Stream is a self-contained hardware unit that plugs directly into your router via Ethernet. Each device has XLR-1 / 4 ″ combo inputs with clean Class-A preamps for microphones or instruments, and streams with full 48 kHz audio. Using a fiber optic or cable internet service and within a range of about 500 miles, the system can keep latency under 30 milliseconds— low enough for musicians to stay locked in time without the disorienting delays that plague typical video-conference setups.
To learn more, I spoke with Patrick Finn, who heads Lutefish under the Wenger umbrella. Finn quickly turned the conversation toward what excites him most: how Lutefish is reshaping collaboration for musicians.
[ WM ] Tell me about Lutefish and why this is a great solution for Church Ministries, Worship Teams, and Team Leaders?
[ Patrick Finn ] Think about a typical midweek rehearsal, you’ ve got a set planned, but half your team can’ t make it. Maybe your drummer’ s stuck at work or your keyboardist has kids’ activities. What do you do? Either rehearsal gets canceled, or you run through things with whoever shows up. That leads to Sunday morning feeling more like a first runthrough than feeling confident and ready to go. Lutefish gives you another option. Suddenly, everyone can participate, even from home. You can tighten transitions, work out harmonies, and dial it in before you ever step on stage.
For many musicians, the collaboration goes beyond just convenience. When people are part of the rehearsal process, even virtually they stay more engaged. You’ re not leaving volunteers behind, and that’ s huge in ministry. It strengthens trust and commitment within the team.
For worship ministries, the implications go far beyond scheduling. Teams can rehearse together at midweek without leaving their homes. Multi-campus churches can prepare joint services without hauling musicians back
Patrick Finn
and forth. Songwriting and arranging can happen in real time across locations, capturing the spontaneous ideas that often shape a worship set. Worship leaders can even record those sessions and immediately share practice mixes with the rest of the team.
[ WM ] Tell me more about Lutefish as a team building and collaboration tool?
[ Patrick ] That sense of connection is also what shaped Lutefish’ s built-in community features. We realized early on that it wasn’ t just about playing with people you already know, it’ s about connecting with musicians who may otherwise not find one another. Profiles, messaging, sharing clips, these are ways musicians discover each other.
In the worship context, that could mean a church without a lead guitarist finding one across town or two campuses being able to collaborate on a new song without travel. Enabling people to make new musical connections right on the platform and forge new relationships is one of the most exciting parts of Lutefish to me.
[ WM ] Tell me more about the Lutefish technical aspects and the end user experience?
[ Patrick ] From a technical standpoint, Lutefish Stream sessions are designed to be as frictionless as possible: you can send invites to up to five participants, each with a Lutefish.
September 2025 Subscribe for Free... 29