Audio Trends to Look Out For in 2021 – Achin Gupta, Country Head-india, Zoook
The year 2020 brought an unprecedented situation before the world in the form of Covid-19 pandemic. Even as people worldwide are getting vaccinated, mankind is still in a combat against the menace. The past year brought about some instrumental changes in our lifestyle. We worked from home, learned from home and entertained from home. All current and the future trends across businesses and segments are the outcome of the pandemic struck era. The audio industry is no different, and hence the trends are more inclined to smaller and budget friendly.
The bigger party speakers, which once used to be the highlight of our homes, are taking a back seat. The future of audio is more portable, affordable, mobile and smaller in size. However, it shouldn’t be at the cost of quality. Thankfully, the industry players are evolving in sync with the need of the hour to meet the demand. For instance, smaller speakers with latest Bluetooth v5.0 or v5.2 versions occupy a prominent space in the trends for 2021.
The trends further suggest a surge in the demand for smart speakers. The comfort of voice command that comes with Alexabased speakers is most appropriate for the current manner of living. The fact that these can be accessed without any contact is the foremost cause behind the hike in demand for such speakers. It assumes even more significance when people are carrying hand sanitizers in pockets and surface sanitizers in cars every day.
Also, True Wireless Stereo is the new frontier of wireless headsets, earbuds etc. with people getting more personalized in the prevailing scenario, devices that reflect the same are bound to dominate the trends. TWS and neckband will continue to gain momentum in 2021.
Besides, one cannot ignore Active Noise Cancellation headphones and earphones, which have taken the market by storm. As mentioned earlier, many of us are still working, learning and entertaining ourselves from home. Now when you are in a meeting and there’s a construction work going next door, you do not want your call to be disrupted. There is a need to cut down the external voice, and that has been made possible by ANC devices in the segment. The market for ANC headphones and earphones is destined to get established, as people are now realising the need of headphones with which they can minimize external voice to concentrate while working from home.
Especially in home audio, there is a reboot triggered by increased desire to invest in audio for entertainment and smart home adoption. Whether it’s home cinema or immersive gaming, people are ready to take the experience to the next level.n
“The future of audio is more portable, affordable, mobile and smaller in size. However, it shouldn’t be at the cost of quality. Thankfully, the industry players are evolving in sync with the need of the hour to meet the demand. For instance, smaller speakers with latest Bluetooth v5.0 or v5.2 versions occupy a prominent space in the trends for 2021”