NEWS: Indie music labels create Merlin to conjure licensing deals

News/Social Networks/Music
Found on: news.com



Looks like the indie music scene as we know it will never be the same - a group called Merlin formed by "players" in the independent music sector just signed a deal with Snocap allowing their label's music to be sold via downloads on websites like Myspace and other popular social networks and from the looks of it, this is just the beginning. This move along with other future licensing deals will essentially make Merlin the fifth major music distributor in the world, the other four being: Vivendi's Universal Music, Sony BMG, EMI Group and Warner Music Group.

News.com post:

The world's independent music sector, which has produced such artists as the Arctic Monkeys, has grouped together to launch an agency to secure licensing deals with emerging media such as MySpace and YouTube.

The group, called Merlin, was launched at the annual MidemNet music industry conference with its backers saying it would become the "fifth major" in the industry.

The launch follows the rapid growth in popularity of sites like YouTube, where fans post video clips carrying their choice of music without permission from copyright holders.