GLOBAL: In a strategic move designed to streamline development and enhance user experience, Yamaha has announced the full integration of Steinberg’s hardware business into its operations. As part of a group-wide restructuring, Steinberg hardware products will now carry the Yamaha name, while Steinberg will focus exclusively on software development and sales. The transition aims to deliver a more unified and seamless experience for creators, with software and hardware innovation now operating under one cohesive framework.

Since joining the Yamaha Group in 2005, Steinberg has collaborated closely with Yamaha on several landmark products, beginning with the MR816 audio interfaces and CC121 Cubase controller in 2008. Over the years, the partnership has produced a range of acclaimed hardware, including the UR, UR-C, UR-RT, and, most recently, the IXO series of ultra-portable interfaces launched in 2024.

Building on this legacy, Yamaha will now lead the design, manufacturing, and global distribution of all Steinberg-developed hardware.

Under the new structure, Steinberg will dedicate its efforts to advancing music and audio software while Yamaha continues to refine its hardware expertise. Together, both brands will work in close synergy to provide creators with dependable, high-quality solutions that combine reliability, creativity, and intuitive integration.

As part of the transition, several existing Steinberg-branded products will be reintroduced under Yamaha’s identity: the IXO12, IXO22, UR22C, and UR44C will now appear as the UR12MK3, UR22MK3, URX22C, and URX44C, respectively. Other Steinberg-branded hardware is slated to be gradually phased out, though both companies have committed to continued driver updates and support for current users.

Reflecting on the reorganisation, Takatsuna Maeda, Senior General Manager of Yamaha’s Creator & Consumer Audio Division, described the change as “a new stage in which both companies can focus on their strengths to deliver dependable, seamlessly connected solutions tailored to today’s creators.”