Merlin inks content deal with Twitch

The announcement comes on the heels of Twitch’s recently expanded deal with Universal, which will see the two companies working together to develop innovative campaigns for artists and labels to engage with their fans and new audiences.

The Amazon-owned Twitch has served as a powerful live-streaming service for new music discovery and fan engagement over the past few years. The platform says the deal will tap into an increased focus on music-centric programming, “recognising the power of independent artists and their impact in the Twitch community and create revenue-earning opportunities for Merlin members and their artists”.

The partnership is expected to expand direct communications between Merlin members and Twitch, offering dedicated support to the members and their artists to grow audience bases and unlock opportunities like marketing campaigns and live experiences globally. Twitch has also created a process that enables participating music rights holders to report unauthorised use of their music.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Twitch for this ground-breaking deal,” Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota said. “We’ve been engaged in conversations with Twitch since the day I started at Merlin and I’m pleased that our team found a path for Merlin members and their artists to better engage fan communities across the Twitch ecosystem”.

Twitch vice-president, head of music Tracy Chan said: “It really is an exciting time to be an independent artist. The relationship between fan and artist has been transformed, and we’re proud to offer a new pathway to success for so many artists.”

Over the past two years, Twitch has become an increasingly popular platform for artists to create content, interact with their fans, generate earnings and build communities. Last year, a report titled Twitch’s Rockonomics by former Spotify chief economist Will Page claimed that Twitch’s live streams were generating more income for some musicians than digital service providers like Spotify, Bandcamp and Apple Music. In September, Twitch partnered with the National Music Publishers’ Association in the US to provide new opportunities to publishers and increase visibility and revenue for songwriters.

Merlin’s members represent some 20 000 labels and thousands of artists around the globe. The company educates and engages its members to help them innovate, create new ideas and develop new strategies on digital platforms. Its members include Adaptr, Apple, Boomplay, Deezer, JOOX, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tencent, TikTok, Triller, YouTube Music, and many others.