Apple has acquired Samplab, a Zurich-based AI audio editing startup, according to the European Union's public list of acquisitions, AppleInsider reported on October 19, 2026. The deal, made through an unnamed Apple subsidiary on June 17, covers certain assets and offers employment to certain Samplab employees.
Samplab was founded in Zurich in 2020 by Manuel Fritsche and Gian-Marco Hutter and is believed to employ no more than ten people, possibly just the two founders. Its software offered granular stem separation - isolating vocals, drums, guitars and other elements into editable tracks - plus the ability to change individual notes in audio and detect and edit chords, capabilities that go beyond the stem splitting Apple added to Logic Pro in 2024.
In late June, Samplab's website announced it was closing down and refunding the remainder of annual subscriptions; the site now redirects to apple.com, and old plugin links lead to a 'page not found' page on Apple's site. Its YouTube videos have been removed. Neither Apple nor Samplab has commented publicly, so any Logic Pro or Apple Creator Studio integration remains unconfirmed.
The deal follows Apple's similar acquisition of AI podcast company Huxe and other small firms reported to the EU, including Prompt AI. Apple also bought Q.Ai in January 2026 for an estimated $2 billion, a much larger transaction. For Logic Pro users, Samplab's note-level chord editing would be the meaningful upgrade if it ships: current stem splitting separates tracks but cannot change what a recorded chord plays.