Akai Professional traces its roots to Akai Electric Company Ltd., a Japanese electronics manufacturer founded in 1929. The company's dedicated music instruments division launched in 1984 with a focus on giving musicians and producers tools for creative expression. In 1999, Akai Professional became a standalone entity, and was later acquired by Jack O'Donnell, operating today as part of the inMusic family of brands. Its development has been centered in the United States while drawing on Japanese electronics heritage.

The brand's most influential contribution to music production is the MPC (Music Production Center) series, first introduced in 1988 with the MPC60, co-designed with engineer Roger Linn. The MPC combined a step sequencer with a 4×4 grid of velocity-sensitive rubber pads, establishing a workflow paradigm that became foundational to hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music production. The line has evolved through numerous iterations — including the MPC3000, MPC2000, MPC Renaissance, MPC Live, and MPC X — expanding into standalone, software-integrated, and hybrid formats. Alongside the MPC, Akai Professional built a strong legacy with its S-series rack samplers, particularly the S900 and S1000, which were widely adopted in professional studios through the late 1980s and 1990s.

Beyond samplers and beat machines, Akai Professional produces MIDI keyboard controllers, the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) line for woodwind players, synthesizers, and DJ performance gear. The EWI instruments are notable for translating breath and fingering technique into electronic sound, and have found a following among saxophonists and flutists working in electronic contexts. The MPC line in particular has been embraced by a long lineage of notable producers, with artists such as DJ Shadow, DJ Premier, and J Dilla becoming closely associated with the platform's creative possibilities.

Akai has 278 products cataloged on Equipboard, including MIDI Keyboard Controllers, Production & Groove, and Audio Samplers. Their gear is featured by 1642 artists, with the strongest followings in Electronic, Rock, and Pop. Notable users include Zaytoven, Liam Howlett, and Cookin' Soul. Akai's catalog spans the full price spectrum — from entry-level options to high-end flagships.