Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
Audio and sound equipment - statistics & facts
Listening to music or a podcast and watching videos and movies in private and total comfort has never been easier. Today, consumers can choose from a vast array of headphones and earphones catering to their needs. These devices belong to the hearables market – smart audio equipment worn in or over the ear providing an entirely new experience compared with traditional headsets. As well as simply playing audio, hearables can also perform other activities, like controlling other devices, making phone calls, and monitoring fitness indicators. Their versatility has seen the market rapidly expand, which has in turn driven rapid growth in the broader wearable market, with shipments rising significantly in recent years.
Be it for work or leisure purposes, headphones and earphones play an important role in the lives of consumers across the globe. As the market grows increasingly competitive, we can expect manufacturers to continue to expand the capabilities of these innovative devices.
Apple leads the TWS industry
Within the headphone market, true wireless stereo (TWS) headsets, a class of wireless headphones without a wire connecting each earbud, have recorded impressive growth, becoming among the most popular hearables. Much of the growth experienced in the TWS sector was fueled by the popularity of Apple AirPods, earbuds that can be paired with other Apple devices – a feature that contributed to their sales spiking. This is reflected in Apple taking a pole position in the global TWS market, ahead of competitors such as Xiaomi and Samsung. Other headphone brands include Beats and Bose, prominent among American consumers. Sony, JBL, and Philips headphones also prove to be popular across Europe.Headphones as a fluctuating market
In 2025, the revenue of the global headphones market is set to reach over 18.4 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of over two percent compared to the previous year. The headphones market has benefitted from the rise in the number of people working and learning from home, as they look for headphones to support them in meetings or for noise cancellation to aid concentration. However, due to supply chain disruption and the economic downturn, headphone sales fluctuated in recent years but returned to growth in 2023, which is projected to continue in the coming years.Be it for work or leisure purposes, headphones and earphones play an important role in the lives of consumers across the globe. As the market grows increasingly competitive, we can expect manufacturers to continue to expand the capabilities of these innovative devices.
