From the future of sound to the
future of music

Today, we’re celebrating a huge accomplishment: 25 years of Native Instruments. We are incredibly proud of the amazing talent and ingenuity of our hard-working team – past and present – who have made such a positive impact on the lives of music creators over the last quarter of a century. We are also enormously grateful to the millions of creators and customers who have pushed us along on our journey, who have allowed us to continue our contribution to the community, and whose feedback has helped us improve.

None of this would have been possible without those that were bold enough to dream up and design a future where computers would become the centerpiece of music production, performance and sound generation. Thanks to Stephan Schmitt, Volker Hinz, Michael Kurz, Lorenz Heine, Daniel Haver, Egbert Jürgens, and Mate Galic for their incredible and inspiring talent, passion and drive.

In 1996, we started with the idea to harness the power of the emerging PC to create a universe of sounds. Now 25 years later, we find ourselves in a completely transformed music industry. We are humbled that our work has been a driving force in democratizing music production, and are grateful to have been part of a tidal change in how music is created, performed, published and listened to, free from traditional gatekeepers and constraints.

In 2021, Native Instruments has become synonymous with world-class instruments, state-of-the-art sounds and innovative hardware-software experiences. We are fortunate to call some of the most talented music producers, DJs and composers our customers. They in turn have used our products to influence and define new genres, communities and music cultures across the globe. Through our developer and distribution platforms, we have encouraged countless new instrument builders to dream up, develop and monetize their own software instruments, and create thriving businesses that have contributed massively to the vibrancy of the software instruments space.

These days, our mission at Native Instruments is to inspire creators to shape the future of music. While we will always continue to push the technological boundaries to create the most innovative products, our overarching goal is to inspire many more people to find joy and success in making music. We believe that everyone passionate about music should have access to the tools they need, and the support on their journey through educational opportunities and a thriving community.

Let’s face it: the creative world is made up of voices from every background imaginable, yet the current accessibility of artistic tools and resources does not reflect this. As a company, it is our passion to equip music creators with the tools they need to thrive, no matter what music they make. Creators deserve exceptional quality and accessibility, regardless of their abilities, location, identities, or genre preferences. We have hard work ahead of us but similar to how we have played our part in democratizing music creation, we are committed to building a more diverse, inclusive and truly global music community.

To celebrate this important milestone in our history, our team has crafted a new range of beautifully crafted limited-edition hardware that will certainly have an impact in every studio, no matter if it’s your bedroom or Shangri La. Plus, we have created a KONTAKT Play Series instrument, aptly named TWENTY FIVE – a playable, curated archive of presets and sounds from our portfolio that you can download for free. We can’t wait to hear what you’ll create!

Join us in celebrating 25 years and keep dreaming of the future of music – it’s what inspires all of us every day.

Constantin & Robert, on behalf of the entire Native Instruments team