New AI Program, 2024 Wins & 2025 Goals

In 2025, indie digital rights nonprofit Merlin will double down on its recently unveiled AI policy while moving forward with its “first AI pilot program” in tandem with an unnamed “global partner,” CEO Jeremy Sirota said in a New Year’s memo to staff.

Sirota’s mention of the new program in the Thursday (Jan. 2) letter, obtained by Billboard, includes a nod to Merlin’s recently released memo outlining the organization’s position on AI, in which it warned tech companies not to harvest data from Merlin members to train AI algorithms while also stating that it supports “AI products that aid human creativity, or provide new opportunities for artists to create and collaborate in developing new original works.”

“We are proving that innovation, respect for artists and delivering on our policy on AI and abiding by our position on AI can go hand in hand,” Sirota wrote in the memo. “Let’s continue to identify AI partners who want to be on the right side of history about copyright, consent and culture.”

Sirota’s memo also highlights new deals with both Meta and Audiomack signed in 2024, adding that “nearly 400 of our members joined” the latter agreement, “putting it near the top of deals for the total number of members opted in.” He additionally touts new agreements with social streaming platforms Rhythm and Turntable/Hangout as well as renewals with Peloton, Tencent, Twitch, YouTube, Anghami, Deezer and iHeart, among others.

Additionally, Sirota makes special mention of Merlin’s Data Warehouse and Insights initiative, noting that in 2024, Merlin “greatly expanded the access independents have to critical insights” via its recorded music data, which he notes is “one of the largest sets” in the industry. He also makes sure to hype Merlin Connect — a new initiative launched in June that aims to help emerging tech and social platforms license independent music while increasing earnings for Merlin members — stating that the program is “creating a blueprint for how music powers the next wave of digital experiences.”

Elsewhere in the memo, Sirota says that Merlin’s effective admin fee for members, which “is initially set at 1.5%,” was just 1.17% between 2021 and 2023 thanks to nearly 16 million pounds paid back to members in the form of rebates. “Every year we set a goal of maximizing how much we pay back to our members as a rebate,” Sirota writes, adding that while there’s “no guarantee we can always achieve these incredibly low rates… this is a remarkable achievement to celebrate.”

For 2025, Sirota outlines three major goals: to “super serve” Merlin members via its “Insights visualization rollout,” which he says “will expand the scope of business intelligence available to our members”; “supercharge Merlin Connect”; and expand Merlin Engage, a mentorship program that aims to “empower the next generation of female leaders in the independent music space” and which last year expanded to 30 participants, he says.

Read Sirota’s full memo below.

Hi Merlin Team,

​​As we start a new year, I’m struck by a simple truth: while our members represent over 15% of the global recorded music market, the music industry’s future will not be shaped by those with the broadest reach or even deepest pockets. It will be owned by those with the clearest vision and strongest commitment to artists. This is why we stay laser-focused on our singular mission: strengthening the world’s leading independents to compete and strengthen their independence. I couldn’t be prouder of our mission and this team.

Let’s never forget that our difference is more than just a business model; it’s a belief system. We deliver true independence as the only global deal making organization that is member-led, member-owned and member-governed. Every single day, we wake up and get to solve the most important question: how can we better serve our members? Our key performance indicator is simple: the success of our members and the artists they represent.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t specifically acknowledge your incredible cross functional work in December, which culminated in the launch of Merlin’s first AI pilot program. This was an impressive accomplishment achieved in close partnership with our members. It also marks an exciting start to our AI journey with a global partner. We are proving that innovation, respect for artists, and delivering on our policy on AI and abiding by our position on AI can go hand in hand. Let’s continue to identify AI partners who want to be on the right side of history about copyright, consent, and culture.

Let’s reflect back on 2024 and then look forward to 2025.

Membership

Collectively, our membership rivals the largest players in music. Merlin stands as the guardian of independence in digital music, not just through deals and technology, but as a force that protects and empowers independents to thrive on their own terms. We are indies – smart, adaptable, and fiercely dedicated to proving that independence, partnership with artists and market leadership can go hand in hand. From our newest team member to our longest-serving partner, we share one goal: ensuring independent music maintains its significance and voice in the digital future.

Everyone at Merlin is inspired by the diversity of artists, music, and experimentation our independent members bring to the world. This year we were proud to welcome a number of leading and innovative independents into Merlin deals: Artist Partner Group (U.S.), Nettwerk Music Group (Canada), Rostrum Pacific (U.S.), UNFD (Australia), VP Music Group, and Wide Awake (Netherlands).

Merlin members rule. Here’s just a small sample of the incredible releases from our members’ artists in 2024 (and a soundtrack to start the new year):

Finally, you know that our Admin Fee is used to cover our budget and is initially set at 1.5%. Every year we set a goal of maximizing how much we pay back to our members as a rebate (i.e., the difference between our actual budget and the 1.5%). I’m pleased to report that, over the last three years, we have paid back nearly £16,000,000 to our members in rebates. From 2021 through 2023, our average effective admin fee was 1.17%. There’s no guarantee we can always achieve these incredibly low rates, but this is a remarkable achievement to celebrate. It’s a testament to your hard work and the creativity in how we operate this organization.

Partnership

Yes, we renewed our licensing agreement with Meta. More importantly, we strengthened and expanded our partnership. Meta is a partner who values Merlin, its members, independent music and building together. That’s why I continue to prioritize this partnership. The Meta team is keen on helping our members and their artists drive culture, are keen on fandom, and appreciate the unbelievable talent of independent artists.

