Merlin has struck a partnership with Pandora in the US designed to help its independent label members to boost their reach and increase the royalties they garner from the internet radio platform.

The direct label deal is the first of its kind for Pandora, and applies to the service's Stateside business. It is said to have three key capabilities:

•      "Pandora will accelerate the discovery of new music by combining the expertise of Merlin’s participating labels with Pandora’s data from ...