Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Peterson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I wanted a name that immediately reflected our mission—Divvy Music is about divvying up effort, opportunity, and profit more fairly for independent musicians. The current streaming landscape forces artists into a grind of constant self-promotion, driving fans to the big streaming apps while receiving only fractions of a cent per stream. Divvy is developing a streaming option that challenges that system by wrapping it around the creation of a sustainable ecosystem where indie musicians can thrive.

More than just another streaming app, Divvy Music blends digital convenience with real-world community, helping artists build lasting careers beyond algorithms. We leverage collective power to free musicians from dependence on big platforms, ensuring they have ownership, financial stability, and direct connections with fans. We are a social enterprise, and committed to dedicating revenue to support indie artists and the non profits and causes in communities they live in.

At its core, Divvy is built on a simple but powerful idea: when artists succeed, we all succeed. That’s why our name isn’t just a label—it’s our promise.

Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The independent musicians I work with in Asbury Park NJ inspire me. I’m not a musician, but this music community “adopted” me in 2015 when I needed it most. My then-boyfriend, a musician, had a serious accident, and I was astounded by how they rallied around us. It quickly became clear that this is simply what they do—for anyone and everyone in their circle who needs support.

A friend’s advice to show my gratitude—“Buy their stuff. Go to their shows.”—set me on an unexpected path. That simple gesture launched my freelance career in music events and nonprofit marketing. I’m tired of seeing opportunities shrink for musicians and creatives. For the past five years, I’ve been creating performance opportunities for indie musicians by producing events, assisting with marketing and PR, and consulting for Telegraph Hill Records, an independent label. I also co-host Telegraph Hill Radio on Radio Garden State, a show dedicated to spotlighting their music and providing a platform for interviews.

My freelance tagline is simple: “Helping good people make great stuff happen.” That’s exactly what I do. I lend a hand wherever I can to people in need or are known to also give back to their communities. Over time, my freelance work has expanded to include independent retail shops and nonprofits, and I’m especially proud of the impact I’ve seen. In the last four years, I’ve helped raise over $50,000 for local causes through my work on various events, including What a Wonderful Year two day music festival in Asbury Park.

On my own I produced and executed the the first Covid safe event in my area of NJ, a live music festival in my town in June 2020, giving over 30 bands the opportunity to play safely, and for the first time in months. It has evolved into an annual Porchfest that is now funded by the local arts council. I also held cookie drives during Covid by taking donations to buy and deliver girl scout cookies to ER and ICU hospital workers, thus supporting the kids and cheering up the workers. I’ve coordinated initiatives to get homeless animals featured in bar menus and pizza boxes to increase adoption rates. When I see a way to help make things better for any group, I jump in and find a way.

My goal is to build Divvy Music into a company that unites all these kinds of efforts—creating a collaborative force where indie musicians, small businesses, and nonprofits grow stronger together, supported by a sustainable revenue model (subscriptions to the streaming app) that benefits both artists and the causes that matter to them. We start in Asbury Park and I hope to grow it nationally over time–giving each region of the country their own local streaming app.

Wouldn’t you subscribe to another streaming app if it was competitively priced and gave you daily insight into the impact of your subscription dollars? I am betting a lot of people will!

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

I haven’t yet! My freelance business did not need startup capital, but Divvy does. I am currently enrolled in a startup accelerator program where I am learning the finer points of raising 6-figure capital and polishing my pitch deck. The program also gives me a database to all kinds of investors I can approach, and I’ve already started. I’ve had a few meetings but nothing has come through yet–and that’s OK.

I know it won’t be easy to find the right kind of investor, one who aligns with a social enterprise and the commitment to reinvest profits. In the meantime I have a crowdfund effort at spotfund.com/divvymusic and spend as much time as I can seeking out grants and loans. The fact is, I have the network in place to connect the Indie music community and work every day to make it stronger. All we need is the cash to finish the streaming app so we can get it out there to be beta tested. The app is the key to getting the revenue we need to reach out goals of elevating independent music.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of Mouth! I guess I am a natural network-er because I don’t “feel” like I am hustling. I just enjoy meeting people, asking them what they do and helping them when I can. I take pride in my work and am also selective about who I work with. I turn down opportunities when a project feels like it may not support, or actively contradicts, my core values. I have to believe in the goals and genuinely connect with the team or else it’s a no-go. I am also very honest about what I “can or can’t” do in the scope of work so there are no surprises.

These standards are what keeps my tight circle coming back to me and recommending me to others.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.divvymusic.com
• Instagram: @divvy.music
• Other: https://www.spotfund.com/divvymusic

Image Credits

Melissa Peterson