Alternatives to The Ambies
9 The Ambies alternatives,
ranked.
Looking for something different from The Ambies? We rounded up the 9 closest resources tools — what they do, what they cost, who they're for.
Why people look for alternatives to The Ambies
The closest thing podcasting has to a peer-voted industry awards show, run by The Podcast Academy. The 2026 sixth annual ceremony was held at Arlo Williamsburg on February 25 as part of On Air Fest — a permanent move announced this year. Wisecrack won Podcast of the Year; Pablo Torre won Vanguard Podcaster of the Year.
The common trade-offs:
- Submission fees per entry
- Heavily US-skewed entries and voters
- Niche genres can be overlooked
The 9 alternatives below all sit in the same resources category and address similar use cases — but each has its own personality. Here's how they compare.
All 9 alternatives to The Ambies
Daily podcast industry news read every weekday morning by working podcasters.
Long-running educational blog for independent podcasters started in 2011 by Colin Gray.
Editorial site recommending podcasts across genres with curated lists and award programs.
One of the oldest paid podcasting courses, founded 2005, now owned by Podpage.
Largest in-person podcasting conference, returning in New York City in September 2026.
Brooklyn audio festival mixing live tapings, performances, and industry conversations.
Longest-running annual in-person podcasting conference, held each January in Orlando.
UK and Europe's largest podcasting festival, held annually at London's Business Design Centre.
Monthly podcast download rankings produced under IAB Tech Lab measurement guidelines.
Direct comparisons
Want a side-by-side breakdown? See how The Ambies stacks up against each alternative.
Frequently asked
What's the closest alternative to The Ambies?
Podnews. If you only read one podcast newsletter, this is it. James Cridland's daily dispatch is short, dense, and global — heavy on platform moves, hires, and tech changes.
Why would someone switch away from The Ambies?
The honest answers: submission fees per entry; heavily us-skewed entries and voters. Whether either matters depends on your specific workflow — for plenty of people, neither does.
Are there free alternatives to The Ambies?
Yes — Podnews, The Podcast Host, Discover Pods all have free or freemium tiers worth trying first.
How is Podnews different from The Ambies?
Podnews leans into "Updated every weekday since 2017". The Ambies leans into "Peer-voted by Podcast Academy members". They overlap in the resources category but solve slightly different parts of the workflow.