Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for independent labels and distributors, has promoted Emma Robinson to Vice President of Partnerships, alongside three other senior appointments within its global partnerships division.
Robinson, who joined Merlin in 2018, has worked across commercial strategy, rights management, and platform relations to help independent rightsholders navigate the digital marketplace. Before Merlin, she held roles at Name PR, a music and entertainment communications agency, where she handled clients spanning ticketing, publishing, festivals, distribution, and digital services.
In her new role, she will oversee key global partner relationships and contribute to Merlin’s partnership strategy across established digital service providers (DSPs), social platforms, and emerging AI-driven services.
“Independent music continues to shape culture globally, and Merlin plays a vital role in ensuring independent rightsholders have the infrastructure, access and representation needed to compete at the highest level. I’m incredibly proud to step into this role and to continue working alongside our members, partners and the wider Merlin team as we help build meaningful, sustainable opportunities for the independent community worldwide.”
Additional Promotions
Shannon Bradley has been elevated to Director, Commercial Partnerships. Based in New York, she joined Merlin in 2021 and now leads day-to-day partnership activities with Spotify, Meta, Apple, Twitch, and Peloton, collaborating on opportunities for Merlin members to maximize the value of these partnerships. Bradley previously worked as a Project Manager at Glassnote Records and served on the board of Queer Capita.
Alice Moss, based in Berlin, has been promoted to Director, Partnership Operations. Since joining Merlin in 2024, she has led member integrations with platforms including Udio, Singa, and Audiomack, and has driven member engagement and compliance initiatives related to Meta’s content policies. She previously worked at SoundCloud, advocating for independent rightsholders and helping partners optimize their catalogues and platform strategies.
Daniele Yandel, based in New York, has been with Merlin since 2020 and has been named Director, Partnership Operations. She co-founded the independent label Sister Polygon Records and performed in the band Priests, experiences that inform her work supporting Merlin’s members and partners.
Simon Marcel, based in London, has been promoted to Manager, Partnership Operations. He joined Merlin in 2023 and has worked on complex rights management and platform issues, drawing on more than six years of YouTube Content Management System (CMS) and digital rights management experience.
Executive Comment
Charlie Lexton, CEO of Merlin, said:
“These promotions recognise a group of executives who have played an important role in strengthening Merlin’s partnerships and operational capabilities during a period of rapid change across the digital music landscape. Emma, Shannon, Alice, Daniele and Simon each bring deep expertise, strong industry relationships and a clear commitment to supporting Merlin’s members globally. As the digital ecosystem continues to evolve, from AI and social platforms through to new rights management challenges, investing in the people who help independent music companies navigate that complexity remains a key priority for Merlin.”
About Merlin
Merlin negotiates digital licensing agreements with platforms including Apple, Canva, Deezer, Meta, Spotify, YouTube, and over 40 other platforms. Its global membership spans more than 70 countries and represents approximately 15% of the recorded music market. The organization is funded entirely by a 1.5% administration fee and operates without external investors.
Members include:
- !K7
- Armada Music Group
- Epitaph Records
- Nettwerk
- Ninja Tune
- Sub Pop
- Symphonic
- UnitedMasters
- Warp Records
- and hundreds more independent labels and distributors.
