Merlin appoints Jon Glass as general counsel and partnerships lead
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Merlin, the global organisation representing independent record labels and distributors in digital licensing, has confirmed the appointment of Jon Glass as its new general counsel, with the announcement now also detailing that his predecessor, Neil Miller, left in January after two years and has since become a legal director at YouTube Music. Glass, who spent 16 years at Warner Music Group most recently as senior vice president and head of digital legal affairs, will be based in New York and report to Merlin chief executive Charlie Lexton. The appointment is notable because Glass will also head Merlin's partnerships team, marking the first time the organisation has unified its legal affairs and partnerships functions under one reporting structure.
The move was announced on Monday 10 August, with Lexton praising Glass as one of the most respected legal executives in the digital music business and saying the combined structure is designed to improve coordination with Merlin's partners. Before Warner Music, Glass worked in digital business and legal affairs at Sony Music Entertainment and practised law at firms including Morrison & Foerster; he holds a JD from Northwestern University. In his own statement, Glass said he was looking forward to bringing his experience of the industry's shift from downloads to streaming and AI services to Merlin's future legal and partnerships strategy.
- Jon Glass named Merlin's new general counsel, also leading partnerships
- Former WMG digital legal affairs chief; joins from 16 years at Warner
- Predecessor Neil Miller left in January, now at YouTube Music
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Merlin is the London-headquartered body that represents thousands of independent record labels and distributors, negotiating licensing deals with streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube on their behalf so that smaller labels get terms comparable to those secured by the major music companies. It is led by chief executive Charlie Lexton, and its work sits at the intersection of music rights, technology platforms and contract law.
The general counsel role matters because it oversees the legal side of these licensing negotiations, an area central to how independent labels are paid when their music is streamed. Jon Glass takes on the position after a long career in digital music legal affairs, including 16 years at Warner Music Group and earlier spells at Sony Music Entertainment and a private law firm.
The appointment also changes how Merlin is structured, since Glass will oversee both legal affairs and partnerships, functions that were previously separate. He replaces Neil Miller, who held the general counsel role for two years before departing in January.
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Originally published by Billboard as “Jon Glass Named General Counsel of Merlin, Leading Legal Affairs and Partnerships”.