Kaoruko Hill appointed General Manager, APAC at Merlin

Merlin, a digital music licensing and membership organization for independent labels, distributors, and other rightsholders, has appointed Kaoruko Hill as its General Manager for the APAC region.

Tokyo-based Kaoruko Hill most recently served in the Music Data & Rights Management team at ByteDance, where she played a role in managing global music rights for the tech giant.

Prior to ByteDance, according to today’s (September 16) announcement, Hill made “significant contributions” to Merlin during her tenure from 2016 to 2020 as Head of Member Relations and Operations at Merlin’s Japan office.

Merlin said today that Hill’s “leadership was instrumental in Merlin’s successful entry into the Japanese market, significantly increasing membership and forging strong partnerships”.

Kaoruko’s career in the music industry also includes her time at the Japanese music copyright collective (formerly JRC, now NexTone Inc.), where she focused on new media licensing and global partner relations.

A member of The Copyright Law Association of Japan, Kaoruko has also worked as a consultant in music rights and licensing.

News of Hill’s return to Merlin marks the org’s latest senior appointment in recent months.

In July, Merlin appointed Neil Miller as its new General Counsel.

“We are incredibly proud of Kaoruko’s achievements and her well-deserved appointment as General Manager of APAC.”

Jeremy Sirota, Merlin

“We are incredibly proud of Kaoruko’s achievements and her well-deserved appointment as General Manager of APAC,” said Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin.

“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, Merlin

Jim Mahoney, SVP, Member & Partner Success, Merlin, said: “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.

“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.”

Merlin, whose membership is located in 68 countries around the world, claims to represent 15% of the recorded music market.

Hill’s appointment comes after Merlin struck new deals with streaming platform Deezer, Amazon-owned livestream platform Twitch, streaming service Audiomack, and graphic design platform Canva.Music Business Worldwide