Often abbreviated as NewAm, the organization has been hailed as a central force in creating the "indie-classical" scene.,[1] and was granted 501(c)(3) status in 2011 with the mission of "supporting and representing the post-genre new music community.

"[4] In an interview with mental floss magazine, co-founder Judd Greenstein explains that they look for artists "whose work is a reflection of truly integrated musical influences.

[8] The Windmill Series has seen releases from artists including Arooj Aftab, Timo Andres, Gemma Peacocke, and more.

"[10] For New Amsterdam's and (Le) Poisson Rouge's 10-Year Anniversary show in 2018, Davidson write “In their decade of existence, (Le) Poisson Rouge and New Amsterdam have helped seed whole forests of music far beyond the five boroughs.”[11] NewAm have been compared to Bang on a Can, who also built their own label, community, and performance circuit, in a similar manner, 20 years ago.

NewAm's artists have become increasingly popular among a broad public while Bang on a Can's primary supporters continue to be larger, more established cultural institutions.