While institutional uptake of AI tools continues to extend across both K-12 and higher education, questions of cost, privacy and practical application are shaping the procurement priorities in 2025. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest AI in Education report, which reveals a sector in transition. The market is now moving beyond early enthusiasm into a phase of measured, meaningful rollout and strategic integration.  

The global gaming audio market returned to growth in 2024, with volume rising by 5.4% to achieve 40.9 million units, according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest industry report. Following two years of decline, this rebound marks the beginning of a new growth phase, with shipments projected to exceed 54 million units by 2029.

The Nordic video entertainment market continues to achieve forward momentum, with total consumer spend closing in on $8 billion USD across Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland in 2024. That’s according to the latest set of reports from Futuresource Consulting, which forecasts steady CAGR growth of 3% through to 2029, to reach $9.5 billion by the end of the decade.

Global video conferencing hardware shipments are forecast to reach four million units by the end of 2025, an 8% year-on-year increase, as the industry builds resilience amid policy uncertainty and changing enterprise demands. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest market report, which also predicts total category value will hit $4 billion this year, with positive progress expected through to 2029.

Futuresource Consulting explores the fast-evolving in-car audio and entertainment landscape in its latest Future Sessions video episode

As automotive technology accelerates toward electrification, autonomy and software-driven innovation, the audio experience within vehicles is undergoing a radical transformation.

The global headphones market recorded a 4.3% year-on-year increase in shipments during Q1 2025, pushing past 106 million units. Yet beneath this headline growth, Futuresource Consulting’s latest data reveals sharp contrasts between global regions, shaped by marked differences in economic and policy pressures.

With optimism in the air and AI on everyone’s lips, InfoComm 2025 marked a turning point for the professional AV industry. Now, Futuresource Consulting has distilled all the buzz, product launches and strategic shifts into a free, insight-packed post-show report.

The global XR (Extended Reality) hardware market is gaining serious momentum, fuelled by a wave of innovation across Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and emerging wearable categories. 

Global set-top box (STB) shipments fell 1.4% year-on-year in 2024, to end the year at just over 181 million units, according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest market outlook report. With Pay-TV subscriber numbers continuing to retreat and alternative content platforms accelerating their expansion, the STB market is navigating a pivotal phase of transformation. 

The global hard disk drive (HDD) market faced ongoing headwinds in the first quarter of 2025, as consumer preferences continued to shift and economic pressures persisted worldwide. According to Futuresource Consulting’s latest Storage Media Quarterly Report, worldwide Q1 shipments of internal HDDs were down 4% quarter-on-quarter. However, despite the challenges, pockets of resilience remain. 

Buoyed by surging consumer appetites, the global music market is charting a course towards new growth. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest report, which forecasts music streaming subscriptions will exceed 1 billion by the end of 2027, climbing to 1.2 billion by 2029. Meanwhile, physical media continues to carve out a growing niche in this increasingly digital market.

Following a period of turbulence, the global consumer TV market is beginning to regain its footing. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest consumer TV display market outlook report, which shows a 0.9% year-on-year increase in global TV shipments for 2024, reaching 218 million units. This marks the beginning of a slow but steady growth trajectory through to 2029, with annual volumes forecast to hit 230 million units.

Professional video is no longer just for broadcasters, a new report from Futuresource Consulting and Platform Communications shows. The report reveals that enterprises are embracing professional-grade video, creating a fast-growing market for broadcast tech and pro audio-visual (AV) vendors that can tap into the right strategy to reach new buyers.

The home audio market experienced another challenging year in 2024, with global volume and value both declining by 7.7%. However, a new report from Futuresource Consulting predicts a more resilient future for the sector, with recovery prospects emerging from 2026 onwards.

The entertainment industry is being reshaped across all of its three vectors. Music, video and games industries are lining up for a year of transformation. But where are the strategic opportunities? And how can businesses capture and hold the attention of consumers in 2025 and beyond?

Save the date for the audio sector’s premier insight and networking event, bringing together industry leaders in the exclusive surroundings of London’s Soho Hotel, on 12 November 2025. 

After years of post-pandemic contraction, the global loudspeaker market is beginning to stabilise. However, the road ahead will require brands to rethink strategies and respond to changing buyer behaviours, as they take stock of where growth will come from next. 

The professional power amplifiers market continues to expand, as demand accelerates across commercial and leisure venues. A new report from Futuresource Consulting reveals the global market was worth $776 million in 2024, up from $724 million the previous year.