Visit Fort Wayne is proud to announce the release of the highly anticipated Fort Wayne/Allen County Music Economy Strategy, along with the launch of the Fort Wayne Music Office — one of the strategy’s key recommendations and an important next step in strengthening our region’s music ecosystem.

“The power of tourism lies in its ability to spark economic growth, support local businesses, and showcase the authentic character of a community. Our music scene already draws visitors from across the region, and this strategy positions us to amplify that impact. By investing in our music economy, we’re investing in a stronger, more dynamic future for Fort Wayne and Allen County,” said Jill Boggs, CEO of Visit Fort Wayne.

As outlined in Visit Fort Wayne’s 10‑Year Tourism Master Plan and Greater Fort Wayne Inc.’s ACT Plan, our community seeks to grow our music economy. To that end, Visit Fort Wayne engaged Sound Diplomacy to conduct an in‑depth analysis of our music landscape and develop a comprehensive strategy featuring 17 actionable recommendations. While Fort Wayne serves as the focal point of the report, its insights and goals are designed to support and elevate the entire Allen County community.

This work was made possible through generous support from the Knight Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, the Don Wood Foundation, the Northeast Indiana Strategic Development Commission, Greater Fort Wayne Inc., and Visit Fort Wayne.

The Music Economy Strategy can be downloaded at FortWayneMusicOffice.com

Fort Wayne Music Office

The first outcome of the Music Economy Strategy is the development of a Music Board, comprised of seven partners: Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, City of Fort Wayne, Embassy Theatre, Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Surack Enterprises, Sweetwater, and Visit Fort Wayne. This group was established earlier this year, and today they are introducing the Fort Wayne Music Office.

Music Board Statement – Music is one of Fort Wayne and Allen County’s powerful cultural and economic engines. The Music Economy Strategy gives us a clear roadmap, and the Music Office provides the leadership structure to bring that vision to life. Together, we are investing in an industry that enriches our quality of life, drives economic opportunity, and strengthens our identity as a vibrant regional music hub.

The Fort Wayne Music Office will champion Fort Wayne and Allen County as a unified, vibrant regional music destination, maximizing the cultural and economic potential of our music sector through centralized coordination, promotion, and activation.

The Fort Wayne Music Office will serve as a central point for strategy across promotion, education, policy, and placemaking. A core focus will be elevating and marketing the world‑class assets we already have: nationally recognized education and production programs at Sweetwater, Purdue University Fort Wayne, and the University of Saint Francis; a diverse range of genres and live music venues including the Embassy Theatre, The Clyde, The Brass Rail, and others; and strong support from city and county partners such as Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Visit Fort Wayne, Arts United, and the City of Fort Wayne.

As the Music Office is established, the Music Board is beginning the search for its first Executive Director. Those interested in applying can learn more at FortWayneMusicOffice.com.

To explore the full Music Economy Strategy, learn more about the Music Office, or download the Executive Summary, visit FortWayneMusicOffice.com.

For additional information or media interviews, please contact:

Kody Tinnel, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne
ktinnel@artsunited.org
260-424-0646

Mary Tyndall, City of Fort Wayne Community Development
mary.tyndall@cityoffortwayne.org
260-427-1127

Kelly Updike, Embassy Theatre
kellyupdike@fwembassytheatre.org
260-247-3690

Jennifer Atienzo-Fisher, Greater Fort Wayne, Inc.
JAtienzoFisher@gfwinc.com
260-203-5737

Surack Enterprises
press@surack.com

Pete Van Baalen, Sweetwater
pete_vanbaalen@sweetwater.com
260-333-9605

Jessa Campbell, Visit Fort Wayne
jessa@visitfortwayne.com
260-424-3700

SALT LAKE CITY – March 3, 2026 – Moises, the AI-powered music creation platform, today released findings from a comprehensive survey of 1,525 musicians conducted in partnership with Water & Music. The study challenges prevailing narratives about AI in music, revealing that professional musicians are embracing AI tools at significantly higher rates than amateurs, using them to enhance their craft rather than shortcut the creative process.

Key Findings

Professional musicians adopt AI more than hobbyists. 78% of professional musicians report using AI for music-related work in the past 12 months, compared to 60% of hobbyists. Pros are also twice as likely to spend $50 or more per month on AI tools, signaling that musicians with the most at stake financially are the most willing to invest in these technologies. Among musicians who earn income from music, 26% report that AI has increased their earnings, while fewer than 4% report a decrease.

