The Battle for Home AV: Who’s Winning, What’s Next

The home AV market continues to offer major opportunities for both brands and component vendors. An estimated 1.3 billion devices will ship in 2024, with another 8 billion expected between 2025 and 2030. Market revenues are approaching $190 billion this year. Growth in recent years has been fuelled by emerging device types like smart speakers, a segment that has now reached maturity.

Overall shipment volumes peaked in 2022, and the market is forecast to remain relatively flat over the next five years. Revenue growth will continue modestly, driven by shifts in product mix. The industry is waiting for the next “killer device,” though what that will be remains uncertain. Despite this, the scale of the market still presents significant opportunities for brands and technology providers to differentiate and gain share.

Four device markets shipped >100 million units in 2024, these are remote controls, portable speakers, smart TVs, and smart speakers. The smallest markets in 2024 are AVRs and HTiB. The markets with the largest expected CAGR from 2025 to 2030 are soundbars and smart TVs.

The Asia-Pacific region continues to dominate the Home AV landscape, accounting for over half of global shipments in 2024. This dominance is driven by large domestic markets such as China and India, strong local manufacturing ecosystems, and rising disposable income in key countries. China alone represents the largest single market for many Home AV categories, particularly smart TVs and smart speakers.

North America and Western Europe remain crucial regions due to their high per-capita spending and early adoption of premium technologies, such as soundbars with Dolby Atmos and multi-room speaker systems. These regions are also more likely to adopt new innovations first, including AI-enabled voice integration and seamless smart home connectivity.

Meanwhile, the fastest-growing markets are emerging in India, the Middle East, Central & South America, and parts of Eastern Europe. These regions are benefiting from expanding middle classes, growing internet penetration, and increasing interest in home entertainment upgrades — creating fresh opportunities for device makers and component suppliers.

More than 350 brands are currently competing in the Home AV market, ranging from global tech giants to boutique audio specialists. Key players span a diverse set of categories, including:

• Audio specialists such as Bose, Sonos, Harman (e.g. JBL), Bowers & Wilkins, and many more, known for their strength in soundbars, and wireless speakers.

• Global consumer electronics leaders like Samsung, LG, Sony, and Apple, which offer integrated ecosystems across TVs, streaming devices, smart speakers, and more.

• Regional champions such as Xiaomi, Realme, and Hisense, which are rapidly expanding in Asia and other emerging markets with aggressive pricing and expanding portfolios. Some brands take a focused approach, dominating one or two categories, while others pursue a broader strategy across multiple device types to lock users into their ecosystem. With the market flattening overall, the battle for share is intensifying. Differentiation through brand identity, sound quality, connectivity, and integration with smart home platforms will be key to long-term success.