The Audio Industry in Numbers: Futuresource Insights from Audio Collaborative 2025

Last month, Futuresource Consulting’s Audio Collaborative 2025 opened with a data-rich session that set the tone for the day. In his keynote, Futuresource’s Head of Audio, Guy Hammett, delivered a comprehensive overview of the forces shaping the consumer, automotive and professional audio markets worldwide. 

Drawing from Futuresource’s extensive reporting, market tracking and consumer research, Hammett provided a big-picture view of where the industry stands today and where the next wave of opportunity is emerging. 

A healthier-than-expected global audio market 

Hammett began by outlining the scale of the audio industry: 

The growth engine in professional audio remains high-end live entertainment, with touring, rental and large-format loudspeaker systems performing strongly. By contrast, mid- to lower-tier live events are under pressure as rising costs collide with higher audience expectations around production values. At the same time, immersive and networked installations are scaling across museums, nightclubs and public attractions, bringing high-quality, multi-channel audio experiences into mainstream installed applications. 

The shifting world of automotive audio in the automotive sector, Hammett highlighted several transformative trends: 

These changes create new opportunities and challenges for audio brands seeking to differentiate in a rapidly shifting automotive ecosystem. 

Pockets of growth in consumer audio Consumer audio remains the dominant force, and within it: 

The saturation of traditional headphone and home audio segments raises a strategic question for brands:

Where does the growth come from next? 

Mass Premium Audio Gains Momentum an area attracting attention is the rise of mass premium audio. As price points climb above $200, the product mix changes significantly. Over-ear headphones gain importance, driven by comfort, advanced ANC and premium design from brands like Bose, Sony and Apple. True wireless still leads overall, but its share declines as buyers trade up for longevity and performance. 

Above $500, home audio dominates, with soundbars and loudspeakers taking the lead. This tier reflects a growing appetite for high-quality, integrated solutions. Products that combine standout aesthetics with advanced features, without crossing into ultra-luxury territory. For brands, it’s a sweet spot of aspirational yet accessible, and increasingly influential in shaping innovation strategies. 

Content slowing in mature markets, rising in emerging ones Music streaming continues to shape hardware adoption, though growth has slowed dramatically in Western markets. Instead, subscription expansion is increasingly concentrated in Latin America, India, Africa and Eastern Europe. These regions are beginning to influence hardware demand, even as developed markets stabilise. 

Strong curiosity for AI, but an uneven understanding in a recent round of consumer research, Futuresource found: 

The research also found that consumers mostly associate AI with voice control, real-time translation, music recommendations and adaptive noise cancellation. Conversely, awareness of AI’s potential role in audio processing remains low, signalling a major education opportunity for brands. 

Hearing health ecosystems on the rise With 1.5 billion people worldwide experiencing some form of hearing impairment, hearing health remains a critical growth engine. According to Hammett, key drivers include: 

Major consumer brands, particularly Apple, are shifting perceptions, reducing the stigma and encouraging early engagement with hearing wellbeing. 

The complete session, The Audio Industry in Numbers, is now available to view, and is a must-watch for technology leaders, product strategists and anyone seeking a data-backed view of the forces that will shape audio in 2026 and beyond  is available HERE.   

About Futuresource Consulting 

Futuresource Consulting is a leading research and consulting firm, providing in-depth analysis and strategic insights across the technology, media and entertainment industries. Established in the 1980s, Futuresource helps global brands understand market and consumer trends, innovate effectively and navigate change.