Steinberg
Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH is a Hamburg-based Yamaha subsidiary that develops professional audio software (Cubase, Nuendo, Dorico, WaveLab, SpectraLayers) and hardware (UR interfaces, AXR4) for music producers, composers, podcasters, and audio engineers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
Steinberg firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Steinberg
- Legal name
- Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
- Website
- https://steinberg.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH is a Hamburg-based Yamaha subsidiary that develops professional audio software (Cubase, Nuendo, Dorico, WaveLab, SpectraLayers) and hardware (UR interfaces, AXR4) for music producers, composers, podcasters, and audio engineers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Steinberg industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Production Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (3343)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audio Plugins & Virtual Instruments (VST/AU/AAX) (MPAIAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Music Production Workflow & Project Management Tools (Session management, asset/versioning) (MPAIAIAK), Instrument & Pro Audio Retail (Online/Brick-and-Mortar) (MPAIAJAH)
Keywords
Where Steinberg is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Steinberg business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Software Licenses (One-Time Purchase): Steinberg sells its DAW software (Cubase, WaveLab, SpectraLayers, Dorico) as one-time perpetual licenses across multiple edition tiers (Elements/Pro), with upgrade pricing for existing customers. This is the primary revenue stream.
- Hardware Sales: Steinberg generates revenue from selling audio hardware including the UR series audio interfaces (UR22 mkII, UR44C, UR816C, UR824, etc.), the AXR4 interface, and controller devices such as the CC121 and CMC series.
- Education and Crossgrade Pricing: Discounted pricing for students, teachers (Education versions), and customers who own qualifying competitor products (Crossgrade versions), enabling price-tiered market penetration.
- Sales Partner (FastSpring) Commission: FastSpring (Bright Market, LLC) acts as the merchant of record for Steinberg's online sales. FastSpring earns transactional fees for processing purchases made through steinberg.net.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Cubase 15 Elements: Entry-level DAW at £83/€99.99 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Cubase 15 Pro: Full-featured professional DAW at £481/€579 |
| Subscription | Annual | WaveLab Pro/Elements 13: 40% discount promotion |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SpectraLayers 12 Elements and Pro versions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Education and Crossgrade pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Steinberg product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Steinberg develops and sells digital audio workstation software (Cubase, Nuendo, WaveLab, SpectraLayers, Dorico), remote collaboration tools (VST Connect, MixKey), and professional audio interface hardware (UR series, AXR4). Products are sold as perpetual software licenses in tiered editions (Elements, Artist, Pro) alongside physical hardware units, distributed globally through its own e-commerce storefront, partner retailers, and a distributor network.
Product overview
Steinberg is a German software company (Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation) offering an integrated ecosystem of Digital Audio Workstations, audio editing, and music notation software alongside professional audio hardware. The core product family includes Cubase (music production DAW available in Elements and Pro tiers), Nuendo (post-production DAW), Dorico (music notation), WaveLab (audio mastering/editing in Pro and Elements tiers), and SpectraLayers Pro (AI-powered audio separation). Collaborative tools include VST Connect Pro/SE for remote sessions and MixKey for audio routing. The product range spans from entry-level software versions to professional-grade hardware interfaces (UR series, AXR4) and AI-powered features including stem separation and vocal synthesis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cubase Flagship Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for music production with recording, editing, mixing, and mastering capabilities, available in Elements, Artist, and Pro editions. Introduced AI-powered stem separation in version 15 (released 2025-11).
- Nuendo Professional DAW focused on audio post-production for film, game audio, and broadcast, including VST Connect collaboration features.
- Dorico Professional music notation software enabling composers to write, edit, and print sheet music, supported by a dedicated blog community.
- WaveLab Professional audio editing and mastering software for high-resolution audio processing, restoration, and podcast production, available in Pro and Elements editions.
- SpectraLayers Advanced audio restoration and separation software using AI-powered unmixing to extract individual elements from mixed audio, available in Elements and Pro versions.
- VST Connect Pro 5 Professional remote collaboration software enabling musicians to work together over the internet with low-latency audio/video streaming.
- VST Connect Performer (iOS) Mobile application enabling performers to connect to VST Connect sessions from iOS devices.
- MixKey Audio mixing utility that bridges multiple audio applications including OBS and DAWs, enabling flexible routing for streaming and recording setups.
- VST Live Live performance software for musicians and performers featuring multi-track playback, virtual instruments, and real-time control.
- UR Series Audio Interfaces Family of USB and USB-C audio interfaces including UR22 mkII, UR22C, UR44C, UR24C, UR816C, UR824, UR-RT2, and UR-RT4, featuring Yamaha D-PRE preamps for studio and home recording.
- AXR4 Rack-mounted audio interface featuring Yamaha's Super High Resolution AXR4 hybrid preamps and 32-bit audio quality for professional studios.
