Consumer Electronics

The future of audio is open for debate, and some of the biggest names in the industry are stepping up to the mic. Audio Collaborative 2025, the annual strategy summit hosted by Futuresource Consulting, returns to London’s Soho Hotel on 12 November, with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. joining as Diamond Sponsor and HARMAN confirmed as Gold Sponsor. 

Futuresource Consulting has released the latest episode of its acclaimed Future Sessions video series, featuring Carl Hibbert, Research Director, in conversation with Mats Larsson, Head of Storage Media. This insightful session explores the evolving landscape of HDD and SSD technologies, market disruptions, and the strategic pivots shaping the future of data storage. 

The global storage media market is navigating shifting currents of demand and decline, with regional markets diverging and country-level volatility reshaping vendor strategies. From India’s double-digit surges in surveillance HDDs in Q1 of 2025, to clear EMEA contractions and shifting vendor dynamics in ASEAN, the battleground is increasingly local.

The esports industry is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the rapid integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). These immersive technologies are not just enhancing the viewing experience—they are fundamentally reshaping how fans engage with esports events, turning passive spectators into active participants.

At Futuresource, we’re seeing a transformative shift in the XR (Extended Reality) landscape. In our latest Future Session, Nikolaos Tzoumerkas, Lead Analyst XR unpacks the trends redefining the space, from immersive gaming to AI-powered smart glasses. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

Futuresource Consulting has published its latest wave of Kids Tech consumer research, uncovering the complex and fast-evolving relationships that children aged three to sixteen have with digital technology. Based on interviews with more than 5,500 parents and guardians across France, Germany, the UK and USA, the study examines the devices children use, the content they consume, and the role of technology in both entertainment and learning.