Goldenrod Distribution Inc. (also known as Goldenrod Music) was founded in April of 1975 by Terry Grant (b. 1951) and is still operating under the ownership of Susan Frazier and MJ Stephenson. Goldenrod Music is a wholesale distributor primarily of independent women's music labels to music stores, bookstores and gift shops. Goldenrod also sold recordings nationwide at concerts and festivals such as the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival (MichFest) and the National Women's Music Festival. Their mission is to "promote and market music which affirms the lives and passions of Women, Lesbians and members of other alternative diverse communities and self-identified cultures, empowering them and encouraging personal growth and positive social and political change" (Catalog, Spring 2006). They market music and media in the genres of women's music, gay men's music, New Age, Celtic, Native American music, folk, blues, jazz, comedy, world, holiday music, children's music, songbooks, and videos. At the business' peak, Goldenrod represented nearly 800 artists represented in its catalogs, including Sweet Honey in the Rock, Holly Near, Ani Difranco, Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams and Melissa Ferrick. Prior to the advent of digital downloading, Goldenrod’s sales were close to $2 million, while only having a staff of twenty. They also produced concerts of women musicians and had a retail outlet in Lansing, MI.

Goldenrod Music acquired other businesses across the country, including Horizon Distribution in 1985, a Boston-based company distributing across New England, Paradigm (west coast), and Ladyslipper Music's wholesale division. Other records contained within the collection include the separate Goldenrod Records LLC (founded in the mid 1990s by Grant, Frazier, and Lori English), a record label licensing recordings from artists and releasing them on their label. Artists on the label included Tret Fure, Cris Williamson, Sistrum and Nedra Johnson. Mellow Muse Productions (founded 1977 by Grant, Sue Emmert, and Susan Wittcoff) produced many concerts of touring women musicians, mostly in the Lansing-East Lansing area and Detroit. Act Two Productions and River Women Productions (also involving Grant, Emmert, and other women) continued the work of Mellow Muse. Tenth Muse Productions (Susan Frazier was involved in the collective) was a business based in Kent, OH.