Well, it looks like Native Instruments isn’t going under after all. According to Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams, the company has been purchased by inMusic – the owners of Akai Professional, Moog Music, Denon DJ, Numark, Rane, M-Audio and more. Whether you think it’s a good idea for monopolies to exist like this (or at least a handful of companies owning the majority of any given landscape) is an entirely different conversation.
The acquisition isn’t out of the blue, either. In 2025, inMusic and Native Instruments announced a collaboration bringing NKS integration to Akai Pro’s MPK controllers, M-Audio’s Oxygen controllers, and Native Instruments’ sounds to the MPC standalone platform for the first time. So they’re not exactly strangers to one another.
“Native Instruments represents everything we look for in a partner: exceptional products, a deeply engaged community, and a clear point of view on what musicians want,” said Jack O’Donnell, CEO of inMusic. “Our work together has already shown how strong this combination can be. Bringing these platforms together allows us to move faster, deepen integration, and build better tools for creators.”
“Every brand in the inMusic family was built by people who love music, and every decision we make is guided by what musicians want,” O’Donnell added. “It is what Native Instruments has always stood for too. That shared belief is the foundation of everything we will build together. Our commitment is simple: continued investment across all brands and product lines, and a long-term focus on innovation that serves creators at every level. The tools you rely on today will keep working, and the tools you will rely on tomorrow are actively being built.”
Williams added: “Finding the right partner has been our goal throughout this process. With inMusic we have found a partner whose beliefs and ambitions align with ours — and whose understanding of what these brands mean to musicians and producers gives us real confidence in what comes next. This is the beginning of a new chapter for Native Instruments and for the community that has stood with us. “
According to press releases from both companies (Native Instruments here, inMusic here), “business continues normally across all Native Instruments brands and territories. Products, services, platforms, and customer support remain fully available. The companies are working towards the transaction completing in the coming weeks, subject to customary closing conditions.”
So we’ll see what happens here. This news also comes a few days after Native Instruments launched Komplete 26, which you can read all about right here.
Troubles with Native Instruments has been going on for a few years prior to this acquisition. In January 2021, Francisco Partners acquired a majority stake in Native Instruments. Then in April 2022, Native Instruments was briefly a subsidiary company of Soundwide. That name was ultimately retired in favor of the Native Instruments brand in June of 2023, though Soundwide had already laid off 8% of Native Instrument’s workforce a few months prior.
Native Instruments ultimately entered preliminary administration proceedings (bankruptcy) in January 2026, though that seems to be a non-issue now given the acquisition.
