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Kontakt

Sampler/Sample Player Plugin by Native Instruments
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Favorite Sampler - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2024Favorite Sampler - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2023Favorite Sample Platform - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2022Favorite Sample Platform - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2021Favorite Sample Platform - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2020Favorite Sample Platform - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2019
Kontakt by Native Instruments is a Virtual Instrument Audio Plugin for macOS and Windows. It functions as an Audio Units Plugin, a VST 3 Plugin and an AAX Plugin.
Product
Version
8.10.2
Product
Version
8.10.2
Instrument
Formats
Sample Formats
Loads and/or Saves
ACIDized WAV, AIFF, Akai, Apple Loops, Battery, EMU, EXS24, Giga, HALion, Kontakt, LM-4, Reaktor MAP, REX, REX2, Roland, SDII, SF2 (SoundFont), sfz, SND, STS, WAV
Copy Protection
Online Activation

MyKVR: Groups, Versions, ...

5265 KVR members have added Kontakt to 4620 MyKVR groups 6254 times.

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KVR Rank

Overall: 76   63   76

30-Day: 73; 7-Day: 184; Yesterday: 169

The virtual instrument platform reinvented

Imagine any sound – Kontakt lets you find it, create it, and transform it. The latest edition of our revolutionary sampling platform combines a brand-new set of intelligent tools with countless sound design options, redefining how you generate ideas and make music.

What's new in Kontakt 8?

The most feature-packed release yet is here to transform the way you generate, modulate, and playback sound. Plus, it's packed with performance updates so you can work faster than ever:

  • Smash writer's block - Tools add a completely new layer of creative features to get the ideas flowing. And they work with any Kontakt instrument, old and new. For our first drop, we're launching MIDI content and randomization features with Chords and Phrases, designed to spark new ideas and get you in the zone fast.
  • Fast and fun loop control - Leap is an ultra-fast and playful way to play and manipulate loops. Spark fresh ideas, sprinkle in expressive performance effects, or just jam. Breathe new life into your sample collection or try something totally fresh with our new Leap Expansions series, starting with 12 curated packs for specific genres and styles.
  • Sound like nothing else - Conflux is the first in a new breed of Kontakt instruments for experimental sound design. Layer organic and synthetic samples and add dynamic movement to static sounds in real time, with original PPG wavetables and techniques like FM, Phase Modulation, and Ring Modulation.

Get going with hundreds of included instruments

Kontakt's Factory Library comes packed with over hundreds of meticulously sampled instruments. Get started with a huge playable and tweakable selection of acoustic and electronic options, including the renowned collection from Orchestral Tools, plus Hybrid Keys.

Dream it, build it

All your favorite Kontakt instruments are built right here. The powerful feature set makes Kontakt the first choice for instrument developers worldwide, and it just got even bigger with enhanced synth capabilities, including real-time wavetable, frequency modulation, and ring modulation oscillators.

What's the difference between Kontakt and Kontakt Player?

Just looking to use Kontakt instruments? Kontakt Player is the free version that runs all NI Kontakt instruments and many more officially licensed options from third-party developers (make sure to check the compatibility before you buy). Get it now in the Komplete Start bundle.

The go-to for pros

You've heard Kontakt at the top of the charts, in Oscar-winning scores, and on the soundtracks of major TV shows. It's the favorite of so many composers, producers, and sound designers for its unmatched sound quality, deep manipulation feature set, and incredible attention to detail.

{See video at top of page}

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 2.90 from 10 reviews
Kontakt

Reviewed By Starbright [all]
June 6th, 2025
Version reviewed: 8 on Windows

What can I say: the standard - the legend.

I have been using Kontakt since version 6 and alllthough it's been a rough journey, I still love it.

And since the last version is finally stable and faster it's even more fun than ever.

Version 8 has maybe not the most revolutionary new features but it definitely has its charms.

I really love the new chords, pattern and phrases tool (though it really took me some time to figure out their use for me).

And 11 year old past me would have loved Leap.

But the biggest and best new addition is the new browser and sidebar - it just works, uncomplicated and uncluttered.

One of the only bad things I have are the factory sounds which range from good to very bland. Though the Orchestra and choir is done pretty well... and for the rest I suggest to find some stuff on pianobook.

Overall Kontakt really shaped my career as a musician in a lot of ways and I'm pretty great full for that. I still miss the slice function but maybe it will come back and overhauled one day.

And since it's actually become more affordable than ever through sales, it's a must have.

