New York / London, 13th May 2026

Merlin, the global digital music licensing partner for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors, has announced a series of senior promotions within its Membership team, underscoring its deep commitment to supporting and developing its membership globally.

Central to today’s announcement is the promotion of Jim Mahoney to the new position of Chief Membership Officer. Since joining Merlin in 2014, Mahoney has played a pivotal role first in establishing the organisation’s North American operation progressing to lead Merlin’s global membership function. In his new role, he delegates some of that responsibility in order to focus on Merlin’s membership strategy, engagement, and development globally to ensure the organisation remains closely aligned with the needs and ambitions of independent music companies.

Mahoney is widely regarded as a leader in the independent label community bringing a rare combination of advocacy experience and operational expertise. Prior to Merlin, he served as Vice President at trade association A2IM and held an independent label seat on the board of SoundExchange. His earlier career included senior roles at Fat Beats Records, Roadrunner Records, and Profile Records, where he led campaigns for artists including DJ Quik, Camp Lo, and Atmosphere. This breadth of experience, spanning frontline label work and industry advocacy, has made him a trusted and influential figure across the global independent ecosystem.

Commenting on his new role, Mahoney said, “It’s an honor to take on this position at such an important moment for Merlin and for the independent music community more broadly. Our members are at the heart of everything we do and their artists power the successes of our digital partners. I’m excited to continue building on the strong foundation we’ve created, ensuring they have the tools, access, and advocacy they need to compete and succeed on a global stage.”

Alongside Mahoney’s appointment, Merlin has further strengthened its membership team with a series of additional promotions reflecting the depth of talent across the organisation.

Bela Zecker has been elevated to Senior Director, Global Membership Development. Since joining Merlin in 2023, Zecker has contributed to advancing the company’s international membership strategy, helping to deepen relationships and expand engagement across its growing global network. Bela has spent her career in the service of the independent music industry. Prior to joining Merlin, Bela worked as Label Manager at Exceleration, Senior Manager of Independent Label Relations at SoundCloud, and Senior Project Manager at Ninja Tune.

In London, Joe Mercer Danher has been promoted to Director, Member Relations, where he now leads Merlin’s global Member Relations efforts and is the primary point of contact for Merlin’s members across EMEA. Since joining the organisation in 2020, he has worked closely with independent labels, distributors, and artist and label services companies to ensure they are fully engaged with Merlin’s membership benefits and commercial opportunities. Mercer Danher brings a diverse background spanning artist management within the European rock and metal scene, as well as work designing grant initiatives and supporting decision-making at Help Musicians and PRS Foundation. He is also an accomplished composer, having delivered creative projects for global brands including Apple, Tesla, Vice, and Wired.

Additionally, Ben Sperling has been promoted to Manager, Global Membership Development following more than two years with Merlin in roles focused on driving member participation in commercial and promotional opportunities tied to the organisation’s global DSP partnerships. His trajectory within Merlin began with an internship during his studies, evolving into a full-time role where he has developed a strong track record in member engagement. Prior to joining Merlin, Sperling worked as a Distribution Analyst at ASCAP.

Jim Mahoney said, “I’m incredibly pleased to see Bela, Ben and Joe step into these well-deserved new roles. Each of them has made a significant impact at Merlin. Their expertise, commitment, and understanding of our global community is instrumental in Merlin’s support of our members and driving Merlin’s continued success worldwide.”

Charlie Lexton, CEO of Merlin added, “These promotions reflect the depth of talent at Merlin. Jim’s promotion and the creation of the Chief Membership Officer role recognise Jim’s exceptional leadership and the fundamental nature of Merlin as a member-based organisation. Jim has been instrumental in the growth and development of Merlin’s membership, and his promotion is an acknowledgement of the role he has played for some time. His deep understanding of our sector and Merlin’s core mission is invaluable. Together with the deserved promotions of Bela, Ben and Joe, our Membership team has the strength, expertise and global perspective to continue delivering meaningful, lasting value to our members.”

About Merlin

Merlin is the digital music licensing partner for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors. We’ve negotiated premium deals with Apple, Canva, Deezer, Meta, Spotify, YouTube, and 40 other innovative platforms around the world. Our global membership is from 70+ countries around the world, representing 15% of the recorded music market. Merlin operates for the benefit of its members, without investors looking for an exit, and is funded entirely by our low 1.5% admin fee. Merlin helps the world’s leading independents to own their digital business through world-class deals and white-glove support.

Merlin’s membership includes independents such as !K7, AEI Music, Anjunabeats, Armada Music Group, AudioSalad, Better Noise, Cinq Music Group, Curb Records, Epitaph Records, Exceleration Music, Freeme Digital, GYROstream, Hopeless Records, IDOL, Innercat Music, Kompakt, Kontor New Media, Lex Records, Mad Decent, Many Hats, Merge Records, MNRK Music Group, Mushroom Music, Nettwerk, Ninja Tune, ONErpm, Polyvinyl Records, Pony Canyon, Redeye, Secret City, Secretly, Stones Throw, Sub Pop, Symphonic, UnitedMasters, Wagram Music, Warp Records, Zebralution, and hundreds more.