NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Merlin, the indie digital rights organization, has appointed industry veteran Jeremy Sirota as CEO.
Sirota, who is based in New York, succeeds Merlin’s longtime boss Charles Caldas, who has served as CEO of Merlin since its founding in 2007.
Sirota comes to his new role from Facebook Music, where he ed the company’s efforts to license and acquire recorded music rights from independent record labels and distributors, and helped to implement social music features across the company’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Oculus and Messenger.
Sirota previously held a number of senior positions at Warner Music Group, culminating in his appointment as SVP and Head of Business & Legal Affairs for both Warner-Elektra-Atlantic (WEA), Warner’s artist and label services division, and Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), Warner’s indie distribution arm.
“I am honored by this opportunity to lead Merlin and serve independents throughout the world. Merlin’s team of executives and employees are widely respected throughout the music and DSP communities, and I look forward to working closely with them to write the next chapter. With the digital music market potentially on the brink of another wave of transformative change, it’s vital that independents continue to have an organization that represents their interests, ensures the value of their repertoire is respected, and keeps pace with innovation,” Sirota said.
