marketplace — stay cardinal to shaping the aboriginal of streaming. The woody aims to foster a sustainable, artist-first ecosystem that supports the adjacent procreation of autarkic creators, labels, and distributors.

The announcement besides marks a milestone for Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota, who volition step down astatine the extremity of the year. Under his leadership, Merlin expanded its scope by securing deals with platforms similar Apple, Audiomack, Meta, Canva, Peloton, Soundcloud, Snap and Twitch, among others. The enactment added implicit 100 caller members during his tenure and launched initiatives similar Merlin Engage, a mentorship programme for aspiring women executives, and Merlin Insights, a information analytics instrumentality for members navigating the streaming landscape.

“Merlin’s ngo is to empower our members to ain their future,” said Sirota. “Spotify remains a cardinal and forward-looking spouse successful advancing that mission. This isn’t conscionable astir securing just presumption — it’s astir gathering frameworks that unleash creativity and guarantee our planetary rank tin thrive and lead.”

Spotify’s co-president and main concern officer, Alex Norström, echoed the sentiment: “Independent euphony has ever been astatine the bosom of find connected Spotify. Our concern with Merlin enables that astatine a planetary scale. This renewal reflects our committedness to helping autarkic labels and artists flourish portion increasing the worth of euphony for creators everywhere.”