Charlie Lexton Appointed CEO of Merlin

Merlin, the digital rights agency for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors, has announced Charlie Lexton as its new CEO, effective January 1, 2026. Lexton succeeds Jeremy Sirota.

Backstory:

• Lexton has worked for Merlin since its inception.

• Most recently he was Merlin’s COO, a role he’d held since April 2020.

• He previously served at Universal Music Group and EMI, where he put his legal training to use to lead Business Affairs for EMEA ex UK.

• Prior to helping launch Merlin, he ran and co-owned a London based independent label, City Rockers, his second after co-founding London indie label Dorado Records years earlier.

Milestones:

• Lexton played a key role in negotiating Merlin’s suite of DSP and social media deals, and in the company’s recent partnership with AI audio company ElevenLabs.

• He was also at the center of Merlin’s settlement of peer-to-peer copyright infringement litigation with LimeWire and the sale of Merlin’s equity interest in Spotify, which delivered a payout of more than $125m to its members.

What they said:

• Charlie Lexton: “I am delighted at the opportunity to lead this organization. My focus is on our members – the most significant grouping of independent music companies in the world – and on the Merlin team, our incredibly hard working and dedicated staff. I can do nothing without the support of our team. And without our members, there is no Merlin.”