Ryan McWhinnie is Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs at Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors. With over two decades of experience in music and media law, he has led complex global licensing negotiations with major digital services including Spotify, Apple, ByteDance, Deezer, JioSaavn, NetEase and Tencent, as well as pioneering deals with AI companies such as ElevenLabs and Udio. Recognised by Billboard as one of the industry’s leading music lawyers, Ryan works at the forefront of the commercial, legal, and strategic issues shaping the future of music.