Sound Level Meter Market

Sound Level Meter Market Size, Share, Growth (2023-2028)

Sound level meter market size value is anticipated to reach USD 1.85 billion by 2028 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.3%.

Sound Level Meter Market Overview

The device used for the measurement of acoustic sounds (sound that travels through the air) is called the Sound level meter. Generally, the sound level meter is a portable instrument, i.e., hand-held with a microphone. The changes in the air pressure caused by the sound waves are measured with the diaphragm. So this is the reason behind also calling it a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Meter. When a known constant sound pressure is applied to the instrument, that helps in distinguishing the microphone by the voltage value produced from it, which is known as microphone sensitivity. The sensitivity of the particular microphone that is being used can be distinguished by this instrument. The sound pressure level is displayed after the conversion of the electrical signal back to a sound pressure after utilizing the collected information by the instrument.

Sound Level Meter Market Drivers

Increase in the concern over sound pollution.

According to the report of 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 360 million people across the world are having hearing loss caused to long-term exposure to excessive noise levels. This caused an increase in the concern over sound pollution and increased the requirement for the sound level meter. This results in boosting the sound level meter market. According to the statement by the European Economic Association (EEA), an estimation of 6.3 million people were suffering from chronic high sleep disturbance because of high sound pollution in 2019. The aircraft noise in 2019 resulted in reading impairment in school children. These factors are acoustic pressure for the continuous monitoring of the sound levels in the environment, and this will be a driving factor for the sound level meter market growth.

Increasing investments in smart cities are driving the market. 

Smart city projects are growing, and the deployment of sound level meters for monitoring the sound levels to reduce noise pollution is significantly acting as a market growth driver. India, Japan, Korea, and other nations’ governments are investing in smart city projects at a significant rate. The investment is used in the installation of sound level monitoring devices, particularly for those which include equal loudness contour monitoring that will contribute to the sound level meter market growth.

Sound Level Meter Market Restraints

Even though there is high usage of the sound level meter in monitoring the acoustic pressure, various other factors are hindering the market growth. One such major restraint in the sound level meter market is the high production cost that is limiting the deployment of sound level meters. The production cost is mainly attributed to the expensive equipment and complicated procedures. When compared with ordinary sound meters, the cost of the precision sound level meter is high or very expensive. So, its adoption is limited to laboratory applications, and the sound level meter industry outlook will be hindered. Sometimes due to some uncertainties occurring in the device, it may display improper results, which may also be a limiting factor for market growth.

Sound Level Meter Market Opportunities

Sound level meters are becoming an important part of the advancing technologies in automobiles and some noise-producing industries. The usage of jet planes and automobiles is becoming higher, which would be a market growth promotion opportunity in the sound level meter market. The emerging new initiatives in the nations taken by the government to control the sound levels are one such opportunity for the market to expand into new regions. The new ongoing developments and innovations in sound level meters by the key players to develop a more precise sound level monitoring meter will accelerate the market growth in the coming years. The increasing use of high-power speakers and woofers also propels the market growth.

COVID-19 Impact on the Sound Level Meter Market

COVID-19 has affected the sound level meter market across the world. The lockdown imposition caused the temporary shutdown of the operations of the industries. The increased concern over the health and safety of the workforce caused industries to reduce their working hours and number of employees. This resulted in the delayed delivery of the products and equipment in the market. The sound level meter market is more attributed to noise pollution, but with the imposition of travel restrictions, the traveling has been completely reduced, and the factories/industries are not working continuously, causing the decreased demand for the sound level meters. The residential and commercial sectors are the major shareholders, but the demand in these sectors also reduced with the lockdown. The supply chain has been disrupted completely by the travel restrictions across nations.

Key developments in the market

• In 2021, a new automotive regulation was implemented by the Philippines government to focus on acoustic pressure monitoring. According to the new regulation, under section 5.4.3.7, a fine will be issued if any vehicle produces more than 99dB sound when checked in the Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (MVIC).

• In 2020, first time in the national capital of India, the central district of Delhi police started using sound level meters (SLM) to monitor the sound level pressure.

Sound Level Meter Market Segmentation

By Type

• Ordinary 

• Precision 

Ordinary sound level meters are expected to have a high market share, with the highest growing CAGR in the sound level meter market. The factors contributing to the demand are more employment in residential, educational, commercial, and other applications. The replacement rate is more in the residential and commercial sectors as the application of the sound level meters is high. Precision sound meters are employed more in laboratories where there is a huge application, but the potential market and replacement rate are low.

By Application

• Factories & Enterprises

• Environment Protection

• Transportation

• R&D

• Others

The enterprise segment is anticipated to have the highest CAGR in the sound level meter market during the forecast period. The demand for sound level meters is more due to the presence of the permissible standards as per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the sound produced by the factories. The growing number of factories contributes to the market growth rate. In the industrial sector, the rising analysis focused on the equal loudness contour-based measurement and electrical weighted network usage are major market driving factors.

Sound Level Meter Market Regional Analysis

• North America

• Europe

• Asia Pacific

• Latin America

• Middle East & Africa

North America is projected to have a significant market share in the sound level meter market. The presence of prominent research and implementation activities in this region are driving factors. The Asia-Pacific region is also holding a good amount of market share owing to the high sound pollution levels in the nations of the region. India, China, and other countries in the region are listed as the top noise-polluted countries as per the World Economic Forum (WEF). European region also has good market potential due to the more road traffic exposure.

Sound Level Meter Market Key Players

• 3M

• Svantek Inc.

• Brel & Kjr

• Norsonic

• RION Co., Ltd.

• Testo

• Cirrus Research Plc

• TES Electrical Electronic Corp.

• NTi Audio

• HIOKI