Brainworx & Plugin Alliance are back under my personal leadership.

If you've been wondering what the future of Brainworx & Plugin Alliance will look like, today I have some answers.

I'm proud to share that on July 15, 2026, I have re-acquired Brainworx and Plugin Alliance under the umbrella of RCKFRC, my new company which already includes Apogee and Manley. Expect to hear more about these brands soon, as part of the new PA/BX universe.

This marks the beginning of a new chapter – not only for the companies, but also for the millions of producers, engineers, musicians and creators who have trusted our products over the years.

 

Why I Came Back

When I released the first Brainworx plugins 20 years ago, I had one simple goal:

Build audio tools that professionals could rely on every day.

That philosophy led to Brainworx, Plugin Alliance (2012) and partnerships with many of the most respected brands in professional audio ever since. Over the past months, I received hundreds of messages from customers around the world. Interestingly, most of them weren't asking about the next plugin.

They were asking about the future of PA/BX.

• Would their software continue to work?
• Would their licenses remain valid?
• Would the products continue to evolve?

Those questions mattered to many of you, it seems.

When the opportunity came to bring Brainworx and Plugin Alliance back under founder leadership, I didn't hesitate.

This isn't a restart. It's a continuation – with renewed focus and renewed responsibility.

I'm not looking to recreate the past. I'm looking to build the future.

 

What Happens Next?

Our priorities are simple and clear:

We'll protect what our customers are relying on. Your plugins, your licenses and your projects will remain our highest priority.

We'll continue to innovate. Brainworx has always been built by engineers solving real-world problems for professional users. That won't change.

We'll communicate transparently and directly with you.

We'll introduce the new team behind the next chapter.

We'll share our future roadmap. And we'll keep you informed along the way.

 

Looking Ahead

Today's announcement is just the beginning.

Over the coming weeks, we'll introduce the people behind the new Brainworx & Plugin Alliance, explain our vision in more detail and share what we're working on.

This page will be updated as we reach milestones.

 

Chapter 2 – Jul 23, 2026

What This Means for You

For those catching up: in 2021 Plugin Alliance and Brainworx joined the Native Instruments group. On July 14, 2026, I bought both companies back and they're fully independent again, under private ownership and leadership, as part of my new Rockforce group (which includes Apogee and Manley).

Since my first message to you all we've heard back from thousands of you - through emails, social media, forum posts, text messages, and the comments regarding our announcement. No matter where the conversation started, the key questions we saw were almost always the same. Thank you for the feedback!

Instead of answering them one by one, let me answer them here.

Will all Plugin Alliance licenses keep working?

Yes.

Every license you own remains fully valid. There's nothing you need to reactivate, no new agreement to accept, and no action required on your end.

If it worked yesterday, it works today. And tomorrow.

What about the PA subscriptions, will they continue to work without interruption?

Yes.

All existing subscription plans will continue exactly as you’d expect them to run. No need for you to change anything.

What about Plugin Alliance’s online support?

Our support will continue without interruption. If you already have an open support ticket, it will be handled by our team. Please don’t open multiple tickets for the same case. 

We also know that support response times haven't always lived up to the standard you expect – or the standards we aim for in the recent past. Improving that is one of our top priorities.

In the past 4 years, many services were shared between NI, Izotope and Plugin Alliance. We are actively working on the transition, and the teams at PA, NI and IZO are helping each other to get that done asap.

Can you still install and activate your plugins?

Yes.

The Plugin Alliance Installation Manager, our downloads and activation services will continue to operate as normal. Same application, same technology. We understand that this matters. 

Keeping that infrastructure reliable isn't optional. It's one of our highest priorities and the foundation everything else at PA is built on.

Why is this so important to me personally?

Because I know these aren't “just plugins” for you.

They're part of your daily work, and they are “your sound”. They're on single tracks, complete albums, film scores, broadcast productions, used in live shows and on countless personal projects. They're tools you've invested in and have relied on for years.

That’s how it will be.

Before we talk about new products, new features, or what's next, I want to make sure the foundation is exactly where it should be.

• Your software works.
• Your licenses are secure.
• Your projects remain accessible.
• Our support is there when you need it.

That's where our focus is today.

In the next chapter, I'd like to introduce you to the people who have joined and re-joined me on this journey, and share the vision we're building together for the future of Plugin Alliance.

Dirk Ulrich
Founder & CEO
Plugin Alliance