Merlin has renewed its strategic partnership with Meta – an agreement that goes beyond a licensing deal.
“This renewal reinforces the pivotal role Merlin serves for its members in the future of social and music,” said a statement from the licensing agency for the independent sector.
Merlin’s members and their artists have seen significant engagement with Meta’s Reels feature on Instagram and Facebook. The renewal will make available a new suite of tools and features that enable fans to discover artists and boost the visibility of new releases.
Meta won the Music Consumer Innovation trophy at the Music Week Awards.
Tamara Hrivnak, vice president, music & content business development at Meta, said: “Meta is thrilled to renew our partnership with Merlin, one of the leading champions of independent music. I’m extremely grateful to both the Merlin deal team, and to Meta’s BD & legal leads Summer Kim, Alex Bae, Tali Fireaizen and Didac Renau-Faura for their commitment to and support of the independent music community. Our continued collaboration will foster further innovation in music discovery and creative expression. We're excited for what the future holds.”
Our continued collaboration will foster further innovation in music discovery and creative expression
Tamara Hrivnak
For Meta’s users, Merlin’s members deliver music in all genres and in languages from across the globe.
Meta and Merlin will explore new opportunities to drive the value of independent music on Meta’s platforms, as well as opening up new ways for Merlin’s members to drive fandom and discovery. It will also provide fair compensation, according to the announcement.
Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin, said: “We are incredibly proud of the hard work the Merlin team and our members have put into being a key partner to Meta. I’m particularly grateful to our deal team led by our COO, Charlie Lexton and senior director, business and legal affairs, Shrina Patel for their work on this partnership. This renewal is about more than simply licensing music – it’s about the strength of building long-term relationships, seeking innovative ways to deliver music to fans and those discovering our artists for the first time, and the value of the dynamic nature of independent music. Merlin, on behalf of its members and their artists, is leading the way to build an ethical, sustainable, and indie-centric world.”
The announcement of the enhanced partnership between Merlin and Meta coincides with A2IM’s Indie Week in New York.
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