---
title: "Akai: search popularity in New Zealand"
description: "Akai makes MIDI controllers. 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/nz/brands/akai"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Akai: search popularity in New Zealand

Akai makes MIDI controllers. 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**: Akai
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Measured month**: Sep 2026
- **Share of Search among drum machine brands**: 9.7%

## Where the brand sits

| Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Drum machine brands | 3 | 9.7% | 210 |
| MIDI controller brands | 3 | 18.9% | 240 |

- [Drum machine brands](/demand/nz/categories/nz-drum-machine-brands)
- [MIDI controller brands](/demand/nz/categories/nz-midi-controller-brands)

## Top drum machine brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Akai was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Akai is the sixth most recommended of the eight.

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Roland | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Elektron | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Korg | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Arturia | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Alesis | 5th | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Akai | 6th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Moog | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Boss | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about drum machine brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which drum machine brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Roland, 2. Korg, 3. Elektron, 4. Arturia, 5. Alesis
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best drum machine brands in New Zealand?": 1. Elektron, 2. Roland, 3. Korg, 4. Arturia, 5. Akai
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best drum machine brand in New Zealand for beat making?": 1. Roland, 2. Elektron, 3. Akai, 4. Korg
- Searched Google, AI Overview "best drum machine": 1. Roland, 2. Arturia, 3. Alesis
- Searched Google, AI Overview "electronic drum machine": 1. Alesis, 2. Roland, 3. Elektron, 4. Arturia, 5. Korg

Not named in any answer: Moog and Boss.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

## How has branded search demand for Akai changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Akai in New Zealand fell from 340 to 240.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Akai’s share of searches among drum machine brands in New Zealand decreased from 14.2% to 9.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Akai’s share of searches among drum machine brands in New Zealand peaked at 14.2% in October 2025 and was lowest at 9% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Akai’s share of searches among MIDI controller brands in New Zealand decreased from 21% to 18.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Akai’s share of searches among MIDI controller brands in New Zealand peaked at 21% in October 2025 and was lowest at 14.5% in January 2026.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand drum machine brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Akai overtook Arturia and Alesis to rank 3rd among drum machine brands in New Zealand, with 9.7% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Moog gained share of searches among drum machine brands in New Zealand, from 15.8% to 21.3%.
- In September 2026, Korg lost share of searches among drum machine brands in New Zealand, from 46.2% to 42.6%.
- In September 2026, Alesis lost share of searches among drum machine brands in New Zealand, from 9.4% to 7.4%.
- In September 2026, Arturia lost share of searches among drum machine brands in New Zealand, from 11.1% to 9.7%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Roland in New Zealand fell 54.5% over 12 measured months, from 110 to 50 in September 2026.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand MIDI controller brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Novation overtook Native Instruments to become the leader among MIDI controller brands in New Zealand, with 30.7% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Akai overtook Arturia to rank 3rd among MIDI controller brands in New Zealand, with 18.9% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Nektar gained share of searches among MIDI controller brands in New Zealand, from 5.8% to 7.9%.
- In September 2026, Native Instruments lost share of searches among MIDI controller brands in New Zealand, from 28.3% to 25.2%.
- In September 2026, Arturia lost share of searches among MIDI controller brands in New Zealand, from 19.6% to 17.3%.

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Drum machine brands | 320 | 14.2% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Drum machine brands | 260 | 12.7% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Drum machine brands | 260 | 13.7% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Drum machine brands | 260 | 13.3% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Drum machine brands | 210 | 12.7% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Drum machine brands | 260 | 12.8% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Drum machine brands | 260 | 12.6% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Drum machine brands | 260 | 11.9% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Drum machine brands | 260 | 12.5% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Drum machine brands | 210 | 10.3% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Drum machine brands | 210 | 9% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Drum machine brands | 210 | 9.7% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | MIDI controller brands | 340 | 21% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | MIDI controller brands | 280 | 15.3% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | MIDI controller brands | 280 | 18.7% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 270 | 14.5% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 260 | 16.4% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 290 | 17.8% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 310 | 20.4% | 3 |
| May 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 330 | 20.4% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 270 | 18.1% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 230 | 17.3% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 250 | 18.1% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | MIDI controller brands | 240 | 18.9% | 3 |

## How are Akai’s branded searches counted?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Akai’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

- “akai”
- “akai midi controller”

## Which drum machine brands compete with Akai?

- [Korg](/demand/nz/brands/korg): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/akai-vs-korg
- [Moog](/demand/nz/brands/moog): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/akai-vs-moog
- [Arturia](/demand/nz/brands/arturia): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/akai-vs-arturia
- [Alesis](/demand/nz/brands/alesis): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/akai-vs-alesis
- [Elektron](/demand/nz/brands/elektron): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/akai-vs-elektron
- [Roland](/demand/nz/brands/roland)
- [Boss](/demand/nz/brands/boss-pedals)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Akai: search popularity in New Zealand". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/brands/akai

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/brands/akai. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.