Who Owns JBL?

James Bullough Lansing founded the Lansing Sound Company in Los Angeles, California, in 1946. Lansing had previously co-founded Altec Lansing Corporation in 1941 but departed to establish his own venture. His goal was to design high-fidelity loudspeakers for professional applications, particularly movie theaters and recording studios, which were rapidly expanding in post-war Hollywood.

The company's early loudspeakers gained a strong reputation in the professional audio market. JBL drivers were adopted by major Hollywood studios and became standard equipment in recording facilities across the United States. Lansing died in September 1949, and the company was subsequently renamed JBL (James B. Lansing Sound) in his honor. New management continued developing the professional loudspeaker line while beginning to expand into high-fidelity home audio.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, JBL established itself as a reference-grade loudspeaker manufacturer. The company's products were used in major concert venues, broadcast facilities, and recording studios. JBL loudspeakers were installed in venues including the Hollywood Bowl and were used by major recording artists and studios. The brand developed a loyal following among audiophiles and professional audio engineers.

In 1969, Sidney Harman acquired JBL and incorporated it into Harman International Industries, the audio company he had co-founded with Bernard Kardon. Under Harman's ownership, JBL expanded beyond professional audio into consumer markets. The company introduced home loudspeaker systems in the 1970s and car audio products in the 1980s. JBL's L100 loudspeaker, introduced in 1970, became one of the best-selling home speakers of the decade.

The 1990s and 2000s saw JBL expand into portable audio and consumer electronics. The brand introduced the JBL On Stage iPod speaker dock in 2004, which became one of the first widely successful portable speaker products. JBL subsequently developed the Flip, Charge, Xtreme, and Pulse series of Bluetooth portable speakers, which became among the best-selling portable audio products globally.

Samsung Electronics completed its acquisition of Harman International in March 2017 for approximately $8 billion. The acquisition provided JBL with access to Samsung's global distribution network, retail relationships, and manufacturing scale. JBL products are now sold through Samsung's retail channels in addition to traditional electronics retailers and online platforms.

By 2025, JBL had grown into one of the world's highest-volume audio brands, with a product range spanning portable Bluetooth speakers, headphones, soundbars, home theater systems, professional loudspeakers, and automotive audio. The brand operates in more than 100 countries.