Merlin, the indie licensing organization, has announced that Charlie Lexton will be its new CEO, effective January 1st. Lexton succeeds Jeremy Sirota, who stepped down in May after serving as CEO since 2020.
Lexton has been with Merlin since its founding in 2007 and most recently served as the organization's COO since April 2020. He played a key role in several significant developments at the agency, including negotiating licensing deals with streamers and social media platforms, forming a partnership with AI audio company ElevenLabs, and facilitating the sale of Merlin's equity interest in Spotify, resulting in a $125 million payout to its members.
Prior to joining Merlin, Lexton co-founded London indie label Dorado Records and worked as an attorney at UMG and EMI. He previously ran the London indie label City Rockers as co-owner before helping launch Merlin.
Lexton expressed his excitement for taking on the new role, stating that he is committed to supporting both the Merlin team and its members. Sirota praised Lexton's contributions to Merlin, citing his unwavering commitment to the organization and pioneering deals such as the partnership with ElevenLabs.
Merlin chairperson Darius Van Arman expressed confidence in Lexton's ability to lead the organization, saying that he has earned the trust of Merlin members through consistently delivering value throughout the organization's history. Marie Clausen, a Merlin management board member and MD of North America at Ninja Tune, also praised Lexton, stating that he is a brilliant strategist and remarkable negotiator who will help Merlin navigate the industry's current changes.
Merlin reported record-high revenue of $1.64 billion and a record-low administration fee of 1% in 2024.
Lexton has been with Merlin since its founding in 2007 and most recently served as the organization's COO since April 2020. He played a key role in several significant developments at the agency, including negotiating licensing deals with streamers and social media platforms, forming a partnership with AI audio company ElevenLabs, and facilitating the sale of Merlin's equity interest in Spotify, resulting in a $125 million payout to its members.
Prior to joining Merlin, Lexton co-founded London indie label Dorado Records and worked as an attorney at UMG and EMI. He previously ran the London indie label City Rockers as co-owner before helping launch Merlin.
Lexton expressed his excitement for taking on the new role, stating that he is committed to supporting both the Merlin team and its members. Sirota praised Lexton's contributions to Merlin, citing his unwavering commitment to the organization and pioneering deals such as the partnership with ElevenLabs.
Merlin chairperson Darius Van Arman expressed confidence in Lexton's ability to lead the organization, saying that he has earned the trust of Merlin members through consistently delivering value throughout the organization's history. Marie Clausen, a Merlin management board member and MD of North America at Ninja Tune, also praised Lexton, stating that he is a brilliant strategist and remarkable negotiator who will help Merlin navigate the industry's current changes.
Merlin reported record-high revenue of $1.64 billion and a record-low administration fee of 1% in 2024.
. He's gotta be responsible for all that sweet $125 million payout to members, btw 
. But, you know, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. I'm a bit worried about how they're gonna adapt to all these changes in the music industry 
. With Lexton at the helm, they've gotta keep innovating and pushing those boundaries, or else they'll get left behind 
. Plus, with the rise of AI and streaming platforms, it's gonna be a wild ride for Merlin and its members 
. Bring on 2025!
Ugh, another CEO change and I'm still waiting for them to sort out that pesky "Easy Share" feature on the platform... I mean, it's just so clunky and hard to use 
Can't they just make it simpler like everyone else? And what's with the admin fee being 1% now? I know they're trying to save costs, but it's still annoyingly high 
he's been grinding with the org since its founding back in 2007 and it shows, they just got some sick deals done like that partnership with elevenlabs 
which is a big deal, especially for indie labels. i'm loving the fact that he's committed to supporting both merlin and its members too 
it's gonna be interesting to see what he brings to the table in 2025 
and btw, $1.64 billion in revenue is insane 
but what's wrong with jeremy sirota that he had to step down in may 
anyway, $125 million payout for merlin members is no joke 
been with merlin since 2007, co-founded dorado records, helped launch merlin itself... the guy's a business genius 