Ableton Reportedly Laid Off 20% of Staff

Berlin-based music software company Ableton has reportedly laid off around 20% of its workforce, according to online reports from users claiming insider knowledge. The exact number of employees impacted and the specific reasoning behind the job cuts remains unconfirmed by the company.

The layoff rumors began circulating on Reddit forums frequented by Ableton users and employees. One Reddit user stated they were “in contact with the artist relations team” at Ableton and could confirm that layoffs between 10-20% of staff had occurred.

While Ableton has not publicly addressed the situation, some have speculated the downsizing could be a typical practice of rightsizing staff following major product launches. A different Reddit user noted it is “normal software development practice” for companies to temporarily scale up hiring for intense product development cycles, then trim staff after a successful launch as work enters a new phase.

Ableton released Live 12, the latest version of its flagship music production software, in March after several years of development. The company also recently shipped Push 3, an updated hardware instrument controller. Without an official statement, it remains unclear if the reported layoffs stem from routine workforce realignment after bringing major new products to market or if there are other factors at play within the company.