Audio

Futuresource Consulting welcomes Cinemo as Platinum Sponsor for this year’s Audio Collaborative event, taking place at London’s Ham Yard Hotel on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. The one-day summit will bring together the industry’s leading voices to explore the technologies, behaviours and business models shaping the future of sound. 

Futuresource Consulting has confirmed that its flagship one-day event will return to London on Wednesday 11 November 2026, bringing together the industry’s leading voices at the Ham Yard Hotel for a day of insight, debate and high-value networking.

If you track the headline numbers, the story for touring and rental looks straightforward. The global touring and rental loudspeaker market reached around $574 million in 2024, and is forecast to climb to about $760 million by 2029. Unit volumes rise from roughly 180,000 boxes to the high two-hundreds of thousands over the same period. On paper, live sound is the growth engine of professional loudspeakers.

Walk into almost any new-build commercial or leisure venue today and one thing sits quietly behind the walls: the audio lives on the network. What started as a premium option for flagships has rapidly become the default design assumption. For consultants and architects, the question is no longer whether to specify networked audio, but how far to lean into it and how it will underpin the next wave of immersive experiences.

Futuresource Consulting is pleased to announce the release of its updated Audio Brand Leader Board for H1 2025, a comprehensive market reference designed to provide unparalleled insights into global audio brand performance. This bi-annual report delivers detailed analysis across headphones, true wireless, hi-fi systems, soundbars, wireless speakers, and A/V receivers, offering shipment volumes and retail value data for 2023, 2024, and the first half of 2025.

As the pro audio industry heads into NAMM 2026 and ISE 2026, professional headphones are emerging from a period of volatility into a more measured, opportunity-led phase. According to Futuresource Consulting’s newly released professional headphones report, the global market is stabilising after the pandemic boom, with growth now driven by specialisation, replacement cycles and a more professionalised creator base.

New findings from Futuresource Consulting’s Hearing Health Market Outlook report shows a global market being reshaped by consumer hearables, software-led features and inclusive connectivity standards. In 2026, hearing support is becoming part of daily listening, rather than a late-stage intervention.

As the pro audio industry begins 2026 and thoughts turn to ISE and NAMM, the professional loudspeaker market is moving beyond the recovery phase. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s newly released pro loudspeaker report, which estimates global market value of $3.3 billion for 2025. Moving forward, the research firm expects steady growth that will surpass $4 billion by 2029, and a future defined by long-term structural demand.

As the pro audio industry heads into NAMM 2026 and ISE 2026, professional headphones are emerging from a period of volatility into a more measured, opportunity-led phase. According to Futuresource Consulting’s newly released professional headphones report, the global market is stabilising after the pandemic boom, with growth now driven by specialisation, replacement cycles and a more professionalised creator base.

OpenAI is expected to introduce its first proprietary hardware product in the second half of 2026, according to comments made this week by Chief Global Affairs Officer, Chris Lehane.  He described the forthcoming AI device as one of OpenAI’s most anticipated initiatives for the year but declined to provide details on form factor or functionality.  

Futuresource Consulting is pleased to confirm its role as an event partner for the Global Audio Summit (GAS) 2026. The event will be held on 25–26th March 2026 at the Shanghai Zhangjiang Science Hall.

In a year defined by rapid shifts in audio, entertainment and intelligent listening, Futuresource Consulting’s Audio Collaborative 2025 brought the entire industry together. Taking place on 12th November at London’s Soho Hotel, it presented a day of expert perspectives, generous knowledge-sharing and rare cross-sector conversation. 

Growth in the global home audio market may have stagnated, but the surrounding conversation is changing fast. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest Audio Tech Lifestyles consumer research study, which reveals that while home audio device ownership across key product categories remains healthy, there is strong momentum behind how consumers are embracing artificial intelligence. 

The future of audio is open for debate, and some of the biggest names in the industry are stepping up to the mic. Audio Collaborative 2025, the annual strategy summit hosted by Futuresource Consulting, returns to London’s Soho Hotel on 12 November, with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. joining as Diamond Sponsor and HARMAN confirmed as Gold Sponsor. 

Headphones have already captured the hearts and wallets of consumers, ranking in third position for ownership after smartphones and TVs, and cementing their role as an essential everyday device. Now, Futuresource Consulting’s latest Audio Tech Lifestyles report reveals how ownership, usage and replacement habits are evolving.