After NAMM: what I heard, what I felt, and why I’m hopeful

Hi Everyone - Noam here.

Me, Abi and Asher are back from NAMM, a little tired, very inspired, and still thinking about the conversations I had on the floor.

What struck me most this year wasn’t a product or a demo. It was how divided people feel about where music is headed.

Some folks are convinced AI is going to kill our industry.
Others are equally convinced it won’t change anything at all, that it’s just a toy for amateurs who don’t really know how to make music.
And then there’s a third group. Smaller, quieter, but very interesting. The people asking:
“How can we use these new tools to make the work easier, faster, more fun, without losing what matters?”

I found myself spending most of my time with that third group.

Showing Meaw and SuperKeys at NAMM was honestly one of the most meaningful things I’ve done with Safari so far. Not because they’re finished or perfect, they’re not. But because of how people reacted.

I don’t believe AI will magically make great music. Just like better DAWs didn’t. Or better plugins didn’t. Or better instruments didn’t. Music still comes from people. From taste. From decisions. From frustration. From chasing something you can’t fully explain.

But I do believe tools can either get in the way of that process, or support it.

What excites me right now is not AI as a replacement, but AI as a companion. Something that listens with you. That gives you perspective. That helps you move forward instead of staring at the same loop for an hour.

That’s what Meaw is trying to be.
That’s what SuperKeys is trying to be too, an instrument that invites you to play, not a spreadsheet of options.

NAMM reminded me why we’re doing this. Why Safari exists at all. Not to chase trends, but to build tools that feel good to use. Tools that respect your time, your ears, and your instincts.

We’re planning to release both Meaw and SuperKeys next month, and I’m genuinely excited and a little nervous, in a good way. They feel like the start of a new chapter, not just new products.

Thanks for listening, for sharing your thoughts with me at the booth, in emails, in DMs, and for being part of this conversation as it’s unfolding.

More very soon,
Noam