Congratulations to the many Merlin members and partners recognized on Billboard’s 2026 Indie Power Players list!
It’s great to see so many familiar names from across the independent community acknowledged for their work and leadership across the industry. We’re proud to see the continued impact of Merlin members reflected throughout this year’s list.
#Merlin #IndependentMusic #Billboard #IndiePowerPlayers
We’re excited to announce a series of senior promotions within our Membership team, underscoring our deep commitment to supporting and developing our membership globally.
Central to today’s announcement is the promotion of Jim Mahoney to the new position of Chief Membership Officer, who has played a pivotal role in establishing Merlin’s North American operation.
Alongside Mahoney’s appointment, Merlin has further strengthened its membership team seeing additional promotions for Bela Zecker (Senior Director, Global Membership Development), Joe Mercer Danher (Director, Member Relations), and Ben Sperling (Manager, Global Membership Development).
We are thrilled to have launched Merlin Engage 2026 and we welcome this year’s mentors and mentees! 🎊
Now in its fourth year, Merlin Engage has supported more than 90 women globally and reflects Merlin’s broader push to strengthen representation and leadership development across its international membership.
This year marks incredible growth with a participation increase of 20%, and significant widening of international reach with participants spanning 21 cities.
Welcome 2026 cohort!
Billboard has named its Women In Music 2026. We’re proud to see so many familiar names from the Merlin community - from both our members and partners. Congratulations to all those recognized!
#Merlin #IndependentMusic #Billboard #WomenInMusic
Merlin CEO Charlie Lexton has written an OpEd for Music Business Worldwide sharing his thoughts on streaming fraud.
He signals industry-wide collaboration as the critical piece in establishing a proactive response to illegitimate activity.
🔗 Read more at the link in our bio.
Merlin’s Executive Interview Series is a monthly series featuring executives from across Merlin’s dynamic and diverse worldwide membership, discussing some of the most pressing topics, developments, and innovations in independent music today.
This month’s piece features Board Member Sascha Lazimbat, Co-Founder at Zebralution, discussing technology design against independent needs, and the future of digital distribution and DSP models.
🔗 Read the full interview on our website.
#MerlinBoard #Zebralution #ExecutiveInterviewSeries #MusicBusiness
Congratulations to all Merlin members who earned a nomination for this year’s Libera Awards! We’re proud to see so many incredible independents recognized for their hard work in this way.
We’ll see you at the 2026 Libera Awards on June 8th!
#Merlin #LiberaAwards #IndependentMusic #MusicAwards
Congratulations to the many executives from Merlin member companies deservedly recognized on Billboard’s Global Power Players list this week!
#Merlin #BillboardGlobalPowerPlayers #IndependentMusic #MusicExecutives
Happy International Women’s Day! We’re just days away from welcoming a new cohort of Merlin Engage mentors and mentees, empowering the next generation of female leaders in independent music. As we prepare to meet the inspiring women joining the Engage community, we’d like to highlight the voices of last year’s program alumni!
For mentor–mentee duo Patra Sinner, General Counsel at Symphonic, and Jovana Medic, Director of IDJTV/IDJDigital, the experience proved invaluable. Take a look, and read their full interview on our website.
#MerlinEngage #WomenInMusic #Leadership #Mentorship
Earlier this month, Merlin Senior Manager, Member Relations Joe Mercer Danher, and GM APAC Kaoruko Hill took to Mumbai for India International Music Week!
They were able to attend various panels, workshops, and connect with Merlin members like One Digital, Sarvinarck, Symphonic, Cinq, and also spend time with the likes of WIN and SIMCA who we support through our trade association sponsorship.
#Merlin #Worldwide #IndiaInternationalMusicWeek
IDOL’s DSP Editorial & Partnerships Lead and Merlin Engage alumni, Allison Kleshefsky recently reflected on her time in the program as a mentee.
Naming self-advocacy and professional confidence among the key takeaways, read all about the skills Merlin Engage helped sharpen, and its impact on Allison as well as the rest of the cohort at the link in our bio.
Thank you Allison for sharing your experience!
#MerlinEngage #WomenInMusic #IndependentMusic
Earlier this week, the Merlin Board held their first meeting of the year in London. It was fantastic to see familiar faces as well as welcome our new Board members.
We’re thankful for their support as Merlin continues to champion our independent members around the world.
#Merlin #MerlinBoard #IndependentMusic
