📢 [03/19] An update from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments
Uh oh… 😐
According to an article by Create Digital Music (CDM), Native Instruments is currently undergoing preliminary insolvency proceedings:
To access and read insolvency documents:
*Native Instruments*
💡 What this means
❌ What this doesn't mean
(Snippets taken from Production Expert)
Articles / Timeline of events
Date
News
12-04-2025
The European Commission clears acquisition of Native Instruments Group by Bridgepoint and Bain Capital Credit(Unconfirmed: Deal apparently fell through and the insolvency is the result of that.)
01-27-2026
Native Instruments GmbH is in preliminary insolvency | CDM
01-28-2026
Plugin Alliance says it is "business as usual" | CDM
01-29-2026
Statement from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments
(Also available on ni-japan.jp)
03-19-2026
An update from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments
I will continuously update this post as we learn more.
As per Jeremy_NI's post:
Any further updates will be shared through our official channels when appropriate.
"moral lesson"…I don't give moral lessons to people in a panic. And the words you're choosing make it sound like you're in a panic.
I'm just saying you should back away from the ledge and maybe don't jump. Stand behind the railroad crossing sign and not on the tracks. Most people don't realize that a train is wider than the tracks themselves. Or maybe pet a dog's belly. That's good for the dog and the person! And do try the decaffeinated tea, that might help a lot.
None of that is giving you a "moral lesson". I'm just saying "calm down and take a breath", which is the same thing I'd tell my best friend or a loved one.
Oh, and thanks for the French lesson. 😉
But back to the point: NI might be legally restricted from giving out information. So we have no choice but to wait. C'est la vie!
I feel for any employees of NI who may lose their jobs over this.
Who knows. Battery 5 (or whatever they might call it) could be right around the corner. If we get it, we get it.
But at this point, there are gobs and gobs of drums and percussion instrument libraries out there in the marketplace. Many will run under Kontakt. Or they might use Falcon, Halion, or any number of other sampler software products from people other than Native Instruments.
Given the choice, I'm glad we got Absynth 6 before the updated Battery. Absynth 6 does things that NO OTHER plugin does, whereas there are a million potential replacements for Battery.
Yep, pretty sad times, I only just bought the traktor 4 full version near end of last year, also own full versions of traktor 2 & 3 & some NI hardware..
If NI go bust so do the activation servers, meaning the hardware & software is useless & essentially e-waste of you ever needed to reinstall or even move the HDD/SSD to another machine as the software detects a hardware change..
If NI could release an offline activation that can be made to link to your email & software owned to allow installation after they may be gone & their servers are gone, would save a lot of software & hardware being made useless..
Essentially think like a pirates keygen, but legitimately links an email & the software to allow a way to keep using the software with a unique key & hardware.. If NI are bust, not like they are losing money from any piracy after the fact but at least DJs who use & love traktor etc can still use it.
That's a good sentiment to have, but let me be the first to say that sometimes losing a job is just the thing needed to cause a person to look inward and decide to improve their life and their career for the future. Success might not come quickly, but shaking things up and constantly improving one's skills sure can result in success down the road.
After reading that NI are facing insolvency, could spell the end for NI, Native Access & it's servers to allow you to activate any NI software..
I only just bought the traktor 4 full version near end of last year, also own full versions of traktor 2, traktor 3 & some NI hardware..
If NI go bust so do the activation servers, meaning the hardware & software is useless & essentially e-waste if you ever needed to reinstall or even move the HDD/SSD to another machine as the software detects a hardware change..
Essentially think like a pirates keygen, but it legitimately links the Access email & the software to allow a way to keep using the software with a unique key.. Yeah I know, pirates dream to get the software but If NI are bust, not like they are losing money from any piracy after the fact but at least DJs like me who use & love traktor etc can still use it.
Edit: nevermind, what I said was already answered and I didn't see the other comment.
to BIFF
I prefer cats as dogs, but I'll try ;)
I understand that it's not the end, although it could well be. My real disappointment will be the end of Massive X. It's potential has never really been fulfilled and it will be a real shame should it end up in the dustbin of unfulfilled ambition.
From two years ago, on cue:
See I've been doing this hobby of diagnosing the pathologies of little audio companies for 30 years and this is the typical defensive reply. Internally, what happens is the better developers all agree with me (many have come up to me in person at conferences and said so) but the managers assert themselves by saying "we're going to stick with our strategy until things change."And when things change, and start looking bad enough to force a course correction, what has happened? Irreversible brand damage. They end up doing my suggestions anyway, but after 2-3 years instead of the 2-3 months that would have avoided the damage. This is all true, please google this history…
See I've been doing this hobby of diagnosing the pathologies of little audio companies for 30 years and this is the typical defensive reply. Internally, what happens is the better developers all agree with me (many have come up to me in person at conferences and said so) but the managers assert themselves by saying "we're going to stick with our strategy until things change."
And when things change, and start looking bad enough to force a course correction, what has happened? Irreversible brand damage. They end up doing my suggestions anyway, but after 2-3 years instead of the 2-3 months that would have avoided the damage. This is all true, please google this history…
While everything I've noted about the inexplicably bad product decisions has been noted long before, again I usually show up at the final inflection point when the company has effectively decided to forfeit a fundamentally winning position for no gain at all. As if they are tired and just want it over with. Danke.
https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/137425?utm_source=community-share#Comment_137425 No joy in pointing this out, I still have their products and still intend to use them… Thread has a nice list of bang-for-buck for the reconstituted team
That's fine by me!
Dirk's quote is often attributed to John Lennon:
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”
Just bought LCO Produer Strings. If you do want to help NI - don't be afraid to buy just one thing - it can make a difference.
Thanks for that Vagus. I still have an £80 voucher to use by March. need to think carefully about what to spend that on now. I was going to invest in Absynth 6, but that is not included in the promotional voucher offerings.
As someone who has also invested heavily in Kontakt and Native Instruments, I truly hope whoever takes this over will bring some real quality of life to our NI products in the future!
It could be "the start of something magical" as they say…
Reading this news, my first reaction is honestly sadness and concern for the people involved.
I would not want to be in their position right now. We already live in a very uncertain world, and suddenly finding yourself in such an uncertain professional situation must be extremely hard. Behind a company there are real lives, families, children, mortgages, everyday worries. That thought weighs much more on me than any discussion about products or business decisions. I truly hope this situation can find a human and positive solution, and that the people working there can keep doing their jobs with some peace of mind.
As someone who has been using Kontakt for many years, both as a musician and for my sample libraries, my work and my future, this situation inevitably feels close. Not only because of the tools themselves, but because there is an entire ecosystem of people whose work depends on them.
At the same time, I believe it is important to keep some perspective. This is not about a product that suddenly became irrelevant. Kontakt and its ecosystem are still deeply embedded in how music is made today, and it is hard to imagine something with such a professional user base simply disappearing overnight.
I do not feel in a position to judge past choices or to give advice. I honestly do not know what the right answers are. What I do know is that empathy matters, especially now. My thoughts are with the people behind the company, and also with all those who work every day using these tools. I sincerely hope this phase can lead to continuity rather than loss. Wishing the best to everyone involved during this difficult time. Andrea
