Merlin, the independent’s digital music licensing partner, has extended and enhanced its existing music licensing partnership with JioSaavn, leading music and audio streaming service for South Asians.
The expansion of Merlin and JioSaavn’s deal deepens what was already a significant music partnership. The deal marks the first renewal between the two parties since regional music streaming service Saavn merged with India’s JioMusic, the music streaming service owned by telecom service provider Reliance Jio. The merger, which made Saavn’s entire catalog available on the JioSaavn app, grew JioSaavn’s monthly active users to more than 100 Mn. JioSaavn now comes preinstalled on Jio’s own JioPhone and is also available for web, Android, and iOS users.
The expanded partnership will enable Merlin’s membership to increase its presence in South Asia and will expand JioSaavn’s catalog offering to its worldwide audience.
Accounting for more than 15% of the global digital music market, Merlin members represent tens of thousands of labels and hundreds of thousands of artists from every country in the world. On JioSaavn, music fans can find a diverse array of tracks and videos from hundreds of Merlin members, including Armada Music, an independent internationally-awarded record company founded by a.o. Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren, with a roster including dance-music heavy-hitters such as Loud Luxury, Andrew Rayel, and Arty; Because Music, home of Christine and the Queens, Manu Chao, Justice, Metronomy, Parcels, and Ed Banger Records; Fluxus, a South Korean record label founded by Kim Byung-chan that has found success with artists spanning across genres such as Clazziquai, Yi Sung-yol, and Urban Zakapa; and Sanjivani, an India-based music distribution company.
Keshav Bhola, Vice President – Content Partnerships at JioSaavn said, “We look forward to collaborating with Merlin on impactful initiatives. This is a strategic step to work towards the growth of partners, artists and the music industry in the long term. This endeavor will further build on our commitment to make a positive impact on the music streaming ecosystem. Our audience will now have access to an elevated experience with regard to global music, while artists and musicians from around the world will have a borderless platform for their work.”
“We’re grateful to expand our partnership with JioSaavn and to enable our members to share their diverse catalog with JioSaavn’s global South Asian audience. As the scope of the Merlin membership grows around the world, we’re excited to grow the opportunities for our members and their repertoire,” said Charlie Lexton, COO of Merlin.
