inMusic has also terminated key Native Instruments staff as a means of “simplifying our organisational and legal structure.”
Back in May, word surfaced that inMusic had acquired music gear and software brand Native Instruments (NI) after the latter company’s preliminary insolvency hearings revealed its bleak financial outlook. It has now come to light that the company is closing its UK office.
July filings show that NI CEO Nick Williams and CTO Simon Cross were terminated from their positions. Then, a Reddit thread hinting at mass layoffs in the UK office prompted MusicTech to reach out to inMusic with a request to clarify the situation.
“As part of the ongoing integration of Native Instruments into the inMusic family of brands, we are simplifying our organisational and legal structure, including Native Instruments UK,” reads the reply. “This includes removing layers that were established to support a private equity ownership model, as well as streamlining other areas of the business to create a faster, more efficient organisation focused on innovation, customers, and long-term growth.”
inMusic’s statement continues: “We recognise the impact these changes have on affected employees and are committed to supporting them throughout the transition.”
NI — which was founded in Berlin in 1999 and came to oversee product lines like Traktor, Kontakt, and Maschine — has faced significant financial setbacks in recent years. In 2020, the company laid off 20% of its staff, and Francisco Partners, which acquired NI in 2021, terminated 8% of the employees belonging to all of its companies in 2023.
inMusic also owns iconic gear companies like AKAI and Moog. It courted controversy in 2023 for laying off 30 staff members at Moog’s longtime headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina and outsourcing some of its production to Taiwan.
