Merlin
Please note! If you're importing Merlin data for the first time, you'll want to make sure that your Merlin fees have been set in the Importer Settings of each corresponding Merlin importer you'll be using by following the helpful instructions detailed here in our Knowledge Base.
How to get the data:
- Log in to Merlin
- Navigate to Reports & Invoices, click the Filter button in the top right corner, and Filter only by Date Paid
- For example - if you would like to retrieve January 2025 Merlin data, you'll need to wait until after that period ends (i.e. February 1st, 2025) and use the Date Paid values to isolate data for the January 2025 date range as shown below:
- Once you have isolated the data you would like to account for, download the individual statement files for each distributor using the button in the Action column for each row
- If there are multiple Statement Files, you can Download All if preferred
- For each data source, our Merlin Importer Help Text will let you know which reporting in the File Manager our system ingests for royalty accounting purposes as shown below. For many Merlin data sources, this is the Monthly-Sales.csv file - however, the filename can vary between each data source (such as the Spotify track-for-streaming.txt report in the example below)
Please note - for data sources with multiple reports in different currencies (i.e. EUR_Monthly-Sales.txt, USD_Monthly-Sales.txt, GBP_Monthly-Sales.txt), you will want to account for every report ending in that reporting format. Our Merlin importers map the Currency reported in the data itself, so you can easily import data reported in different Currencies using the same importer and our system will automatically assign currency conversion rates to transactions that are not in your account's native currency.
Importing into IC:
Before importing Merlin data, you'll want to be sure to select "Merlin" from the list of Data Sources in your Account Settings (Account -> Account Settings), which will enable all Merlin data source importers for your account. You'll also want to add any applicable Merlin fees in the Importer Settings of each Merlin importer you'll be using as detailed below.
- In IC, navigate to Royalties -> Data Imports
- Select the importer corresponding to the Merlin data source you would like to account for in the drop-down importer selection menu. Merlin importers are denoted by the data source first (i.e. Spotify) and Merlin in parenthesis - for example, Spotify (Merlin).
- Merlin importers require Paid Timestamps to be entered manually
- For Paid Timestamp, use the month corresponding to the Date Paid and a day within that month (we typically use the 15th to ensure that the royalties land within that month, but you can also use the specific day of remittance)
Merlin Fees
Merlin's admin fees can be easily accounted for by adding the fee in the Importer Settings of each Merlin importer. To do so, follow the instructions detailed in this helpful Knowledge Base article.
As of 2025, Merlin charges a 1.5% fee for all members that participate in a local Trade Association (or where a local TA does not exist); otherwise, the fee is 3%