Pandora Inks Indy Deal With Merlin

Charles Caldas

Merlin, the global rights agency for the independent label sector, and Pandora have  announced a comprehensive partnership designed to help independent labels and artists grow the audiences they reach and the royalties they receive.

The deal - which applies to Pandora's business in the United States - brings together Merlin's membership of leading independent labels with Pandora's unmatched scale and music discovery expertise, creating new opportunities to build audiences and connect with fans.

"For the independent sector, internet radio is an increasingly important part of the digital market, and we want to see it continue to grow, and grow fast," said Charles Caldas, CEO of Merlin. "For the thousands of labels Merlin represents, this agreement with Pandora provides a real best of both worlds scenario: a hugely important opportunity to increase our members' revenues and access unparalleled opportunities for exposure, whilst continuing to support a collective licensing framework."

Brian McAndrews

"This is an important step to advance Pandora's ongoing commitment to build a vibrant and sustainable music industry," said Brian McAndrews, CEO of Pandora. "It's a true partnership that will grow our collective businesses, help artists reach larger audiences and give our listeners an even better music discovery experience personalized to their tastes."

Merlin's membership embodies over 20,000 independent record labels and distributors worldwide. According to Merlin, these labels command around a 10 percent share of the global and US streaming music markets. The new partnership will enable participating labels and the artists they represent to take advantage of the unprecedented marketing capabilities of Pandora's connected platform.