Blast From The Past: Retro Tech Rules as Nostalgia Drives Music Trends

 

We fondly reminisce about the era when iconic devices like the Apple iPod and Sony Walkman dominated the scene. Now in 2024, they seem like relics from a bygone era. Yet, intriguingly, our research reveals that these vintage gadgets continue to garner significant monthly search interest.

We decided to analyse the sales data and current monthly searches and increases from 30 of the most popular music tech products from back in the day. The results reveal the world’s most popular music tech of today as well as which ones are experiencing the highest growth in demand. 

The iPod and Sony Walkman Overtake Amazon Echo 

The Apple iPod, king of the 2000s, is still the most searched-for music tech device of all time, with an average monthly search volume of over 1.6 million and a staggering 400 million sales. Despite being discontinued in 2022, the iPod's legacy lives on, proving its enduring popularity as a symbol of the digital music revolution.

Ranking third place is the iconic portable cassette player, The Sony Walkman, garnering an impressive 220 million global sales and still getting 250,000 monthly searches, despite ending production in 2010. 

Searches for ‘Record Players’ have increased by 76% compared to last year

Analysing product types, the study highlights a trend in vinyl resurgence with two turntables making the top 10. This includes the iconic Victrola Record Player which was at its height of popularity in the 1950s and the modern turntable Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo featuring in 8th place.  

Analysing the fastest-growing music tech devices based on search volume trends, the study reveals vinyl record players are the most expensive category with searches for the Victrola Record Player and the Crosley Turntable increasing by 150% respectively. 

Headphones on the Rise, Reflecting Mobile Listening Growth

Headphones are on the rise, with Beats by Dre and Campfire Audio Honeydew making the top 10. This reflects the growing trend of people listening to music on the go and the increasing demand for high-quality audio experiences.

Retro tech could earn you up to £4,500

Not only are retro music devices iconic, but they can also earn a significant amount of money if ever considering selling. From the top 10 most popular music tech, three of the retro devices could earn up to £4,500 with a first-generation Sony Walkman for sale at £2,200. 

The classic Apple iPod could also earn a hefty sum of up to £1,500 for the original model, and a Victrola Record Player could earn up to £800. 

Peter Fealey, Founder of A2D2 says: “The resurgence of retro tech isn't just nostalgia, it's a sonic rebellion. Music fans are rediscovering the magic of analogue and the tactile joy of physical formats. While convenience reigns, there's an undeniable hunger for warmth, texture, and soul in our music experience”.

Revealed: The World’s Most Popular Music Tech

Rank	Device	Category	Height of Popularity	Search Data (monthly)
1	Apple iPod	Portable Media Player	2000s	1,642,340
2	Beats by Dre	Headphones	2016	898,650
3	Sony Walkman	Cassette Player	1990s	249,620
4	Amazon Echo	Speaker	2020	217,570
5	Winamp MP3 player	Portable Media Player	2000s	202,870
6	Victrola Record Player	Vinyl Record Player	1950s	103,090
7	Amazon Echo Dot	Speaker	Current	98,130
8	Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo	Vinyl Record Player	Current	20,450
9	Campfire Audio Honeydew	Headphones	Current	16,860
10	Tribit StormBox Micro speaker	Speaker	Current	15,690

 

The Fastest Growing Music Tech Devices 

Rank	Device	Category	Search Trends (Increases)
1	Victrola Record Player	Vinyl Record Player	82%
2	Crosley Turntable	Vinyl Record Player	68%
3	Apple HomePod mini speaker	Speaker	67%
4	Nest Audio smart speaker	Speaker	55%
5	Tribit StormBox Micro speaker	Speaker	45%

 

Methodology 

• Keyword data was gathered using keywordtool.io 
• 30 popular music tech products were analysed, looking at search volumes and increases as well as sales data