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"Another success for Snocap: Merlin, a new record label launched at MidemNet in Cannes yesterday, has announced a deal with the company.  Merlin is a new non-profit that aims to be the \"fifth major\" record label, with the aim of securing licensing deals with MySpace, YouTube and other sites.  \nThe label will sell music through the MyStore player (see Snocap's MySpace Music Player), which is set to be integrated into MySpace Music.  Every Merlin artist will have the chance to use the MyStore player, and tracks will be sold as unprotected MP3s.  \nMerlin aims to stand up for indie artists - just as the major labels are able to cut deals with MySpace and YouTube, Merlin will demand revenue sharing agreements from these sites and remove music from Merlin artists if the demands aren't met.  Likewise, they'll seek out deals with online stores such like iTunes and Napster, since independent bands currently receive lower royalties from those services than artists signed with the four major record labels.  In short, indie bands are grouping together for their collective good: Merlin's bands count for about 30% of the global music market and 80% of new releases worldwide.\nIn related news, it also appears that the National Music Publishers Association wants to find a way to charge MySpace royalties for all the songs embedded on MySpace profiles: NMPA SVP Jacqueline Charlesworth said it's something they'll be looking at in the \"next couple of years\". \nSnocap's MyStore"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2007/01/21/music-on-myspace/>