Merlin reveals first labels and artists for its Nina partnership

Earlier this year, indie licensing agency Merlin struck a deal with superfans-focused startup Nina as part of its Merlin Connect initiative.

Now Merlin has announced the first labels and artists who’ll be going live on Nina as part of the deal. They include labels Anjunabeats, Armada Music, Ninja Tune and Secretly Group as well as artists Black Country, New Road, Coldcut and Young Fathers.

Each label will have a hub on Nina where fans can browse and buy releases, follow their profiles and find bonus material and exclusive content. Nina will also be digging into the labels’ catalogues through editorial features and playlists.

Part of Nina’s pitch as it looks to compete with established rivals like Bandcamp is that artists keep 100% of their sales revenues.

The startup sold an 18% stake to investors in 2022, which is how it has funded its business so far. In the future, it is planning to make money by launching a suite of paid tools on its platform.

“It’s a space designed for active discovery, not just consumption on rails. It uses technology to flow music round barriers and foster a more direct dialogue with a real community,” said Matt Black of Coldcut and Ninja Tune as the Merlin partnership went live.

“This partnership is proof that independent music, innovation, and fairness can go hand-in-hand,” added Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota, while Nina Protocol COO John Pollard said the deal will ” showcase the richness of independent music while giving artists and their communities the recognition and experience they deserve”.