AI enhances skills rather than replacing them. The top outcomes musicians report aren’t about efficiency or cost savings, but related to professional growth. 40% say AI helped them learn more songs, 33% experimented with new genres, and 30% improved production quality. Rather than outsourcing creativity, respondents are using AI to expand their capabilities, accelerate practice, and refine their craft.

Concerns coexist with adoption. While authenticity and copyright remain top concerns, 92% of AI users would still recommend AI tools to their peers, and professionals are more likely than hobbyists to plan increased usage in the next year (64% vs. 56%). The data points to a pragmatic mindset: professional musicians are evaluating tradeoffs and adopting what works.

Expert Perspectives

“The biggest misconception about AI in music today is that there’s a hard binary — you’re either for it or against it," said Cherie Hu, Founder of Water & Music. “What our data shows is that musicians are adopting these tools at higher rates across the board, and making deliberate choices about how these tools fit into their craft. That’s exactly how healthy adoption should work."

The narrative around AI in music often focuses on what it might replace,” said Geraldo Ramos, CEO of Moises. “What this data shows is something different: musicians are using AI to go further with their ideas, practice more effectively, and explore sounds they might not have reached otherwise. The most serious creators are treating these tools as instruments, not shortcuts.”

“In many of the sessions I’m seeing with top professionals, AI is already in the room. It might be stem separation, speeding up workflow inside a DAW, or mastering, but it’s there,” said Elmo Lovano, CEO and Founder of Jammcard. “Professionals are pragmatic. If a tool improves the outcome, they use it. If it compromises the art, they don’t. The platforms that respect musicians and strengthen the creative process are being embraced, and those that cross the line are being called out.”

Dr. Robert Prey, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, added, “What stands out is evaluation-driven adoption, not hype. Professional musicians tend to be highly pragmatic adopters of AI. They test tools critically, keep what fits into their workflow, while thinking deeply about what it means to use AI.”

The full report is available at: www.moises.ai/insights/musician-ai-report-water-and-music

Moises

Selected by Apple as the 2024 iPad App of the Year and a 2025 Apple Design Awards finalist, Moises is the creative suite for the modern musician. The platform uses AI-powered tools to support music practice, performance, and creation, helping artists learn, experiment, and develop ideas more efficiently. Backed by a team of world-class engineers and scientists with experience at Spotify, Pandora, and TikTok, Moises has developed several frontier AI models that process nearly 6 years’ worth of audio each day. The platform serves more than 70 million users worldwide, is available in 33 languages, and operates with a global team across the United States, Brazil, and Europe.

About Water & Music

Water & Music is a research and strategic advisory firm focused on music-tech innovation. Founded by award-winning analyst Cherie Hu, the company provides in-depth market intelligence, competitive analysis, and strategic counsel to a wide range of clients, from major rights organizations and streaming services to early-stage startups and artist management firms. Drawing on deep industry relationships and a proprietary database tracking more than 1,000 music tech companies (including over 300 AI music tools), Water & Music equips music business leaders with the insight and context to make sharper decisions in the face of rapid change.

Methodology

The study was conducted between November and December 2025. Approximately 80% of respondents were surveyed through Moises’ user base, and the remaining 20% through Water & Music’s community.

Words by Avery Martin; Photos by Lydia Norton

Record stores have long been cultural staples, places where sound reflects the thoughts, tastes, and emotions of the community around them. They support artists in a way that digital platforms simply can’t, grounding music in something tangible and shared.

The “resurgence” of physical media in our increasingly digital world may not be a resurgence at all. To explore that idea, I visited three record stores across Indianapolis to talk with the people behind these carefully curated collections. What I found was that many of them haven’t been reborn. They’ve been thriving for years, even decades.

Indy CD & Vinyl, Square Cat Vinyl, and LUNA music are just a few of the vinyl destinations around the city, each rooted in and supported by its own unique neighborhood community.

Across Indianapolis, record stores function as retail spaces, but they’re also places where people gather, discover, and feel a sense of belonging. That role has shaped how shop owners think about curation. For Patrick Burtch, co-owner of Square Cat Vinyl, that mindset means openness.

“We try to touch on a little bit of everything,” he says, observing that the shop’s philosophy has evolved “from being a bit snobbish to being a little bit more of a place where you can get a little bit of everything.”

Community sits at the center of that approach. Burtch sees record stores as uniquely positioned to foster connection.

