How popular isWaves?
In October 2026, people searched for Waves by name about 22,200 times worldwide, a 55.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 5.5% of all global audio plugin brand searches, placing Waves eighth out of 15 brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about audio plugin brands, Waves appeared in three of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the 15.
Waves is the eighth most searched of 15 competitors and the second most recommended in the AI answers we collected.
FabFilterShare of searches 15%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
Plugin AllianceShare of searches 15%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 8th
Slate DigitalShare of searches 15%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
iZotopeShare of searches 10%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
WavesShare of searches 5.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
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Top audio plugin brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Waves was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Waves is the second most recommended of the 15.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- FabFilter1st
- Waves2nd
Soundtoys3rd
Universal Audio4th- iZotope5th
Native Instruments6th
Xfer Records7th- Plugin Alliance8th
Valhalla DSP9th
u-he10th- +5 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- FabFilter3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- iZotope3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Soundtoys3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Waves3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Plugin Alliance2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Universal Audio2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Native Instruments2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- u-he1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Valhalla DSP1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Xfer Records1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about audio plugin brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best VST plugins for mixing?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which companies make the best audio plugins?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What plugins should I buy for music production?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“vst plugins”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“audio plugins”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 27, 2026.
How often do people search for Waves compared with other audio plugin brands worldwide?
Share of searches by month for FabFilter, Plugin Alliance, Slate Digital, iZotope, u-he, Soundtoys, Valhalla DSP, Waves, Universal Audio, Xfer Records, Kilohearts, Spectrasonics, Native Instruments. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | FabFilter | Plugin Alliance | Slate Digital | iZotope | u-he | Soundtoys | Valhalla DSP | Waves | Universal Audio | Xfer Records | Kilohearts | Spectrasonics | Native Instruments | Output | Eventide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 15.1% | 12.4% | 5.6% | 12.4% | 8.6% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 2.6% | 2% | 3.1% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.26% |
| Dec 2025 | 9.1% | 9.1% | 4% | 13.5% | 6.4% | 36.8% | 5% | 3.3% | 5% | 2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 16.2% | 13.2% | 7.2% | 13.2% | 8.1% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 3.6% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 2% | 0.22% |
| Feb 2026 | 16.4% | 13.4% | 7.3% | 13.4% | 8.2% | 7.3% | 9% | 6% | 4.9% | 3.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2% | 0.27% |
| Mar 2026 | 15.3% | 12.5% | 6.9% | 15.3% | 8.9% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.25% |
| Apr 2026 | 15% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 12.3% | 10.2% | 10.1% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 6.7% | 3.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 16.2% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 13.2% | 11% | 7.2% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 0.27% |
| Jun 2026 | 17.7% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 11.8% | 10.3% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2% | 0.29% |
| Jul 2026 | 14.5% | 11.9% | 6.5% | 14.5% | 10.3% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 0.29% |
| Aug 2026 | 15.2% | 12.5% | 6.8% | 12.5% | 10.8% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2.1% | 0.31% |
| Sep 2026 | 15.6% | 10.4% | 7% | 12.8% | 11.1% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 0.31% |
| Oct 2026 | 15% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 8.7% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.25% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 15% | 60.5K | +22.2% | -0.6 points | |
| 2, moved from 4th to 2nd | 15% | 60.5K | +82.8% | +4.6 pointsmoved from 4th to 2nd | |
| 3, moved from 7th to 3rd | 15% | 60.5K | +172.5% | +8 pointsmoved from 7th to 3rd | |
| 4, moved from 2nd to 4th | 10% | 40.5K | 0% | -2.7 pointsmoved from 2nd to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 3rd to 5th | 8.7% | 35.2K | 0% | -2.4 pointsmoved from 3rd to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 5th to 6th | 8.2% | 33.1K | +22.1% | -0.3 pointsmoved from 5th to 6th | |
| 7, moved from 6th to 7th | 6.7% | 27.1K | 0% | -1.8 pointsmoved from 6th to 7th | |
| 8, held 8th | WavesWaves Audio | 5.5% | 22.2K | +22.7% | -0.2 points |
| 9, held 9th | 3.7% | 14.8K | 0% | -1 points | |
| 10, held 10th | 3.1% | 12.5K | 0% | -0.8 points | |
| 11, held 11th | 2.5% | 9.9K | 0% | -0.7 points | |
| 12, held 12th | 2.5% | 9.9K | 0% | -0.7 points | |
| 13, held 13th | 2.4% | 9.8K | 0% | -0.7 points | |
| 14, held 14th | 1.6% | 6.3K | -7.4% | -0.6 points | |
| 15, held 15th | 0.25% | 1K | 0% | -0.1 points |
15%
Held 1st. 60.5K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.
15%
Moved from 4th to 2nd. 60.5K estimated branded searches, +82.8% vs prior month. Share +4.6 points.
15%
Moved from 7th to 3rd. 60.5K estimated branded searches, +172.5% vs prior month. Share +8 points.
4.
iZotope10%
Moved from 2nd to 4th. 40.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -2.7 points.
5.
u-he8.7%
Moved from 3rd to 5th. 35.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -2.4 points.
8.2%
Moved from 5th to 6th. 33.1K estimated branded searches, +22.1% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
6.7%
Moved from 6th to 7th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.8 points.
8.
Waves5.5%
Held 8th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, +22.7% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
3.7%
Held 9th. 14.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
10.
Xfer Records3.1%
Held 10th. 12.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.
11.
Kilohearts2.5%
Held 11th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.
2.5%
Held 12th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.
2.4%
Held 13th. 9.8K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.
14.
Output1.6%
Held 14th. 6.3K estimated branded searches, -7.4% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.
15.
Eventide0.25%
Held 15th. 1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Universal Audio and Native Instruments sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “uad plugins”.
Compare popularity between Waves and its closest rivals
Every comparison with Waves
14 comparisons
How has branded search demand for Waves changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Waves worldwide fell from 49.5K to 22.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Waves’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide decreased from 6.8% to 5.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Waves’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 6.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 3.3% in December 2025.
How did search popularity change for audio plugin brands worldwide in October 2026?
6 changes
In October 2026, Plugin Alliance overtook iZotope and u-he to rank 2nd among audio plugin brands worldwide, with 15% of the searches.
In October 2026, Slate Digital overtook iZotope and 3 others to rank 3rd among audio plugin brands worldwide, with 15% of the searches.
In October 2026, iZotope lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 12.8% to 10%.
In October 2026, u-he lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 11.1% to 8.7%.
In October 2026, Valhalla DSP lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 8.5% to 6.7%.
In October 2026, Universal Audio lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 4.7% to 3.7%.
How are Waves’ branded searches counted?
1 search term
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Waves’ 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.
- waves plugins
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