Head-to-head comparison
On Air Fest 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.
Brooklyn audio festival mixing live tapings, performances, and industry conversations.
Best for: Creative craft festival
Daily podcast industry news read every weekday morning by working podcasters.
Best for: Industry news
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
On Air Fest
Pros
- Strong creative programming and live tapings
- Three walkable Brooklyn venues
- Ambies awards now embedded in the weekend
Watch-outs
- Smaller than Podcast Movement
- Mostly NYC-centric attendees
- Public passes sell out quickly
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 On Air Fest if
You’re building around creative craft festival. Called the "Coachella of Podcasts" by Fast Company. Leans creative and editorial rather than ad-tech and sales.
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 On Air Fest do better than Podnews?
On Air Fest's standout is "Strong creative programming and live tapings". Podnews doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Updated every weekday since 2017" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick On Air Fest; if the second does, pick Podnews.
What are the trade-offs?
On Air Fest: smaller than podcast movement. Podnews: inside-baseball tone. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Can I use On Air Fest and Podnews together?
Both are resources tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using On Air Fest for one show or episode type and Podnews for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.