“I think there are a few types of retail shops that build community, and I think record stores are one of them,” he says. “It just brings like-minded people together in a setting that feels like they belong and they can be themselves.”

Many owners framed their stores as a “third place,” a role that requires intentional connection. Andy Skinner, co-owner of Indy CD & Vinyl, emphasizes that point. “There has to be some kind of connection with the people who choose to spend their hard-earned dollars on the things that they are deeply passionate about.”

The audience record stores serve has also shifted over time. “The stereotypical record store customer … a decade ago … was like a middle-aged man … looking for very specific stuff,” Burtch recalls. “However, over the last ten years, I’ve noticed our customers have gotten more diverse in terms of age range. A lot more young people than when we first opened.” Neighborhoods matter too, especially in places with active music scenes, where stores reflect the sounds and energy around them.

Supporting local artists remains a constant across shops. At LUNA Music, Alex Johnson invites musicians directly into the retail space, encouraging them “to come in and bring their records, tapes, or CDs and get it sold in our store, on a consignment basis.”

At Indy CD & Vinyl, that support extends even further, into performance, documentation, and preservation. Skinner explains, “Someday, some anthropologist or sociologist is going to say, wow, what you guys had here in Indianapolis was amazing, but there’s just grainy social media clips that prove that it actually happened. So we started recording the bands, and then we started putting them out on limited-edition vinyl.”

The draw of physical media itself is part resistance, part ritual. Burtch frames it as pushback. “I think maybe it’s a little bit of a backlash against the digital age.” For Skinner, it comes down to ownership. “It’s tangible. You’re able to hold it and own it,” he says plainly. “You’re not inviting your friends over to see your MP3 collection.”

Vinyl also offers something digital can’t replicate, both sonically and historically. Johnson points to sound quality. “If you have an analog medium … it’s going to give you really good fidelity when you play it.” Skinner reminds us of longevity. “As long as you take care of it, 100 years from now, you’re going to be able to play it, and nobody’s going to take it from you.”

What people are buying continues to evolve. Several stores have seen demand shift heavily toward pop music. Skinner points to TikTok as a major influence. “TikTok is important,” he says. “It’s become the front door of the internet.” That influence has pushed albums like Rumours by Fleetwood Mac and Grace by Jeff Buckley back into circulation, something store owners are happy to see. “I’m for it,” Skinner adds. “Please come in and buy Grace on LP.”

When asked to represent their shops with a single artist or album, the answers spanned genres and generations, from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard to Prince, Björk, The Sugarcubes, and Factory Records. Together, they reflect the same idea that guides their shelves: there’s room for everything. Or, as Skinner puts it best, “Our niche is to not be niche.”

Words and Photos by Lydia Norton

Jeb Banner’s passion for music took root early. While attending Indiana University, he worked at Second Story Nightclub in Bloomington as a bouncer. He later worked under the mentorship of the club founder and lead booking agent, Lee Williams, gaining valuable experience in the music industry. Since then, he’s grown into an entrepreneur, building businesses in the auction space, launching the strategic consultancy SmallBox, serving as the CEO of Boardable and Opendate, sitting on multiple boards, and founding or investing in several nonprofits. His latest venture, Bounce.fm, is a one-stop shop for recording musicians to store their files, create playlists, manage their projects, receive feedback, and collaborate with other creators. 

Lydia Norton: What is Bounce.fm?

Jeb Banner: Bounce.fm came out of my desire to have a solution that combined some of the tools I was using into one platform. I was using Dropbox for file storage, SoundCloud for playlists, and text messaging and spreadsheets for project management. It was just frustrating to me. I make music with a lot of different people, so I wanted to organize it by project and have different collaborators on separate projects, and that wasn’t available to me. And so, I started building it myself using an AI coding platform called Lovable back in March because I wanted the solution. I invited some friends in and received feedback and thought, I think I may have something here. I raised some money for it, and the last six to seven months we’ve been building a team around it.

LN: Who is your target audience?

JB: Our audience is people who are writing and recording music. There are about one hundred million of them around the world. To be honest, the primary market’s probably going to be Gen X’ers, coming up from being in bands in the nineties, still playing a lot of music with their friends, but no longer aspiring to be rock stars. They’re more interested in making music with people they care about, and they’d love that music to be heard. Otherwise, they want to have a lot of fun making music, they want to make more of it, and they want to make it with more people. And that’s what Bounce is enabling. 

LN: How is your experience building this business different from your past ventures?

