inMusic lays off 100 Native Instruments employees after acquisition

inMusic lays off 100 Native Instruments employees after acquisition, with approximately 100 staff reported to have been laid off following inMusic’s May purchase of Native Instruments. Native Instruments entered preliminary insolvency proceedings earlier this year, and the inMusic purchase occurred less than four months after those proceedings began.

An anonymous Reddit post reported by Synth Anatomy claimed the layoffs affected every NI department, including the entire customer support team, and it is unclear whether staff working on Maschine, Traktor or Kontrol were among those let go.

Native Instruments declined to respond to MusicTech’s request for comment; Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments, said, “We have found a partner whose beliefs and ambitions align with ours.” Jack O’Donnell, CEO of inMusic, said, “The future for NI, I can assure you, is very exciting, very bright, and very secure.” MusicTech will continue to report on this story as more information becomes available.

Approximately 100 employees from Native Instruments were laid off following its acquisition by inMusic in May. The layoffs impacted various departments, including the entire customer support team, as reported by an anonymous Reddit user via Synth Anatomy.

There is uncertainty regarding whether the staff working on specific products such as Maschine, Traktor, or Kontrol were affected. The layoffs came at a time when Native Instruments had entered preliminary insolvency proceedings earlier in the year. This acquisition by inMusic occurred less than four months after these proceedings began.

Before this acquisition, Native Instruments had experienced significant restructuring and layoffs in 2019 and 2020 under the ownership of Francisco Partners. Despite these challenges, Native Instruments CEOs and inMusic have expressed optimism about future prospects, with both companies indicating confidence in the partnership.

Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments, commented on the acquisition, stating, “We have found a partner whose beliefs and ambitions align with ours.” This indicates a positive outlook on the partnership with inMusic from Native Instruments’ leadership perspective. Jack O’Donnell, CEO of inMusic, expressed optimism about the future following the acquisition, saying, “The future for NI, I can assure you, is very exciting, very bright, and very secure.” These statements suggest both companies are hopeful about the strategic benefits of the acquisition.

However, an anonymous Reddit post reported by Synth Anatomy highlighted internal dissatisfaction, stating, “The organisation is a mess, and I have little faith it will get better considering the individuals they’ve chosen to lead.” Furthermore, the post mentioned, “Customers don’t matter right now despite what you hear or read about the company or inMusic,” reflecting concerns from within the organization and potentially unsatisfied customers. Native Instruments chose not to provide comments to MusicTech regarding these reported layoffs, demonstrating a lack of public engagement amid these significant changes.

These statements reflect a mixed atmosphere surrounding the acquisition, with leadership portraying optimism while anonymous sources signal ongoing organizational and customer service challenges.

The source notes that iZotope belongs to Boris FX and that Plugin Alliance and Brainworx have been reclaimed by Dirk Ulrich. These ownership details are presented in the article as industry context related to Native Instruments‘ situation. The source does not provide operational, transactional, or strategic detail about Boris FX, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx or Dirk Ulrich in relation to the inMusic acquisition or the reported layoffs. No statements from Boris FX, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx or Dirk Ulrich are included in the reporting.

The article does not offer comparative market analysis or competitive-positioning details involving those companies. The available reporting limits its industry context to the ownership notes cited above without broader market commentary. The source does not connect those ownership notes to specific operational changes at Native Instruments following the acquisition. The available sources do not provide further statements or data from the named industry players about the acquisition or the layoffs.

The available reporting does not provide a comprehensive breakdown of which Native Instruments product teams or divisions were affected by the recent workforce reductions. The source explicitly states it is unclear whether employees working on Maschine, Traktor or Kontrol were among those let go. An anonymous Reddit post reported by Synth Anatomy claimed the layoffs affected every NI department, including the entire customer support team. The reporting does not supply departmental headcounts, specific team rosters, or names of affected staff. No confirmation from inMusic about which product teams were impacted is present in the source.

Native Instruments declined to respond to MusicTech’s request for comment on the specifics of the layoffs. The source does not include statements from inMusic confirming which roles, teams or product groups were affected. The article records that previous mass layoffs and restructuring occurred at Native Instruments in 2019 and 2020 before the company was acquired by Francisco Partners, but it does not link those earlier events to the current reductions. The reporting does not detail which functions — such as product development, support, or sales — were prioritised, reassigned or eliminated. The available material does not indicate whether any product lines were retained or subject to separate restructuring.

The source notes the layoffs followed inMusic’s May acquisition and that Native Instruments had entered preliminary insolvency proceedings earlier this year, with the purchase occurring less than four months after those proceedings began. The reporting provides no further operational detail about how product teams were reorganised after the acquisition. The available sources do not specify whether specific projects or product roadmaps were affected. MusicTech said it will continue to report on the story as more information becomes available.

Approximately 100 Native Instruments employees were laid off following inMusic’s May acquisition of the company, and reporting identifies the workforce reductions as occurring in the period after the transaction. An anonymous Reddit post reported by Synth Anatomy claimed the layoffs affected every Native Instruments department, including the entire customer support team, and the reporting states it is unclear whether employees working on Maschine, Traktor or Kontrol were among those let go.

Native Instruments entered preliminary insolvency proceedings earlier this year, and the inMusic purchase took place less than four months after those proceedings began. Native Instruments declined to respond to MusicTech’s request for comment on the reported layoffs. MusicTech has stated it will continue to report on the story as more information becomes available.

Approximately 100 employees were laid off by inMusic at Native Instruments. An anonymous Reddit post reported by Synth Anatomy claimed the layoffs affected every NI department, including the entire customer support team. It is unclear whether employees working on Maschine, Traktor or Kontrol were among those let go. Native Instruments declined to respond to MusicTech’s request for comment.

Native Instruments entered preliminary insolvency proceedings earlier this year. The inMusic purchase of Native Instruments occurred in May and took place less than four months after those proceedings began. Native Instruments underwent mass layoffs and restructuring in 2019 and 2020 before being acquired by Francisco Partners.

The source notes that iZotope belongs to Boris FX and that Plugin Alliance and Brainworx have been reclaimed by Dirk Ulrich. The available reporting does not provide departmental headcounts or confirmation from inMusic about which specific teams were affected. MusicTech will continue to report on this story as more information becomes available.

Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments, said: “We have found a partner whose beliefs and ambitions align with ours.”

Jack O’Donnell, CEO of inMusic, said: “The future for NI, I can assure you, is very exciting, very bright, and very secure.”

Both quoted statements are presented as direct remarks from company leadership about the acquisition and the companies’ prospects following the transaction. These passages contain optimistic language about the partnership and the company’s future outlook.

An anonymous Reddit post reported by Synth Anatomy made critical statements about the organisation, writing, “The organisation is a mess, and I have little faith it will get better considering the individuals they’ve chosen to lead.”

The post also stated, “Customers don’t matter right now despite what you hear or read about the company or inMusic.”

These quoted lines are presented as expressions of internal criticism and customer-related concern from an anonymous source.

Native Instruments declined to respond to MusicTech’s request for comment about the reported layoffs. MusicTech has stated it will continue to report on the story as more information becomes available.

The quoted leadership remarks, the anonymous critical statements, the company’s refusal to comment and the pledge of continued reporting are presented here as the available attributed statements and actions recorded in the reporting.