Meet the Trailblazing Woman Leading Merlin's Asia-Pacific Expansion

Merlin Appoints Kaoruko Hill as General Manager for APAC

Merlin, a digital music licensing and membership organization, has appointed Kaoruko Hill as its General Manager for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Hill, based in Tokyo, previously worked at ByteDance, where she managed global music rights. Prior to that, she was Head of Member Relations and Operations at Merlin's Japan office from 2016 to 2020.

Merlin said Hill's leadership was instrumental in its successful entry into the Japanese market. She also worked at the Japanese music copyright collective NexTone Inc. and as a consultant in music rights and licensing.

Hill's appointment follows Merlin's recent appointment of 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, said Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin. Her expertise and commitment make her the ideal leader to drive our efforts in the Asia-Pacific market forward.

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.

Merlin represents 15% of the recorded music market and has members in 68 countries worldwide.

Hill's appointment comes after Merlin struck new deals with streaming platforms Deezer, Twitch, Audiomack, and Canva.

September 16, 2023