Cumberland, Rhode Island (May 8, 2026)—inMusic Brands, parent company of M-Audio, Alto Professional, Alesis, Moog and a variety of DJ tech brands, is acquiring German pro-audio software company Native Instruments, which owns iZotope, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx and a variety of sampler and DJ platforms such as Kontakt and Traktor. Financial details of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
The two companies signed an acquisition agreement yesterday at German music trade show Superbooth, ending a stressful few months for Berlin-based Native Instruments, which entered preliminary administration proceedings in late January. According to some reports, the company had been carrying a debt load around £250 million while only bringing in annual revenue near £25 million.
Native Instruments has been on a rollercoaster since it first received an investment of €50 million from private equity firm EMH Partners in 2017. When EHM invested more to become NI’s majority owner in 2020, it quickly flipped Native Instruments to another private equity firm, Francisco Partners, in January 2021.
Less than two months later, in March 2021, Francisco Partners acquired iZotope, placing it and Native Instruments together under an umbrella parent company, Music Creation Group; it soon added to that with the acquisition of Plugin Alliance and Brainworx in April, 2022. While Music Creation Group was briefly renamed Soundwide, the name recognition wasn’t there, and in June 2023, Native Instruments became the parent company of all four brands.
In a press statement regarding the acquisition, Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments, remarked, “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.”
Speaking directly to that community in a blog post on the Native Instruments website, Williams wrote, “The loyalty you have shown us through one of the most challenging periods in Native Instruments’ history is something we will not forget. From the partners who supported us, to the artists who kept creating, to the customers who kept showing up—thank you so much.”
Jack O’Donnell, CEO of inMusic, has built his company steadily since the early 90s, creating a stable of DJ brands like Numark, Denon DJ, Engine DJ, SoundSwitch and Rane; instrument-focused brands like Moog, Alesis and Head Rush; and entry level and mid-range pro audio brands like M-Audio and Alto Professional.
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The acquisition looks to be a canny move for inMusic, giving it a stronger foothold in the pro audio marketplace, as iZotope, Brainworx and Plugin Alliance products are deeply integrated into high-end workflows across recording, post-production and live sound. Meanwhile, the addition of NI’s well-regarded DJ software offerings can only lead to deeper integration with inMusic’s DJ brands.