The most exciting music tech of 2025

The music tech industry is a small one compared to many others, and the rising cost of resources and transport has been challenging, but the level of creativity never disappoints. Whether hard- and software makers get inspired by their own practice or feedback from their users, they try to inspire and wow us with colourful lights or sleek casing, unique or ergonomics designs, user-friendly interfaces, groundbreaking invention or twists on traditional fave technology… Maybe the hardest part is to choose what you want to use.

Here is a list compiled by asking a diverse range of artists and technologists what their 2025 highlights were, hopefully everyone can find something that piques their interest. Have fun!

Patch Point is one of the best synth boutiques in Berlin, and they also release their own gear. Café Quantum is a playful experience, made to broaden your musical horizon.

Disco-house music icon Eric D. Clark has this to say about about it: “When I first experienced the new Café Quantum I was floored by the possibilities, so many new features… I had to curtail my will to get lost as the sounds generated seemed to come mysteriously from the ether! It's truly an astounding addition to my way of doing things; I like to use it when I am searching for that certain bit of ‘otherworldly.’ The beauty of it to me is that all the theory BS they teach (or rather enforce) goes right out the window: just plug it in and start making noise!”

Buy it here: Café Quantum by Patch Point; watch a demo featuring Patch Point’s Darrin and Eric D. Clark below

Electromagnetic synthesiser you say? Folks were so excited by the idea, the instrument was made possible by a successful fundraiser; and here is your chance to discover this unique piece of gear.

Sound artist and producer Idra comments: "For me, Chromaplane is the point where simplicity meets complexity and where complexity folds back into simplicity. The pickups offer dynamic, expressive control that feels entirely organic and physical, creating a seamless bond between sound, musician, and the listeners. I can’t imagine myself and my work without it anymore."

Buy it here: Chromaplane by Koma; watch a demo featuring the co-creators of the instrument, Passepartout Duo below:

Bitwig, known for its DAW, has released its first piece of hardware, a soundcard that has already become a must-have for many artists.

Synth musician, technologist, and Buchla & Friends organiser Nbor explains: “I've started working the Connect into my live set with a Valve Steamdeck. When I use modular, it's a small setup, and the Connect mixes into it beautifully. The sophisticated modulations in Bitwig can extend my small rack so I can keep things physically simple but musically complex”. 

Buy it here: Connect by Bitwig; watch a demo below:

Elastic OSC is a synthesiser app based on one of the most beloved and cloned oscillator modules in the Eurorack modular scene. Upon its release, it quickly reached the Top 5 of paid synthesiser apps in several countries.

Composer Robert Lippok says: “It's rare to see such a coherent transfer from hardware (Plaits from Mutable Instruments) to the iPad. Elastic OSC is incredibly fun to work with from the very first minute. The GUI is really well thought out and has 24 integrated synthesis models, as well as the ability to load DX7 sound banks. Omg, so good.“

Buy it here: Elastic OSC by MoMinstruments; watch a demo below:

You never knew you needed an Aztec death whistle sound for your next techno track until the Korven library came along.

Detroit composer and AV artist Venusloc comments: “The Korven Library is packed with dark experimental sounds and textures that make for an acoustically haunting soundscape. Each sample is a world of its own; turning live orchestral sounds into an alien-like atmosphere. Ease of customisability makes the Korven Acoustic Textures of Terror a necessary tool for eerie immersive sound. Sub drones, layered scrapes and industrial disturbances are all captured with an unrivalled depth of clarity.”

As a bonus if you want to try out OT and its SINE player for free: the Berlin Orchestra library was also released this year and Venusloc says “it has the most high quality samples that I’ve ever heard and it also sounds amazing with added effects. The textural quality of the room that each sample was recorded in can be felt in all octaves. Shifting the attack and resonance in the Sine player gives you the ability to sculpt each note while still retaining the natural quality of each instrument.”

Finally, check this out if you are a queer composer, here is your chance to get some support in your practice via the open call for microgrants.

Buy it here: Korven by Orchestral Tools; watch a trailer below:

Everyone has their favourite DAW; those who love Ableton Live showed it by making Live 12.3 the most successful free update in Ableton’s history.

DJ/producer and label owner Sinan comments: “With each update, it’s starting to feel less like ‘another DAW’ and more like a creative instrument that actually invites me to finish tracks. Coming from years in FL Studio and older versions like Live 8 and 10 – Live 12 with its latest update finally feels like the sweet spot where workflow, sound design, and inspiration all click together.”

And here's more Ableton 2025 free updates to check out: Note 1.7.2 and Move 1.8.0.

More info/buy it here: Live 12.3 by Ableton; see what's new in the latest update below:

I asked artists what piece of gear shined for them in 2025, and two of them picked this sculpting sampler.

CDM writer, artist, and technologist Peter Kirn wrote a whole piece including demo videos - you can read it here - and he added: “Torso Electronics’ S-4 is a wonder - a real performance instrument built around sampling, from a boutique Danish maker with a vision rather than one of the larger, established players. That granular mode in particular is reason to get it out of the box and play. The 2.0 update that arrived mid-year with varispeed, scenes, and macros made 2025 the S-4’s year.”

