Music technology and professional audio company inMusic has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Native Instruments, the Berlin-based music tech firm behind Kontakt, Traktor, iZotope, Plugin Alliance, and Brainworx.
The deal, announced on Friday (May 8), comes roughly three months after Native Instruments entered preliminary insolvency proceedings in Germany.
The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks, inMusic and Native Instruments said, subject to customary closing conditions.
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Rhode Island, inMusic is the parent of Akai Professional, Moog Music, Denon DJ, Numark, Rane, M-Audio and Alesis, among other brands.
According to the announcement, Native Instruments has a direct relationship with over 25 million registered users.
The deal builds on a 2025 collaboration between the two companies, which saw NKS integration brought to Akai Pro‘s MPK controllers and M-Audio‘s Oxygen controllers, alongside the introduction of NI sounds to the MPC standalone platform.
“Our work together has already shown how strong this combination can be.”
Jack O’Donnell, inMusic
“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,” O’Donnell added.
Native Instruments was previously majority-owned by US investment firm Francisco Partners, which acquired its stake in 2021.
The company entered preliminary insolvency proceedings in Berlin in late January, with Prof. Dr. Torsten Martini appointed as provisional insolvency administrator. In a statement issued in March, Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments, said the company was “currently in an active M&A process that is progressing well, with strong interest from multiple parties with deep roots in audio and technology”.
About the new acquisition, Williams said: “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.”
In a separate statement published to the Native Instruments blog on Friday, Williams wrote: “After three months of hard work, and three months of extraordinary loyalty from you, I am pleased to share that a definitive agreement has now been signed for Native Instruments to be acquired by inMusic.”
“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.”
Nick Williams, Native Instruments
O’Donnell added in Friday’s announcement: “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 inMusic chief continued: “The tools you rely on today will keep working, and the tools you will rely on tomorrow are actively being built.”
The companies said that “business continues normally” across all Native Instruments brands and territories, with products, services, platforms and customer support remaining fully available.
O’Donnell has previously been a vocal critic of consolidation in the DJ technology sector. In 2023, the executive said inMusic was considering legal action over Pioneer DJ parent AlphaTheta‘s acquisition of DJ software firm Serato.
Further information on integration plans will be shared as the process progresses, inMusic and Native Instruments said.Music Business Worldwide
