Headphone brand business is one of the fastest-rising electronic businesses in the world today. In this contemporary century, there has been tremendous growth in the usage and sale of headphones to users. Headphones can be said to be a personal utility to their users.
Are you thinking of starting a headphone brand business? Or you might be wondering whether the headphones business is lucrative or profitable. We are going to explore lots of options in this article, which would also double as a guide for individuals thinking of venturing into the headphones brand business.
Chapter 1: Facts on Headphone Brand Business.
Chapter 2: Types of Headphones.
Chapter 3: How to identify the best Headphone Manufacturer in China.
Chapter 4: Qualifications.
Chapter 5: How to Ship Headphones from China.
Chapter 6: How to Design your Brand
Chapter7: Factors to consider when starting a headphone brand business.
Chapter 1: Facts on Headphone Brand Business
In the headphone market, it is estimated that the growth rate of headphones between 2020 and 2027 would increase by over 20%. By 2023, the headphone industry is estimated to be valued at $18.2 billion and to attain a 69% growth in 2024.
Additionally, according to Statistics, the sum of revenue generated from the sale of headphones amounts to USD 2,356 million. It also acknowledges China has the biggest Supplier of headphones with its total sum of revenue generated be at 3,848 million USD.
At this point, are you still doubtful about how much profit you can make from the headphone brand business? As an entrepreneur, you can make as much profit as possible in the headphone business, it all boils down to marketability, manufacturer, product type, target audience, and a host of other factors.
Chapter 2: Types of Headphones
There are diverse types of headphones in the market. Standing on these varieties, it is important to understand that headphones as a personal utility for people, they are specific styles that are distinct from other kinds.
To start a headphone brand business, it is essential to understand the veracity of these styles.
Over-ear headphones are also called circumaural; that is, full-sized headphones. They go ‘over’ the ear to cover both sides of the ear fully. Furthermore, they are well identified to be a great type of headphones for noise cancellation or isolation. When used, it covers the ear in such a way that it cups the entire ear and prevents the sound from escaping. Over-ear headphones give users the noise cancellation feature and high-quality sound.
On-ear headphones are also called Supra-aural headphones. On-ear headphones are quite different from over-ear headphones even though on-ear headphones also go over the head to sit on the ear of the user. However, it has been evaluated that the former’s earpads are smaller in size compared to over-ear headphones. Also, on-ear headphones have open-back ear pads that allow for sound passage.
Earbuds are the most flexible, portable, and lightest among other types of headphones. They can easily fit and are easy to handle as well. Earbuds can be wireless or wired.
In-ear headphones are the most common type of headphones. They are quite similar to some earbuds, and what sets them apart is the size. In-ear headphones are also called canal phones.
These headphones establish their connectivity through Bluetooth. The wireless connectivity transpires because of the radio transmitter technology (RF) that allows users to seamlessly connect their handset or device to the headphone through the Bluetooth connection. An advantage of this is that the quality of the sound is not shaken by cords.
These types of headphones are more costly in comparison to a few headphones. Gaming headphones are essentially used for a clearer and well-defined sound quality, noise cancellation, efficiency, and clear communication process while the user utilizes the headphone in a game.
These headphones use bone conduction technology to transmit sound waves from the headphone and into the user’s inner ear (Cochlea). It is safe to use. Also, it is a perfect style for people with ear damage.
There are other styles of headphones out there and the market is frequently increasing in revenue and consequently in search of styles that can fit into the user’s lifestyles. And since individual lifestyles are different, there would be numerous inventions of headphones. It is important to note that the type of headphones may vary in size, quality, structure, etc.
Chapter 3: How to identify the best Headphone Manufacturer in China
There are some important factors to consider when choosing a manufacturer for headphones in China. These factors are essentials to be regarded or might lead to a failed attempt to get the right headphone product.
- Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)
These refer to the lowest unit which a manufacturer is willing to process the order and dispense to the other party. For example, there are manufacturers whose MOQ is not less than 1,000pcs. In simple terms, MOQ is the minimum number of orders acceptable to the manufacturer. In such a case, you need to evaluate the MOQ of any considered manufacturers and compare it with your budget and target audience.
This means Original Equipment Manufacturer and Original Design Manufacturer respectively. They are headphone customization options. ODM is not customized but rather a factory-designed product. Whereas, OEMs, are the common type of headphones that are produced or customized from a design and technical specifications.
Chapter 4: Qualifications
The FCC Certification allows transactional operations between you and the supplier. The Federal Communications Commission is saddled with the responsibility of certifying electronic devices manufactured in China before they are re-sold in the United States. Headphones that fall under the unintended radiators would have to pass through a series of recognition and certification under FCC. There is also the need to confirm that the electronic device conforms to safety standards in Europe.
How to find Suppliers from China Personally, it is much easier to identify the best supplier for your headphone brand business, than searching for a manufacturer. However, regardless of your choice, these are the best sites and places to find suppliers from China.