Though I actually pricewise I suggest to buy Komplete Standard, to get even better libraries and useful stuff. But even on its own it has become a steal.

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Kontakt

Reviewed By AnaMidori [all]
April 28th, 2025
Version reviewed: 8.3 on Windows

the update they did from 7 to 8 and the asking price to update is absurd. and there's nothing significant update to the factory stuffs either and its really frustrating how NI is handling stuffs and now they adding ads in my paid software.

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Kontakt

Reviewed By xtreme sounds [all]
September 14th, 2022
Version reviewed: 6 on Windows

Kontakt needs a serious overhaul for 2023 to meet great plugin standards. The Gui should be resizeable, preset management should be modernized, even the way we select a library and add it should be more of a a bunch of smaller squares or something instead of the current large panels on the left. Samples are slow to load, volumes need to be cranked up to hear them.

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Kontakt

Reviewed By qsource [all]
October 18th, 2021
Version reviewed: 6.6.1 on Mac

Is Kontakt the best sampling platform I can imagine? Not even close. Worse yet, the version 6 pitfalls have been among the worst since early version 4 (about 10 years ago). Have they added features? Sure. And gigantic bloat.

Unfortunately, the bloat is not only in the size of the engine. The screen real estate it fills with useless graphics is even worse.

All that negativity aside, Kontakt is the standard of the industry for sampling that sits in your DAW. If you don't license it, you will be missing a significant chunk of available sound libraries and virtual instruments. And that's the cool part: if you want more sounds, get Kontakt for endless possibilities.

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Kontakt

Reviewed By AngelShark [all]
October 5th, 2021
Version reviewed: 6.6 on Windows

At this point, in 2021, Kontakt is very much a necessary evil. If you want to use many of the best sample libraries out there, you need to pay up the cash for the full version of Kontakt. But you probably won't be happy about it.

There are competing products out there that offer (at least) most of the same functionality, for a lot less money, and without using anywhere near the ridiculous processing overhead that Kontakt uses.

Oh, and those competing products have re-sizable GUIs as well. Still not figured that out in Kontakt, Native Instruments, despite what you charge for it?

It's become a bit of a joke how little regard NI has for its customers concerning this and other core products. They keep pumping out new expensive products and focus on drawing in new customers, whilst completely ignoring the problems with Kontakt that existing customers have been complaining about for years (yes, YEARS).

Sadly, it has gotten to the point where I will actively avoid buying Native Instruments products unless there's absolutely no alternative. Their market segment is ripe for disruption and frankly the day can't come soon enough...

Read Review

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Comments & Discussion for Native Instruments Kontakt

Discussion
Discussion: Active
DJ.DUCEdaKEEYS
DJ.DUCEdaKEEYS
26 June 2012 at 10:55am

One of the #best !

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED

dizzyfingers
dizzyfingers
5 October 2014 at 9:38am

Gentlemen-Question?-Certain wav files when played back sound jittery almost breaking up-Can any one explain-Regards-Dizzyfingers.

matteogk
matteogk
26 January 2015 at 10:40pm

Dear dizzyfingers, it can be the file how it's designed (no bread and butter here, all patches are made with several layers to have a complex movement) or the way you play it back in Kontakt 5, the higher the key you play the more it sounds jittery... try to start from C3, and follow the note "try lower keys" for more subtle and soft soundscapes. Cheers.

frareinif
frareinif
13 December 2016 at 7:03am

Major issue with 5.6.5 update, Kontakt does not display all sample libs and user instruments (about 25% of my libs).

lunardigs
lunardigs
21 December 2016 at 6:08am

Hello! Just another kindly request to compile for Linux. Thanks.

Spitfire31
Spitfire31
5 October 2021 at 8:57pm

AngelShark's "review" is not a review – just a whining rant against NI in general. Kontakt is the standard, and for good reasons.

AngelShark
AngelShark
8 October 2021 at 11:32pm

Oh, come on. It's no less of a review because one NI fanboy doesn't agree with it. You're entitled to your opinion of Kontakt, just as I'm entitled to mine (as a dissatisfied paying customer). Prospective buyers of Kontakt should be made aware of the drawbacks as well as the benefits. However, feel free to refute anything within my review that you feel is factually incorrect. If you look again, you'll notice I did essentially say Kontakt is the standard, but if NI aren't prepared to bring it into the current decade, the industry should move on. Just because something has always been done a certain way, doesn't mean that should be the case in the future.

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