Joué Music, the French company known for its innovative MIDI controllers, is officially shutting down its business.
Founded in 2016 by Pascal Joguet, Joué Music gained recognition for its Joué and Joué Play devices, which combined the expressiveness of traditional instruments with the flexibility of digital music production.
In our review of the Joué Play — where it scored an impressive 9/10 — the controller was lauded for its premium finish and affordability: “Play is a fun way of helping players of all levels generate new musical ideas,” we said. “For beginners, it’s fun and rewarding to play… For more experienced players, there’s the MPE functionality and this is one of the most affordable ways to get into the MPE control world.”
In its announcement, Joué Music said that it has made the “difficult decision” to close its doors as it was “unable to achieve the financial sustainability needed” to continue its journey — despite “two years of strong growth and international success.”
“Along the way, we were honored to share J-Play instrument with music lovers around the globe, winning several international prizes and inspiring creativity in countless musicians. We are immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” the statement continued.
“A heartfelt thank you to our partners, team members, shareholders, suppliers, and – most of all – our clients and users who believed in our vision and supported us through every step. You made this journey unforgettable.”
“Special thanks to our amazing team: Arnaud, Emmanuel, Marjorie, Pascal, and Sebastien, who stood by us during the challenging year. From all of us at Joué Music Instruments, thank you for being part of this adventure. Let’s keep the music alive, always.”
MusicTech has reached out to Joué for a statement.
