Meet Janishia Jones of ENCORE Music Tech Solutions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janishia Jones.

Hi Janishia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started out as a young musician, singer-songwriter in Paterson, New Jersey, who used music as both a passion and an escape. That love for music grew into a career focus when I went on to earn degrees in Recording Arts, Music Business, and Entertainment Business from Full Sail University.

Over the last 15 years, I’ve been fortunate to build a career in the music industry working with companies like SRC/Universal Motown, eOne, Kobalt Music Publishing, and EMPIRE. My specialization in rights and royalties allowed me to help expand business operations into emerging markets while also shaping the way catalogs, deals, and payments were managed. That foundation gave me a deep perspective on the gaps and inequities in the industry—and ultimately inspired me to create new solutions.

In 2022, I launched ENCORE Music Tech Solutions, a company dedicated to building custom rights-management software for music companies while also creating opportunities for the next generation of BIPOC music technologists. Around the same time, I published my book Getting the Bag: Rights & Royalties Management in Today’s Modern Music Economy, which debuted at #7 on Amazon’s Best Sellers List in the Music Business category. That work opened doors for me to speak internationally—from Canadian Music Week to Wallifornia Innovation Summit in Belgium—on the future of music, technology, and equity.

My entrepreneurial journey also includes founding Fresh ’N Sassy Productions in 2019, which created safe spaces for women of color in the music industry, and hosting the Pub Royalty Queen Podcast, where I’ve interviewed over 30 women of color about their experiences in a male-dominated industry. I also authored a groundbreaking research study, A Seat at the Table: A Perspective on Women of Color in the Music Business, which has been presented at SXSW, Reeperbahn in Germany, and the Future Music Forum in Barcelona.

Beyond entrepreneurship, I’ve leaned into activism and philanthropy as Founder and Chairwoman of the JukeJoint Foundation, a nonprofit offering scholarships, grants, and access to music business events for women of color. I also run So Saucy Records, an artist services label providing a platform for diverse female artistic and executive talent.

My journey has been about resilience and building pathways. I’ve faced my share of challenges—from bias and discrimination to the financial risks of entrepreneurship—but each step has led me closer to my purpose: creating transparent systems, equitable opportunities, and platforms that allow creators, especially women of color, to thrive. That mission continues to guide everything I do today.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Like many women of color in the music industry, I’ve faced bias, discrimination, and resistance—even in spaces where my work was central to the company’s success. Early in my career, I helped build rights and royalties infrastructures at major companies, yet I often found myself fighting to be heard or acknowledged. That disconnect was painful, but it also sharpened my purpose and pushed me to carve out my own path.

On the entrepreneurial side, there were financial challenges and risks—bootstrapping companies like ENCORE Music Tech Solutions while also juggling personal responsibilities and the realities of being a Tech Founder. There were times when resources were scarce, but I leaned on creativity, resilience, and community to push through.

I’ve also had to navigate the emotional toll of being “the only” in many rooms—whether the only woman, the only Black professional, or the only person advocating for equity in decision-making spaces. That isolation could be heavy, but it reinforced why I do this work: to create more seats at the table, to build systems that are fair, and to make sure the next generation doesn’t face the same barriers.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about ENCORE Music Tech Solutions?
ENCORE Music Tech Solutions is a rights-management SaaS and consultancy platform that helps music companies, publishers, and creators bring clarity to one of the most confusing parts of the industry—rights and royalties. We provide tools for catalog valuation, deal simulation, royalty processing, contract management, and copyright tracking. In short, we help our clients understand what their music is worth, how money flows, and how to manage their rights with confidence.

What sets us apart from competitors is our focus on customization and equity. A lot of rights-management platforms offer “one-size-fits-all” solutions. They can be rigid, difficult to integrate, and often leave independent creators and mid-size companies out of the conversation. At ENCORE, we tailor our software and services to the specific workflows and needs of each client. Whether that means building integrations with legacy systems, cleaning up metadata, or creating valuation models for catalog acquisitions, we meet clients where they are.

Another big differentiator is our mission. ENCORE isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about fairness. We’re committed to transparency in royalties and creating opportunities for BIPOC technologists in the music space. That social impact piece is woven into our DNA, and it’s something most competitors don’t prioritize.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud that ENCORE represents empowerment. Our clients trust us not just to solve problems, but to advocate for them and design systems that actually work for their businesses. At the end of the day, we’re helping people protect their legacies, and that’s what I want readers to know about ENCORE—we’re not just a tech solution, we’re a partner in building a more equitable music economy.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that resilience and clarity of purpose matter more than anything else. In an industry that can be unpredictable and, often times, inequitable, I’ve had to learn that setbacks don’t define me—they refine me. Every “no,” every moment of bias or dismissal, every financial challenge has been an opportunity to get clearer about why I’m doing this work.

I’ve also learned that ownership—whether of your rights, your time, or your vision—is non-negotiable. Early on, I poured my expertise into building systems for companies that didn’t always value my contributions. That taught me that creating my own platforms wasn’t just a choice, it was necessary. Now, with ENCORE and my other ventures, I get to build with intention and ensure that the value I create directly benefits creators and communities that have been overlooked.

So the lesson is twofold: stay resilient when the road isn’t smooth, and never compromise on ownership of your story, your work, and your impact.

Pricing:

• No commissions, ever. Competitors like Songtrust or publishing admins often take 10–20% of royalties. With ENCORE, you keep 100% of what you earn
• Modular & scalable. Pay only for the features you need — from contract management to royalty processing.
• À La Carte Modules: $59 – $199/month For creators or companies that only need specific tools (e.g., catalog valuation, royalty processing, contract management).
• Bundles: $79 – $399/month Tiered packages combining multiple modules for publishers, distributors, and labels scaling their operations.
• Enterprise Suite: Custom Pricing For large catalogs and global rights management. Includes white-label solutions, integrations, and 24/7 support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.encoremusic.tech
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/pubroyaltyqueen
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/janishiajones
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pubroyaltyqueenpodcast
• Other: https://www.pubroyaltyqueen.com