{"id":106108,"date":"2025-10-01T14:10:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T13:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=106108"},"modified":"2025-10-31T08:33:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T08:33:53","slug":"spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotify and Merlin renew global deal, driving independent music forward"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 style=\"user-select: auto;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff; user-select: auto;\">The extended multiyear deal between Spotify and Merlin highlights a shared commitment to championing independent voices and fuelling music discovery worldwide.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Spotify and Merlin have <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.spotify.com\/2025-09-30\/merlin-spotify-partnership-renewal\/\">confirmed<\/a> the renewal of their long-running global licensing partnership, ensuring that independent music continues to play a central role in the streaming landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement marks another step in a 17-year collaboration that has already supported countless independent labels and artists across both new and established markets. The agreement highlights a shared commitment to ensuring independent voices remain strong in shaping music culture worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since joining forces, Spotify and Merlin have been instrumental in bringing diverse sounds to international audiences. Their work has fuelled the rise of Afrobeats and Amapiano, reignited interest in rock, and backed the growth of alternative, electronic, Latin, rap, and many more genres celebrated by independent creators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Merlin\u2019s CEO Jeremy Sirota described the mission behind the renewal, \u201cMerlin\u2019s mission is to empower our members to own their future. Spotify remains a key and forward-looking partner in advancing that mission. In a rapidly changing industry, this isn\u2019t just about securing terms that value the contributions of our members\u2019 artists; it\u2019s about building frameworks that unleash creativity and ensure our dynamic global membership\u2014which accounts for 15% of the market\u2014can continue to grow, thrive, and lead. Together, we are committed to a future where independent music drives discovery and value for artists and fans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Independent music has long been central to Spotify\u2019s growth and appeal. Alex Norstr\u00f6m, Spotify\u2019s Co-President and Chief Business Officer, said, \u201cIndependent music has always been at the heart of discovery on Spotify, and our partnership with Merlin makes that possible at a global scale. This renewal reflects our commitment to ensuring independent labels and artists continue to thrive on streaming platforms, while we work together to grow the value of music for creators everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The updated agreement ensures Merlin\u2019s membership is well positioned to influence the future of streaming while strengthening a sustainable, artist-centred ecosystem. Relatively recent developments, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/tiktok-merlin-licensing-fallout\/\">TikTok\u2013Merlin licensing fallout<\/a>, have highlighted the challenges and opportunities that come with securing fair terms for independent music. Spotify\u2019s deal with Merlin shows a different approach &#8211; one built on long-term collaboration and stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this partnership extended, independent music continues to grow its influence on streaming and culture. The collaboration between Spotify and Merlin is a reminder of the importance of strong deals that champion creativity and sustainability in music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/\">Distribute your music to Spotify and all other major streaming platforms around the world for FREE with RouteNote. Sign up today to get started.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The extended multiyear deal between Spotify and Merlin highlights a shared commitment to championing independent voices and fuelling music discovery worldwide. Spotify and Merlin have confirmed the renewal of their long-running global licensing partnership, ensuring that independent music continues to play a central role in the streaming landscape. The announcement marks another step in a 17-year collaboration that has already supported countless independent labels and artists across both new and established markets. The agreement highlights a shared commitment to ensuring independent voices remain strong in shaping music culture worldwide. Since joining forces, Spotify and Merlin have been instrumental in bringing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":106109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[3029],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Spotify and Merlin renew global deal, driving independent music forward - RouteNote Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Spotify and Merlin have extended their multiyear global music licensing partnership. Discover what this means for independent music here.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Spotify and Merlin renew global deal, driving independent music forward - RouteNote Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Spotify and Merlin have extended their multiyear global music licensing partnership. Discover what this means for independent music here.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RouteNote Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-01T13:10:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-31T08:33:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/25_0929-Merlin-FTR_Black-1920x733-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"733\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Johanna Campbell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"RouteNote\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/\",\"sameAs\":[],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/routenote-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/routenote-logo.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"RouteNote\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"RouteNote Blog\",\"description\":\"The World of Digital Music - Distribution - Stores and Free Music\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/25_0929-Merlin-FTR_Black-1920x733-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/25_0929-Merlin-FTR_Black-1920x733-1.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":733},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership\/\",\"name\":\"Spotify and Merlin renew global deal, driving independent music forward - RouteNote Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/spotify-merlin-extend-licensing-partnership\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-01T13:10:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-31T08:33:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Spotify and Merlin have extended their multiyear global music licensing partnership. 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