Quantifiable outcome
- SpectraLayers Pro 12 achieved 15/20 in stem separation quality tests, ranking tied for second among 11 tested tools
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Steinberg
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Steinberg technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
Steinberg partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Yamaha Creator Pass Ecosystem Partners (Output, LANDR, Riverside, Groover)minorYamaha Creator Pass is a subscription platform launched by Yamaha Music Innovations bundling 21 music and podcast creation tools from partners including Output, LANDR, Riverside, and Groover. Steinberg is mentioned in the broader context of Yamaha's software ecosystem. Note: Steinberg is a Yamaha-owned subsidiary, and this partnership involves other Yamaha partners, not Steinberg directly initiating the partnership.
- Yamaha CorporationcoreSteinberg Media Technologies GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation. Yamaha Corporation is the parent company that owns Steinberg, providing strategic direction, financial backing, and technology integration (such as Yamaha vocal synthesis technology in Omnivocal).
- FastSpring (Bright Market, LLC)coreFastSpring acts as the merchant of record and independent sales partner for all product purchases made through steinberg.net. FastSpring processes payments, handles order fulfillment, and becomes the contractual seller. Steinberg and FastSpring are joint controllers for purchase-related data processing under GDPR.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Steinberg competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ableton: Ableton AG develops Live, one of the leading DAWs directly competing with Cubase and Nuendo across music production and live performance. Comparable as a privately-held, music-focused software company with similar customer base of producers and performers.
- Waves Audio: Waves Audio is a leading developer of audio plug-ins (VST/AU/AAX) used across all major DAWs including Cubase. Directly comparable as a third-party VST plug-in publisher and a named dominant player alongside Steinberg in the global audio plugin market.
- Avid Technology: Avid's Pro Tools is the dominant DAW in professional audio post-production and music studios, directly competing with Cubase Pro and Nuendo in the same professional customer segment. Both companies also sell audio interfaces and plug-ins to overlapping buyers.
- Native Instruments: Native Instruments develops KOMPLETE production suites, MASCHINE hardware controllers, and audio plug-ins that compete with Steinberg's instruments, VST plug-ins, and hardware controllers. Comparable as a music production software and hardware ecosystem player.
- FabFilter: FabFilter develops professional audio plug-ins (Pro-Q, Pro-L, Pro-C) widely used in Cubase and other DAWs. Comparable as a named dominant player in the global audio plugin software market and a direct competitor in professional VST plug-ins.
- Image-Line (FL Studio): Image-Line develops FL Studio, one of the most widely used DAWs globally, directly competing with Cubase for music production, beat-making, and electronic music creator segments. Like Steinberg, Image-Line sells perpetual licenses with tiered editions.
- PreSonus: PreSonus offers Studio One DAW competing directly with Cubase, alongside audio interfaces that overlap with Steinberg's UR series. Comparable product breadth across DAW software and recording hardware for musicians and small studios.
- iZotope: iZotope develops RX for audio restoration and Ozone for mastering, directly competing with Steinberg's SpectraLayers and WaveLab products. Both companies are recognized as dominant audio plugin developers serving music and post-production professionals.
- Focusrite: Focusrite designs and sells audio interfaces (Scarlett, Clarett series) and is named alongside Steinberg as a key player in the Europe Audio Interface Market. Comparable as a music hardware manufacturer serving the same home studio and professional recording segments.
- Apple (Logic Pro): Apple Logic Pro is a direct DAW competitor to Cubase, now featuring AI-powered stem separation that outscored Steinberg SpectraLayers in independent testing. Bundled at $199, it pressures Steinberg's premium pricing across both hobbyist and professional segments.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Steinberg social profiles
Digital presenceSteinberg financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Steinberg leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Steinberg funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Steinberg M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Steinberg
What does Steinberg do?
Steinberg develops and sells digital audio workstation software (Cubase, Nuendo, WaveLab, SpectraLayers, Dorico), remote collaboration tools (VST Connect, MixKey), and professional audio interface hardware (UR series, AXR4). Products are sold as perpetual software licenses in tiered editions (Elements, Artist, Pro) alongside physical hardware units, distributed globally through its own e-commerce storefront, partner retailers, and a distributor network.
Is Steinberg a public or private company?
Steinberg is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Steinberg founded?
Steinberg was founded in 1984. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Steinberg based?
Steinberg is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Steinberg make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses (One-Time Purchase) is the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales, education and Crossgrade Pricing and sales Partner (FastSpring) Commission.
Who are Steinberg's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ableton, Waves Audio, Avid Technology, Native Instruments, FabFilter, Image-Line (FL Studio), PreSonus, iZotope, Focusrite and Apple (Logic Pro).
Does Steinberg have an API?
No public API is recorded for Steinberg.
What industry is Steinberg in?
Steinberg's product category is Music Production Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAIAB, Audio Plugins & Virtual Instruments (VST/AU/AAX), with a secondary code of MPAIAIAK, Music Production Workflow & Project Management Tools (Session management, asset/versioning). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7371.