This is an experience I want to have. That’s the thing about Bounce.fm that’s different for me than a lot of businesses I’ve built: it’s the first business where, regardless of whether it is successful or not, I will keep using it and working on it because I actually use it every single day.

Everybody that I know uses it the same way. Even if we don’t succeed as a business, we’re not gonna stop working on it because it’s the thing we rely on to make music, you know? It’s an indispensable tool for me and the people who use it. 

LN: Can you describe the social aspect of Bounce.fm?

JB: We’re building something called the Bounce Lounge, which is a platform for people to come and share music with each other in a social space. People can join and say, “Hey, this is a new song I’m working on. I’d love feedback on it.” 

There’s an app I loved about twelve years ago called Turntable.fm, and it was a space where you could play music for your friends, but it was all music from the existing catalogs. And I thought, wouldn’t it be great if it were us sharing our own music? In these different spaces, you might have a songwriter’s lounge, you might have a hip-hop lounge, or you might have a lounge for each artist where they could sit and review mixes and get feedback.

LN: When do you hope to launch Bounce.fm, and how can people get involved?

JB: We’re looking to launch before the end of the year, if not early next year. We have about 100 beta users testing the website now, and we’re still accepting users. It’s free to use, and the feedback is valuable to us. Eventually, we’ll be in a paid model starting at $5 a month. It’ll be very inexpensive. We have a lot of plans, but we need to finish some of the work to get it ready for launch, and then we’ll take the next step. 

The two-phase construction project, expected to be completed in time for the 2026 Indiana State Fair, also includes a renovated audience area at Celebration Park in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St. 

Chief Operating Officer Ray Allison said the project will cost $4 million.

The outdoor venue’s schedule will expand beyond the fair, with officials announcing that concerts will be held year-round. MOKB Presents, the company behind the Hi-Fi and Hi-Fi Annex venues in Fountain Square, will oversee scheduling and operations for non-fair shows. While they’ll manage the concert programming, they’re open to collaborating with other promoters. 

“This venue serves a hole in the market for artists seeking an outdoor boutique amphitheater that can host 7,500 people” Dan Kemer, co-owner and business developer of MOKB Presents, says. “Now, Indianapolis has a venue we can pitch to artists, agents, and managers to further develop their artists.”

The second phase of the construction project focuses on the audience area at Celebration Park, including the installation of tiered seating to enhance sightlines. An estimated 800,000 people attend the Indiana State Fair each year. While the stage is at the center of the update, the redesigned audience space will also serve as a flexible venue for other year-round events and community gatherings.

The State of Live: A new report from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the Indiana Independent Venue Alliance (IIVA) reveals just how vital independent stages are to our economy — and how close many are to the edge.

Independent venues and festivals aren’t just cultural institutions; they’re tax-paying, job-creating small businesses that fuel communities, support tourism and drive local spending every night of the week.

The independent live entertainment sector now generates more economic activity than the U.S. beer, gaming, or airline industries — yet nearly two-thirds of independent stages nationwide are struggling to stay profitable, squeezed by inflation, monopolistic practices, and predatory ticket resale.

View: National State of Live Overview
View: Indiana State of Live Report
Download: National State of Live Full Report
Download: National State of Live One Pager
Explore: State by State Comparisons

National Findings

According to the State of Live report, the first comprehensive study of independent live entertainment across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., the sector nationally:

• Generates $153.1 billion in total economic output
• Contributes $86.2 billion directly to U.S. GDP
• Supports more than 907,000 jobs
• Pays over $51.7 billion in wages and benefits

These numbers underscore what many communities already know: independent venues are economic infrastructure, sustaining small businesses and creating ripple effects in neighborhoods across the country.

Indiana by the Numbers

Here in Indiana, the story mirrors the national trend. Independent venues, promoters, and festivals:

• Generated $1 billion in total economic output
• Contributed $578.9 million directly to state GDP
• Supported 3,802 jobs across the local economy
• Paid $300 million in wages and benefits
• Produced $97.4 million in annual state and local tax revenue

Despite this major contribution, 64% of Indiana’s independent stages reported being unprofitable in 2024 — a sign of how fragile the state’s live ecosystem has become.

“Every night we see how live music fuels Indiana’s culture and economy,” said Josh Baker, Owner of HI-FI and MOKB Presents in Indianapolis. “Independent stages here aren’t just stops on the tour—they’re launching pads for new artists and gathering places for our neighborhoods. But with rising costs, predatory ticket resale practices, and pressure from corporate competition, it’s harder than ever for these stages to continue operating. This report makes clear what we’ve long known—our venues are vital community anchors, and we need fair policies to ensure they survive for the next generation.”

