Ryan McWhinnie (GB)

Ryan McWhinnie is the Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at Merlin, the digital music licensing organisation that represents the world’s leading independent labels and distributors.

McWhinnie joined Merlin in 2014 and is responsible for striking best-in-class licensing deals with global digital music services including with Apple, Deezer, JioSaavn, NetEase, Tencent, and Spotify. During his career McWhinnie has established licensing partnerships with a host of innovative music and technology companies and in 2025 led efforts to agree a landmark AI training deal with ElevenLabs.

Born in Las Vegas and raised in Sydney, Australia, music and entertainment has always been a part of McWhinnie’s life. Prior to joining Merlin, McWhinnie advised music sector clients and artists at London-based media law firm Harbottle & Lewis and prior to that worked in London and Paris at the international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.