Beats vs Sony:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Beats among headphone brands in Australia. Sony had about 39,700 branded searches, while Beats had 27,100. Sony made up 9.8% of all headphone brand searches we track, and Beats accounted for 6.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about headphone brands, Sony appeared in all five answers and Beats in none.
Who do people search for more?
Sony, about 46% more searches than Beats
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Top headphone brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sony appeared in all five answers. Beats did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Sony1st
Bose2nd
Apple AirPods3rd
Soundcore4th
Sennheiser5th
JBL–
Beats–
Skullcandy–
Jabra–
Marshall–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Apple AirPods5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sony5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bose4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Soundcore3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sennheiser2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- JBL1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Beats0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Skullcandy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Jabra0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Marshall0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about headphone brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best noise cancelling headphones?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which wireless earbuds should I buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which headphones are best for travel?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“noise cancelling headphones”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best headphones”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Beats or Sony more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Beats and Sony by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten headphone brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Sony, Beats. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Apple AirPods | Sony | Bose | JBL | Beats | Skullcandy | Jabra | Sennheiser | Marshall | Soundcore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 60.2% | 9.7% | 9.6% | 9% | 4.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 61.4% | 9.9% | 9.8% | 8.5% | 4.5% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 0.9% | 0.33% |
| Dec 2025 | 63.5% | 10.3% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 0.93% | 0.34% |
| Jan 2026 | 62.6% | 10.1% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 59.7% | 10.4% | 9.5% | 8.9% | 4.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 2% | 1% | 0.58% |
| Mar 2026 | 62.2% | 10.4% | 8.1% | 8.7% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.4% | 2% | 0.9% | 0.59% |
| Apr 2026 | 60.4% | 10.1% | 9.6% | 9% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.59% |
| May 2026 | 61.4% | 10.3% | 9.3% | 8.5% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.73% |
| Jun 2026 | 60.7% | 10.2% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.57% |
| Jul 2026 | 60.4% | 10.1% | 9.6% | 9.1% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.3% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.57% |
| Aug 2026 | 61.6% | 9.9% | 9.3% | 8.6% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 60.7% | 9.8% | 9.7% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.89% | 0.71% |
How has the Beats and Sony comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sony was ahead of Beats in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Beats’ share of searches among headphone brands in Australia moved from 4.4% to 6.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 27.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among headphone brands in Australia moved from 9.7% to 9.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 32.5K to 39.7K.
How did search popularity change for Australia headphone brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Beats gained share of searches among headphone brands in Australia, from 3.7% to 6.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Sony in Australia rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 32.5K to 39.7K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Beats’ and Sony’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among headphone brands
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