AirPods vs Beats:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, AirPods had more branded searches than Beats among headphone brands worldwide. AirPods was estimated to have 14.9M branded searches compared to Beats’ 1.5M, and held a 59.1% Share of Search versus Beats’ 5.9%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, AirPods or Beats?
Compare the headphone and earbud brands people buy. 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.
Share of Search by month for AirPods, Beats. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | AirPods | JBL | Sony | Beats | Skullcandy | Jabra | Sennheiser | Bose | Marshall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 63.8% | 15.6% | 11.3% | 5.8% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.9% | 17.2% | 11.3% | 5.5% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 62.1% | 18.1% | 11.4% | 5.4% | 2% | 0.89% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.3% | 19.2% | 14.1% | 5.9% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 57.1% | 17.6% | 15% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 59.9% | 16.5% | 13.9% | 5.7% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 53.1% | 23.3% | 14% | 5.9% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 54.1% | 21.8% | 14.6% | 6% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 54.6% | 21.9% | 14.2% | 5.8% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 53.3% | 21.4% | 16.2% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.4% | 20.9% | 15.8% | 5.3% | 2.4% | 1.2% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 59.1% | 17.3% | 14.2% | 5.9% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
How has the AirPods and Beats comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- AirPods was ahead of Beats in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AirPods’ estimated Share of Search among headphone brands worldwide moved from 63.8% to 59.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 16.6M to 14.9M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Beats’ estimated Share of Search among headphone brands worldwide moved from 5.8% to 5.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for headphone brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, AirPods gained estimated Share of Search among headphone brands worldwide, from 54.4% to 59.1%.
In September 2026, Beats gained estimated Share of Search among headphone brands worldwide, from 5.3% to 5.9%.
Other head-to-heads among headphone brands
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AirPods’ and Beats’ 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.
Put your own brand in this comparison
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