Crystallographic orientations of thin films and bulk, melt-textured YBa 2Cu 3O x high- T c superconductors with embedded Y 2Ba 4Cu MO x ( M = Nb, Zr, Ag) nanoparticles are studied by electron backscatter diffraction. The Y 2BaCuO 5 particles exhibit no preferred orientation but have a strong negative influence on the matrix orientation. In contrast, the nanoparticles are not disturbing the texture of the YBCO matrix. For the bulk samples, depending on the preparation route, a different particle orientation with respect to the matrix is obtained. Untextured M-2411 nanoparticles are formed by solid state reaction during the melt process by adding oxides (Nb 2O 5 or Y 2O 3) to the precursor powder. Pre-formed Y 2Ba 4Cu MO x particles added to the precursor in the form of pre-reacted nanopowder, exhibit a dominant single orientation related to the surrounding YBCO matrix. In the case of thin films prepared using laser ablation with a bulk YBCO sample with embedded nanoparticles as a target, the nanoparticles are transferred into the thin film, but the transferred M-2411 particles are found to be randomly oriented. Nevertheless, these films exhibit increased flux pinning properties.