The prominent music equipment firm inMusic has agreed to take over Native Instruments, marking a significant development in the sector. This move brings Native Instruments into the same corporate structure as its historical competitor Akai. Headquartered in the United States, inMusic already controls notable labels including Moog, M-Audio, Denon, Numark, and various others.
Native Instruments holds ownership of well-known digital entities such as Plugin Alliance, iZotope, and Brainworx, all of which will transition to inMusic's management. The purchase resolves the prolonged uncertainty surrounding Native Instruments' bankruptcy proceedings, ensuring the firm's ongoing operations and providing reassurance to users within its product ecosystem. Nevertheless, this consolidation forms a dominant force within the music technology landscape.
The transaction comes as little shock, given that an acquisition seemed inevitable for Native Instruments, and inMusic had previously collaborated with it to integrate certain plugins into Akai hardware. Expect increased incorporation of Native Instruments' applications into devices such as the Akai MPC XL. The company is renowned for its acclaimed software offerings, including synthesizers like Reaktor and Massive, which appear frequently in productions spanning diverse musical styles.
Concerns arise over hardware integration, as Akai produces several independent grooveboxes, leaving the placement of Native Instruments' Maschine+ device unclear. Additionally, substantial duplication exists in MIDI controllers, with both Akai and Native Instruments, as well as inMusic subsidiaries like M-Audio, offering comparable products.
In a company blog entry, Native Instruments' CEO Nick Williams stated that daily operations will proceed without interruption during the deal's finalization over the next few weeks. Recently, the firm introduced Komplete 26, the newest edition of its comprehensive music creation package, featuring more than 190 virtual instruments and 180,000 presets. Highlights include an enhanced edition of the favored Abysynth synthesizer, refreshed piano sounds, vocal environments, and additional elements.