Digital music licensing and memberships organization for independent labels, distributors, and rights holders Merlin has officially appointed Tokyo-based Kaoruko Hill as their new General Manager for the APAC region.
Hill has served as the Music Data & Rights Management team at ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, and she helped manage global music rights for the company.
Merlin says that Hill’s “leadership was instrumental in Merlin’s successful entry into the Japanese market, significantly increasing membership and forging strong partnerships”.
“We are incredibly proud of Kaoruko’s achievements and her well-deserved appointment as General Manager of APAC,” Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin said in an official statement regarding Hill’s new role.
“Her expertise, strategic vision, and deep commitment to the music industry make her the ideal leader to drive our efforts in the Asia-Pacific market forward, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact she will continue to make.”
“As Kaoruko steps into her new role, Merlin remains committed to supporting the most significant independently owned music rights holders in the Asia-Pacific region and globally” Jim Mahoney, SVP, Member & Partner Success, Merlin added.
“Kaoruko’s leadership will undoubtedly contribute to the values and mission of Merlin to build an ethical, sustainable, and indie-centric world. Her passion for working with creative companies will ensure Merlin continues to deliver value and innovate for our member.”
Hill joins the company fresh off their new deals with streaming platform Deezer, video game streaming platform Twitch (owned by Amazon), streaming platform Audiomack and the graphic design platform Canva.
