Head-to-head comparison
The Ambies vs Podnews
Two of the resources tools podcasters reach for. Here's how they differ on pricing, features, audience, and the trade-offs that actually matter day-to-day.
Annual Podcast Academy awards recognizing excellence in audio across genres.
Best for: Audio awards
Daily podcast industry news read every weekday morning by working podcasters.
Best for: Industry news
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
The Ambies
Pros
- Peer-voted by Podcast Academy members
- Genre breadth across the medium
- Permanently tied to On Air Fest from 2026
Watch-outs
- Submission fees per entry
- Heavily US-skewed entries and voters
- Niche genres can be overlooked
Podnews
Pros
- Updated every weekday since 2017
- Genuinely global coverage
- Free with no paywall
Watch-outs
- Inside-baseball tone
- Not for casual listeners
- Light on creative craft topics
Which one should you pick?
Pick The Ambies if
You’re building around audio awards. 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.
Pick Podnews if
You’re building around industry news. 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.
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Frequently asked
What does The Ambies do better than Podnews?
The Ambies's standout is "Peer-voted by Podcast Academy members". Podnews doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Updated every weekday since 2017" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick The Ambies; if the second does, pick Podnews.
What are the trade-offs?
The Ambies: submission fees per entry. Podnews: inside-baseball tone. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Can I use The Ambies and Podnews together?
Both are resources tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using The Ambies for one show or episode type and Podnews for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.