We also struck a new deal with Audiomack, an artist-first music streaming platform that empowers artists to reach and engage with fans worldwide. Despite being in business for over twelve years, and a significant number of our members having direct deals, nearly 400 of our members joined the Merlin deal, putting it near the top of deals for the total number of members opted in. That is the value of Merlin and the importance placed by Audiomack on our partnership.

We ensured our members are at the forefront of social streaming platforms, striking deals with Rythm, the pioneering community-based group listening platform, and Turntable (Hangout), designed to make music a more social experience.

Every partnership matters to me, but I want to applaud your enhanced approach to dealmaking and partnership in renewing with Peloton (new features), Tencent (VIP tier), Twitch (DJ program), and YouTube (working in partnership with them on the full spectrum of our relationship from content integrity through to their product innovations).

Beyond new deals, we renewed our partnerships with Anghami, Deezer, FLO, iHeart, JioSaavn, JOOX, KKBox, Kuaishou, Lickd, and VEVO.

These are music services that value Merlin, its members and independent music. One stand-out you might have missed is our Soundtrack Your Brand partnership where, thanks to a cross functional team effort, we have increased our members’ deal participation by over 50%.

Another stand-out is our Canva partnership, where Merlin members and their artists’ music account for over 40% of Canva’s music library. That’s the power of independent music.

Merliners

2024 was our Year of Connectivity. To continue providing opportunities for the Merlin team to build closer relationships with our members, our partners, the trade associations, and each other, we held our first ever company-wide global retreat (which you affectionately called The Great Merlin Escape). We set goals of fostering greater understanding and empathy, building context across teams, and leaning more into strategic thinking. It was great to have a dedicated facilitator to help Merliners better understand their own strengths, learn how to more effectively collaborate cross functionally, and implement practices that help Merliners more effectively serve the needs of our members. Don’t forget you can find the group photo here.

For a small team, I am amazed at how many opportunities we create to connect with our partners, members, and the network of dedicated trade associations around the world. The web sessions and in-person meet-ups we hosted had attendees numbering in the thousands; we traveled to over 30+ countries; we participated in dozens of panels, moderated many more, and delivered keynotes; and we were proud to organize unique visits to our members’ offices where so many Merliners could listen to, learn from and interact with our members. I can’t wait to do more of those this year.

We integrated these connections into our daily operations by launching and improving the internal systems that make knowledge-sharing about our business relationships easier throughout the org, all in the service of helping members and partners get more from Merlin.

Continuing with the theme of connectivity, I want to again extend a warm welcome so many talented people who joined in 2024 across virtually every discipline: Alice Moss arrived from SoundCloud into our Member Operations team; Carol Zuma-Hall from Platoon/Apple as our new Controller; Ceri Brown as our new UI/UX designer; Emillia Walsh as our talented Paralegal; Gary Watson moved from a consultancy role on our Data Warehouse initiative to leading our Data Operations team; Jac Powell came from Universal Music as senior data analyst; Kirsty Langdell as our new People & Culture Lead; Leah Kraft with time at Spotify and Disney joined Member Relations; Maria Lavric in our newly-formed Data Operations team; Martin Vovk joins from Sony Music as our new Insights lead; Matt Price as a Data Engineer supporting our warehouse; Molly Kempen on our reporting team; Sara Oman on our analytics team; Simon-Turner Thompson as our new product manager; and Wes Green as our first-in-kind Product Owner.

I also want to welcome back Kaoruko Hill, our second boomerang employee, as our new GM for APAC. And the unbelievably talented Neil Miller, who joined as our new General Counsel, supporting the best Business Affairs team in the world.

Technology and Innovation

We’re building a future where independent music thrives on its own terms – innovative, authentic, and uncompromised. This isn’t about competing with or trying to recreate the past. It’s about redefining what’s possible when technology and independence join forces.

But scale alone is not enough. Music discovery and consumption have fundamentally changed. Gaming, social platforms, and new consumption models have shifted power toward independents. Our deals don’t just ride these changes – they shape how value flows to rightsholders.

This is how Merlin helps our members stay at the forefront of the industry. We are in this business because we love music and the artists who make it. Our superpower at Merlin is built on supporting our global membership through three core philosophies: rights, relationships, and resourcing (here).

Along those lines, I’m thrilled with how far along we’ve come with our Data Warehouse and our Insights initiative. Merlin sits on one of the largest sets of recorded music data in the industry. Our ability to leverage that data will unlock so many opportunities for our members. From helping our members understand rapidly changing platform trends to navigating new markets, we have greatly expanded the access independents have to critical insights. Kudos to the team in refining and improving Dremio and our capability for better business analytics and insights performance. This sets the stage for 2025 in continuing to improve how we help members understand their performance within the global marketplace.

And, of course, Merlin Connect. While others guard old models, we saw that emerging platforms needed a fresh approach to music licensing. These platforms want quality music but traditional licensing remains complex, slow, and expensive. We built something different: a streamlined path to independent music, backed by API delivery and hands-on support. This isn’t another licensing deal – we’re investing in the future of independent music and creating a blueprint for how music powers the next wave of digital experiences. What’s most exciting? The unlimited possibilities we can explore and technologies we haven’t even heard of yet.

Through Merlin Connect, we’re opening new channels for our members’ music while solving a critical market problem. It’s exciting that platforms want to work exclusively with Merlin and its members as their music solution of choice. They know the transformative impact our members’ music will have on their platforms and we can’t wait to be the catalyst for that impact this year.

2025 and Beyond

Let’s crank our initiatives up to 11:

Enjoy a well-deserved break with your friends and family. I look forward to our work together in 2025 and beyond.

Let’s build a future for true independence!

Jeremy