Policy and Industry Implications

According to NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker, “Independent venues are more than stages for entertainment; they are economic engines and cultural lifelines. This report underscores the urgent need for policy reforms and public investment to sustain these indispensable community anchors.”

The findings highlight an urgent need for Indiana leaders to:

• Reconsider public funding and preferential treatment that favors monopolistic promoters and scalpers
• Support resale ticket price caps to protect Hoosier consumers
• Establish state and local music initiatives to stabilize independent venues and festivals

States like Maine, Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas have already implemented targeted live performance funds, ticketing reforms, and music office initiatives. Indiana now has an opportunity to follow suit and protect one of its most valuable cultural and economic assets.

NIVA Live Policy Summit Comes to Indianapolis

Next week, NIVA will host its annual Live Policy Summit in Indianapolis (October 15–16) at HI-FI in Fountain Square.

Independent venue operators, legislators, and civic leaders from across the country will gather to discuss the future of the live entertainment industry and how to ensure its long-term sustainability. The State of Live report numbers certainly be a driving force in the conversations.

This marks a major moment for Indiana — both as a national leader in independent music advocacy and as a state poised to shape smarter cultural policy for the future.

Read the Full Report: www.nivassoc.org/stateoflive

Learn More About the NIVA Live Policy Summit: NIVA Live Policy Summit Info

DONATIONS DRIVE OUR EFFORTS

ur organization is an Indiana-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting the independent live music ecosystem — including venues, promoters, performing arts centers, and festivals. We operate entirely on donations, and your contribution helps us advocate for our members and the broader industry so they can continue delivering the shows and programming that drive the economic impact highlighted in this report. All donations are 100% tax-deductible, and you can make your contribution online today.

This October, Indiana will spotlight creativity as a powerful economic driver with two back-to-back gatherings. Pattern’s Indiana Creative Economy Summit (October 13–14 at the Fishers Arts Center) and the NIVA Live Policy Summit presented by Tixel (October 15–16 at HI-FI Indianapolis) will bring together leaders in business, government, and the arts to discuss how Indiana can harness its creative industries and independent music ecosystem as engines for growth.

Indiana’s creative sector already contributes more than $10.2 billion annually. Advocates believe this is only the beginning. With greater infrastructure, investment, and policy support, Indiana can elevate its creative economy into a national model that fuels entrepreneurship, attracts talent, and improves quality of life across communities. “Indiana has the opportunity to lead nationally in how we integrate creativity into policy, workforce, and community building,” said Polina Osherov, executive director of Pattern. “The Creative Economy Summit is a chance to bring influential leaders together and chart strategies for how we mobilize, invest, and connect creatives with the civic and private sectors.” Now in its third year, the Creative Economy Summit will feature keynote speakers from Meow Wolf, ArtPrize, Bridgeway Capital, and the Kelley School of Business, along with breakout sessions, interactive labs, and networking opportunities.

Immediately following, the National Independent Venue Association will deliver the NIVA Live Policy Summit presented by Tixel. The 24-hour conference, hosted by HI-FI and the Indiana Independent Venue Alliance, will expand the conversation to a national scale. The summit will convene policymakers, industry leaders, and venue operators to address critical issues affecting independent venues across the country, including ticketing reform, state incentives for live performance, cultural planning, and licensing.

The Live Policy Summit will feature sessions with leaders from across North America, offering practical insights and national perspectives from the live music ecosystem. Guest speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. “Independent venues are incubators for culture, community, and talent,” said Josh Baker, CEO of HI-FI and MOKB Presents and executive director of the Indiana Independent Venue Alliance. “Hosting the NIVA Live Policy Summit in Indianapolis underscores how vital these national conversations are and why smart, forward-looking policy is essential to sustain live music for generations to come.”

With these two summits running back-to-back, October represents a milestone for Indiana’s creative industries. Together, they reflect years of research, planning, and grassroots collaboration that have positioned the state for national recognition. With additional support from policymakers, Indiana can amplify its creative sector into a major economic and cultural engine.

Event Details

• Creative Economy Summit: October 13–14, 2025 | Fishers Arts Center
• NIVA Live Policy Summit Presented by Tixel: October 15–16, 2025 | HI-FI, Indianapolis