--- title: "Apple AirPods Max: search popularity worldwide" description: "AirPods Max are Apple’s over ear headphones. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/apple-airpods-max" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Apple AirPods Max: search popularity worldwide AirPods Max are Apple’s over ear headphones. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Brand**: Apple AirPods Max - **Owned by**: Apple - **Market**: Global - **Measured month**: Sep 2026 - **Share of Search among over-ear headphone brands**: 29.3% ## Where the brand sits | Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Over-ear headphone brands | 2 | 29.3% | 1M | - [Over-ear headphone brands](/demand/global-en/categories/over-ear-headphone-brands) ## Top over-ear headphone brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Apple AirPods Max was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Apple AirPods Max is the fourth most recommended of the seven. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Sony | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Bose | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Sennheiser | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Apple AirPods Max | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Bowers & Wilkins | 5th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Audio-Technica | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Beyerdynamic | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about over-ear headphone brands - Asked ChatGPT "Which over ear headphone brand should I buy?": 1. Sony, 2. Bose, 3. Sennheiser - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best over ear headphone brands?": 1. Sony, 2. Bose, 3. Sennheiser, 4. Bowers & Wilkins, 5. Apple AirPods Max - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best over ear headphone brand for everyday listening?": 1. Sony, 2. Bose, 3. Sennheiser, 4. Apple AirPods Max - Searched Google, AI Overview "best over ear headphones": 1. Sony, 2. Bose, 3. Sennheiser - Searched Google, AI Overview "wireless over ear headphones": 1. Sony, 2. Bose Not named in any answer: Audio-Technica and Beyerdynamic. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How has branded search demand for Apple AirPods Max changed worldwide over the last 12 months? - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Apple AirPods Max worldwide fell from 1.2M to 1M. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple AirPods Max’s share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide decreased from 31.5% to 29.3%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple AirPods Max’s share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide peaked at 35.8% in January 2026 and was lowest at 26.4% in June 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple AirPods Max fell from 1st to 2nd among over-ear headphone brands worldwide. ## How did search popularity change for over-ear headphone brands worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Sony gained share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide, from 33.3% to 34.1%. - In September 2026, Apple AirPods Max gained share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide, from 28.7% to 29.3%. - In September 2026, Bose lost share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide, from 19.9% to 18.1%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Beyerdynamic worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 143K to 117K in September 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Audio-Technica worldwide fell 18% over 12 measured months, from 303K to 249K in September 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Bowers & Wilkins worldwide fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 165K in September 2026. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1.2M | 31.5% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1.8M | 33.2% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1.8M | 34.7% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1.5M | 35.8% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1M | 31% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1.2M | 34.1% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1M | 32.1% | 1 | | May 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1M | 29.2% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 823K | 26.4% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 823K | 26.6% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1M | 28.7% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | Over-ear headphone brands | 1M | 29.3% | 2 | ## How are Apple AirPods Max’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apple AirPods Max’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading. - “airpods max” ## Which over-ear headphone brands compete with Apple AirPods Max? - [Sony](/demand/global-en/brands/sony): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/apple-airpods-max-vs-sony - [Bose](/demand/global-en/brands/bose): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/apple-airpods-max-vs-bose - [Audio-Technica](/demand/global-en/brands/audio-technica): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/apple-airpods-max-vs-audio-technica - [Bowers & Wilkins](/demand/global-en/brands/bowers-wilkins): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/apple-airpods-max-vs-bowers-wilkins - [Beyerdynamic](/demand/global-en/brands/beyerdynamic): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/apple-airpods-max-vs-beyerdynamic - [Sennheiser](/demand/global-en/brands/sennheiser) ## Who owns Apple AirPods Max? Apple AirPods Max is owned by Apple. Brandwave also tracks Pixelmator, Apple AirPods, Apple AirTag, Apple Books, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Apple MacBook, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Passwords, Apple Podcasts, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Apple Reminders, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch, FaceTime, Final Cut Pro, Find My, GarageBand, iCloud, iMovie, iWork, Keynote, Logic Pro, Safari and Xcode Cloud, owned by the same company, worldwide. - [Apple](/demand/global-en/companies/apple): Owns 34 tracked brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who owns Apple AirPods Max? Apple AirPods Max is owned by Apple. Brandwave also tracks Pixelmator, Apple AirPods, Apple AirTag, Apple Books, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Apple MacBook, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Passwords, Apple Podcasts, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Apple Reminders, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch, FaceTime, Final Cut Pro, Find My, GarageBand, iCloud, iMovie, iWork, Keynote, Logic Pro, Safari and Xcode Cloud, owned by the same company, worldwide. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Apple AirPods Max: search popularity worldwide". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/apple-airpods-max This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/apple-airpods-max. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.