Komplete Start is a music production bundle that Native Instruments (NI) gives away for free. It packs synths, Kontakt instruments, effects and lots of sounds together. The official page says “No credit cards. No subscriptions.” This page summarises what was confirmed on the official page about its contents and how to get it.
Disclosure: this site uses affiliate programs. Whether the bundle is free, and its contents, were checked on Native Instruments’ official page around 2026-10-16. Terms of distribution and contents can change, so please check the official page before you download.
How to get Komplete Start
- Open the Komplete Start page on the Native Instruments official website.
- Use the “Free download” button to go to the download process. The official page says “Download: available immediately”.
- Create a Native Instruments account and log in (an account may be required).
- According to the official page, Komplete Start is downloaded and installed through NI’s management software, “Native Access”. Native Access is the software where you find, install and update NI products.
- When installation is finished, open your DAW (recording and music-making software), rescan for plug-ins and load it on a track.
Where to get it: Native Instruments official website (free)
What is Komplete Start?
The official page describes it as a “completely free production bundle. Includes synths, Kontakt instruments, effects and hundreds of sounds”. It holds a wide range of sounds, including piano, synth, drums, guitar, choir and world instruments, plus effects such as reverb and delay, so it makes a foundation for starting to make music. It is positioned as the entry point to the paid Komplete series, and the official page also points to higher-level products: Kontakt, Komplete and Komplete Kontrol (software that connects a keyboard and virtual instruments).
What’s included (per the manufacturer)
The main contents listed on the official page are as follows.
- Kontakt Player (per the manufacturer): A simplified version of the sampler Kontakt (an instrument that plays back recorded sounds). It is described as a gateway for loading many sample libraries from NI and other developers.
- Leap (per the manufacturer): A sampler inside Kontakt Player. It is described as letting you load your own loops and one-shots (single hits) and shape them with real-time effects.
- Massive X Player (per the manufacturer): A free synth. You can start making sounds from presets (ready-made sounds) such as bass, leads and pads.
- 9 tools including Chords, Phrases and Patterns (per the manufacturer): Kontakt Player is said to include 9 tools that speed up songwriting. The Chords Tool plays chords with one key. The Phrases Tool lets you pick a genre and mood and try phrases (short melodies). The Patterns Tool is a step sequencer and arpeggiator with more than 40 patterns.
- Effects (per the manufacturer): Supercharger is an analogue-style tube compressor, Raum is a modern reverb and Replika is a delay with multiple modes. iZotope Ozone EQ is also included.
- Sound libraries (per the manufacturer): Listed are Analog Dreams (retro synths), Lo-fi Vibes for Leap (lo-fi drums and more), Ethereal Earth (for ambient and cinematic), Hypha, Irish Harp and the Kontakt Factory Selection (a basic set of synths, drums, band instruments, choir and more).
The contents can change with updates. Before downloading, please check the latest list on the official page.
Who it is for
- People just starting DTM who want to get virtual instruments and effects together for free.
- People who want to try atmospheric sounds such as lo-fi and ambient for free.
- People who want hints for chord progressions and phrase writing.
- People who may use Kontakt or other Komplete products in the future and want to get used to the NI environment.
Tips for using it
What follows is general thinking about using virtual instruments. For operations specific to this product, check the official manual.
- At first, it is easiest to start by choosing a preset and playing it. Once you have chosen a sound, move the knobs a little at a time and listen to the changes.
- With tools such as the Chords Tool and the Phrases Tool, matching them to the key of your song seems likely to keep the notes from clashing.
- Spatial effects such as Replika and Raum blur the sound if overdone. It may help to mix them in little by little with a send (a method of sending to another track and blending).
- With a compressor such as Supercharger, the rule is not to overdo it. Start shallow and compare as you go.
- Since there are many included sounds, choosing your favourites by genre at the start makes it easier not to get lost.
Things to know before you download
- Supported operating systems and formats: Check the “System requirements” section of the official page for supported operating systems and plug-in formats (VST3, AU and so on). It is safest to confirm before downloading how it fits your way of working, for example whether Kontakt Player runs on its own or is loaded in a DAW.
- Account and Native Access: Downloading and updating are done in Native Access. An NI account may be required.
- Storage: Because there are many sounds, you may need a fair amount of free space to download and store them.
- Where to get it: Always download from the official Native Instruments website. Files on third-party distribution sites can be outdated or modified.
FAQ
Q. Is it really free?
The official page says “Free download” and “Komplete Start is free”, and explains that no credit card or subscription is needed.
Q. What do I use to install it?
According to the official page, you download and install it through Native Access. Other NI products can be managed in the same place.
Q. What is Kontakt Player?
It is a simplified version of the sampler Kontakt. The official page describes it as a gateway to many sample libraries from NI and other developers.
Q. How is it different from the paid Komplete?
The official page describes the Komplete series as bundles of synths, effects and instruments for every style. There are paid versions, and Komplete Start is positioned as the free entry point to them. Check NI’s official page for details.
Related articles
To browse free plug-ins across categories, see Free DTM plug-ins: a roundup. For synth comparisons, see Synthesizers compared, and for compressors, see Compressors compared, where you can see ranks on the same criteria.
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