And according to pluri-disciplinary artist and community organiser Eiliyas, “The capabilities of the S-4 seem quite incredible and exactly what I dreamed of for my live setup as well as sound design. I know that it came out in 2024 but it seems like it was almost unusable until the updates that came out earlier this year”.

Buy it here: S-4 2.0 by Torso Electronics;

SenSei by Ebosuite is a standalone app and also a precious new plugin for Live users who add visuals to their live shows.

Composer and AV performer Portrait XO explains: “I’ve been using Ebosuite since 2019 and it’s been such a game changer for my 4K live shows as it’s the most comprehensive plugin for Ableton; it allows making visuals so much easier to work within an ecosystem you already know, and it’s powered by Unreal Engine - the world’s most advanced game engine and real-time 3D tool. With no programming required, you can build stunning real-time 3D environments using the same tools you already use for audio: drop in objects, mix and manipulate video, import 3D models, add 3D text, sculpt lighting, trigger particle systems, set cameras, and design entire scenes with musical precision.”

Buy it here: SenSei by Ebosuite; watch the trailer below:

For many, Elektron is known for creating machines you need a minute to get into, but then cannot live without. This year they got fans very excited about their new polyphonic multisampler.

Risa T praises: "Tonverk blew me away with possibilities I had not imagined in a single machine. I never run out of ways to get inspired, whether it’s the abundance of FX, flexible routing, or the granular engine. I also love how Tonverk makes it effortless to bring my favourite hardware and software sounds into one setup - the kind of workflow I’d always wished for.”

Buy it here: Tonverk by Elektron; watch a demo below:

Roland finally released its first drum machine with an analog engine in over 40 years, and it features circuits from the TR-808 and TR-909. Acid house and techno fans, this one could be for you.

LA-based analog techno producer and performer Trovarsi has found a spot for this drum machine in her crowded studio and says: “What I love about the TR-1000 is how immediate and natural it feels. It just clicked with me right away. The sequencing is powerful but still intuitive, pushing me to perform instead of overthinking, and giving me space to be fully creative without getting in my way. That’s exactly why I'm building it into my 2026 live setup.”

Buy it here: TR-1000 Rhythm Creator by Roland; watch a demo below:

Times are tough for musicians; could creating soundpacks supplement your income? Here are two examples from Berlin-based artists who tell us why they decided to get into the soundpack adventure.

MD2 by Isotonik Studios and Benjamin Weiss AKA Nerk of Toktok is one option. The DJ/producer explains that “MD2 is a collection of 100 Drift presets that span a wide range from drum sounds like kicks, snares and hi-hats over bass, pads, keys to growls, clonks and drones.”

He adds, ”making a soundpack is somehow very similar to making a record - it’s all about defining meaningful constraints, kind of like a frame in which you can paint. In this case it was about making all the used sounds for a track including the drums with just one synthesiser, Ableton’s Drift. What started as an experiment turned quickly into something that made me realise: ‘Oh, maybe there is more here’; and that's why I made MD2 - Raw Drift."

Buy it here: MD2; watch a demo below:

Another is The Pulse by Landr and Local Suicide, for the Chromatic sampler and instrument plugin. The DJ/producer and label owner duo tell us that: “As artists we’re always searching for fresh sounds, so it feels natural to also share ours with the community. We love capturing unique textures through field recordings, sampling from movies, and shaping our own sounds with modular analog and digital gear. Creating this pack let us blend all of that with Chromatic’s playful tech side giving producers new tools to spark their own inspiration.”

Chromatic offers a bit more than just soundpacks; it is a loop-based playable virtual instrument that gives producers curated royalty-free loops from real artists. It’s designed to help budding artists get high-quality sounds without needing to record or design everything on your own. 

Learn more on the demo below; explore free trial and subscription options here

Feel you want to contribute some sounds? This open call is for you: “Artists and producers can apply to create playable soundpacks for Landr plugin, Chromatic. The artist-focussed plugin allows users to tap into the sound of their favourite musicians. And for each time an artist’s set is used and played, they receive a royalty payment. Any and all artists, regardless of genre, can apply to create royalty-free Chromatic sets by dropping an email with their work to [email protected].”

As 2026 is around the corner, here is something to look forward to!

Composer and performer Jessica Ekomane recalls she was “fortunate enough to be personally introduced to a prototype of the Phase 8 by Tatsuya Takahashi, and to get hands‑on experience with it. I’ve always been fascinated by the creative tension between the fleeting nature of digital abstraction and the tangible traces it can leave on the flesh. This synthesiser explores that grey area beautifully. I’m especially drawn to the African sanza and its relationship with noise, the clear inspiration behind this instrument. Phase 8 adds a playful twist, and it would pair perfectly with one’s collection of nice‑looking stones to put on the metal strips!”

Find out more: Phase 8 by Korg Berlin; watch the trailer below:

Nadia Says is the founder of Your Mom's Agency, follow her on Twitter