Beats vs Sony:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Beats among headphone brands worldwide. Sony had about 1.5 million branded searches, while Beats had 1.3 million. Sony made up 7.2% of all headphone brand searches we track, and Beats accounted for 5.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about headphone brands, Sony appeared in all five answers and Beats in one. Sony was mentioned before Beats in every answer.
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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 was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Sony was listed before Beats in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Sony1st
Bose2nd
Sennheiser3rd
Soundcore4th
Bowers & Wilkins5th
Apple AirPods6th
Audio-Technica7th
JBL8th
Beats9th
Beyerdynamic10th- +5 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Sony5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bose5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sennheiser4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Soundcore4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Apple AirPods3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bowers & Wilkins2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Beats1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- JBL1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Beyerdynamic1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Audio-Technica1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about headphone brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which headphone brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best headphone brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best headphone brand for everyday listening?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best headphones”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best earbuds”
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 19, 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 15 headphone brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
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 | Beats | Bose | JBL | Skullcandy | Samsung | Sennheiser | Marshall | Soundcore | Jabra | Bowers & Wilkins | Beyerdynamic | Audio-Technica | BuddyPhones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 71.1% | 7.3% | 5.6% | 4.5% | 3% | 2.4% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 0.98% | 0.99% | 0.88% | 0.1% | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 69.6% | 7.5% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 0.92% | 0.72% | 0.68% | 0.09% | 0.05% | 0.04% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 69.1% | 7.1% | 7.6% | 5.4% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.91% | 0.81% | 0.64% | 0.09% | 0.05% | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 68% | 8% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 3.7% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 1% | 0.89% | 0.11% | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 65.5% | 9.1% | 5.8% | 5.1% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 0.13% | 0.07% | 0.06% | 0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 67.7% | 8.3% | 5.6% | 4.8% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.98% | 0.12% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Apr 2026 | 66.9% | 8% | 5.5% | 5.2% | 3.9% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.11% | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| May 2026 | 65.6% | 9.1% | 5.4% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1% | 0.13% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 66.8% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 4% | 2.6% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 0.99% | 0.15% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 66.7% | 8.1% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 4% | 2.6% | 2% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 0.96% | 0.18% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 66.3% | 8.5% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.93% | 0.14% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Sep 2026 | 68.9% | 7.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.87% | 0.1% | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.01% |
Sony and Beats sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “sony earbuds”.
How has the Beats and Sony comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Beats took it in December 2025, Sony took it in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Beats’ share of searches among headphone brands worldwide moved from 5.6% to 5.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.3M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among headphone brands worldwide moved from 7.3% to 7.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.7M to 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for headphone brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Beats overtook Bose to rank 3rd among headphone brands worldwide, with 5.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Sony lost share of searches among headphone brands worldwide, from 8.5% to 7.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
14 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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