Apple Acquires AI Audio Startup Samplab Assets and Talent, EC Filing Shows

Apple $AAPL acquired "certain assets" and hired "certain Samplab employees" from AI audio editing startup Samplab in June, according to a regulatory notice shared by the European Commission. Samplab developed a desktop application and audio plugins capable of converting audio to MIDI, isolating song stems, detecting chords, and editing individual notes within polyphonic audio without altering the original timbre. Following the transaction, Samplab officially shut down its standalone service on September 17, 2026, and its domain now redirects directly to Apple's website. While Apple's Logic Pro already includes native Stem Splitter and Chord ID features, integrating Samplab's technology could bring native polyphonic note editing to Logic Pro or GarageBand. The transaction was disclosed under the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which requires designated gatekeepers to inform the European Commission of acquisitions involving digital services, core platform services, or data collection.