Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors, kicked off 2026 by announcing its new board, bringing together leaders from the independent music industry in 12 different countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania.
Elected from and by its membership, and representing tens of thousands of independent record labels, distributors, and rightsholders from around the world, the board brings a wealth of experience to guide the organisation in its mission to enable and support its members’ independence, offering informed global perspectives with hands-on experience navigating markets across the world.
2026’s elections resulted in a mixture of new and returning members. Newly elected to the board is Sascha Lazimbat, Zebralution (Germany). In addition to the elected members, Merlin has appointed Dan Waite, Better Noise (UK) and Verónica Rojas, Casete (Mexico) as board observers, with Tom Deakin, AudioSalad (UK) reselected.
Beggars Group and Merlin founder Martin Mills will continue to serve as a director of Merlin Network, the organisation’s parent entity, alongside Darius Van Arman, who continues as chairperson, and Merlin CEO, Charlie Lexton, while appreciation was extended to outgoing members.
“We are delighted to welcome our new board members, each of whom brings a unique and high value perspective to Merlin,” said Charlie Lexton, CEO, Merlin. “Merlin’s dedication to delivering unique benefits and best in class deals is at the heart of our mission. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, our board’s experience across markets and business types is an invaluable resource in ensuring we continue to deliver premium value to our members around the world.”
Merlin has negotiated premium deals with Apple, Canva, ElevenLabs, Meta, Spotify, YouTube, and 40 other innovative platforms around the world. Its global membership is from 70+ countries around the world, representing 15% of the global recorded music market. Merlin operates for the benefit of its members, without investors looking for an exit, and is funded entirely by a low 1.5% admin fee. Merlin helps the world’s leading independent music companies to own their digital business through world-class deals and a range of member benefits.