- E-commerce stores
Numerous online stores offer varieties of products, headphone inclusive. The beneficial part of this iS is that these stores are Chinese multinational websites and their products come at a cheaper rate. Some of these e-commerce stores are, alibaba.com. Globalsource.com and aliexpress.com.
Pick out the best suppliers from these sites, you can consider the following factors;
- Factory of the product (headphone).
- The level of depth ness of the Supplier in collecting the product.
- The product’s quality
- Are the products in compliance with the regulations of laws?
- Are the headphones certified under BSCI or Sedex?
- Are the suppliers licensed to make headphones compatible with various devices?
Trade Fairs are done in China periodically, most especially, electronic trade fairs. These trade fairs are an opportunity to connect with the best manufacturers, suppliers from all over the world. There are trade fairs in the most popular places in China such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, etc.
- City Search
As China is the global leading manufacturer of electronic appliances, there exist numerous cities in China that constitute China’s position. Therefore, if you are searching for the right supplier, you might have to move to places where such a product is well known to be manufactured or supplied. For one, Shenzhen is known as the electronic capital of China, you can easily start your search from here. You could also check out Ningbo with its rapid growth in the manufacturing of IT devices.
Chapter 5: How to Ship Headphones from China
An essential factor to consider when dealing with purchasing headphones from China is the mode of transportation. While considering the mode of transportation, you would also have to consider your type of product.
In light of this, it is essential to note that there are two ways in which products are shipped.
These are:
- Express
- Air
- Sea
However, considering the type of product, most headphones come with in-built batteries that are difficult to ship because of their restrictions, regulations, and extra charges. Therefore this cancels out international express delivery companies like FedEx, UPS, DHL, and TNT.
- Shipping by Air
In China, the transportation of headphones that uses batteries is restricted by air. The reason for this is to adhere to safety reasons. There are times when devices with high transmission power and WiFi frequency can interfere with the flight power transmission. As such, even if you manage to find a freight company to transport headphone batteries by air, you have to ensure that the headphones are well packaged and resistant to electric circuits and rough handling. Shipping by air usually takes five to fifteen days, depending on the goods and assuming there are no unsolicited delays.
- Sea shipping
On the other hand, sea shipping may be the best alternative for transporting headphones from China. They are the most common mode of transportation from China. Sea shipping takes the process of obtaining a container that would carry the goods. Here we have, Full Container Load (FCL) for carrying out large goods, and a Less than Container Load (LCL) for lesser goods (less than 15 CBM in volume).
In the latter, the goods are put together with other shipments to fit into the container. But this can easily lead to loss or damage of one’s goods. Sea shipping is the commonest for product transportation, however, some regulations must be adhered to. For one, there is a need for the supplier to seek approval from the Commodity Inspection Bureau, Material Safety Data Report (MSDP) by the manufacturer, dangerous package certificates would be on the goods, and a Report for Safe Transport of Goods after the transportation. Sea shipping can take a while before it is delivered to the transporter. This depends on the number of products being shipped. Depending on this, sea shipping can take up to one week to six weeks thereabout.
It is recommendable to transport headphones that do not include the use of batteries. And if you need to transport headphones that use batteries, then sea shipping is the best mode.
Chapter 6: How to Design your Brand Logo
Your headphone business should have a brand, and you cannot have a brand name without a logo. Therefore, to design your brand logo, you can achieve it seamlessly by following these steps.
- Step 1 Source for a graphic/logo designer
You can search for a qualified freelancer on any of the freelancing platforms and get your logo design done. Recommendable websites are Fiverr and Upwork.
- Step 2 Register your website’s domain name.
An online store is the fastest way to get to the right customer. As such, you would need to use your brand name to register the domain name. You can check out GoDaddy and Aliyun.
Cloud for this.
- Step 3 Build your website
You can use Shopify to build your headphone website. It is an e-commerce platform where
Business can be built, organized, operated, and managed.
Chapter 7: Factors to consider when starting headphone brand business
Apart from other factors preceding discussed, there are other things which every person must consider when starting such a business. These factors are;
- Estimated budget
- Marketability, Competition, and Target audience
- Location of the Market; whether physical or online
- Licensing and Registration.
Conclusion
Headphone brand business is one of the most lucrative businesses that can be transacted anywhere in the world. Additionally, headphones are electronic devices that can be purchased unsolicited; that is, without much or no planning and as a personal utility, they are peculiar to the owner. This is why most electronic industries are venturing into producing earbuds, and other types of headphones. For Apple, apart from the huge revenue generated from manufacturing phones, they also earn about $8 billion on wireless earbuds. Therefore, drawing this product closer to the people can earn you lots of money as revenue. Likewise, China is the best place to manage the manufacturing and supply of these headphones. Sonun company may be your best choice.
