Exciting News for Indie Music Lovers: Charlie Lexton Is Set to Lead Merlin!
Hold onto your headphones, music fans! Charlie Lexton is tuning up to become the Chief Executive Officer of Merlin, the global leader in independent music, starting January 1, 2026. It's the dawn of a new era, as Lexton takes over from industry icon Jeremy Sirota, who has been at the helm for nearly 20 years.
Charlie Lexton is no stranger to Merlin—or the music world. He hopped on board at the very beginning of Merlin's journey, standing side-by-side with the agency's first CEO, Charles Caldas. Fast forward to 2020, Charlie became the Chief Operating Officer, steering some of Merlin's most epic deals and partnerships, including a cool team-up with ElevenLabs.
But wait, there's more! Charlie's career track is a musical mixtape. Kicking off as a DJ and producer, he co-founded London’s own Dorado Records and later rocked the music scene with City Rockers. Talk about talent!
Lexton's influence has been pivotal—from winning over $125 million back for members by selling Merlin’s Spotify stake, to handling major industry shake-ups like the LimeWire copyright battle. Now, as Merlin's upcoming CEO, Lexton is geared up to power the world’s independent music titans, representing a massive 15% of the global recorded music market across 70+ countries!
And here's what he’s got to say: “I'm thrilled to lead this incredible organization. It's all about our members and the amazing Merlin team.” Darius Van Arman, Chairperson at Merlin, backs this up with a shoutout to Charlie's strategic genius and negotiating prowess.
Marie Clausen from Ninja Tune sums it up perfectly: “With Charlie at the helm, Merlin is ready to seize every opportunity this changing industry has to offer!”
So, music lovers, brace yourselves for an exciting future at Merlin. With Charlie Lexton leading the way, it's going to be an unforgettable musical journey!