Head-to-head comparison
The Podcast Academy 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.
Not-for-profit professional membership organization for the podcasting industry.
Best for: Industry membership
Daily podcast industry news read every weekday morning by working podcasters.
Best for: Industry news
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
The Podcast Academy
Pros
- Ambies voting eligibility
- Multiple membership tiers including student discount
- Open to industry-adjacent and freelance roles
Watch-outs
- Annual dues required
- Reference requirement adds friction
- Value depends on active participation
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 Podcast Academy if
You’re building around industry membership. The professional membership body behind the Ambies. Membership unlocks Ambies voting eligibility, educational programming, member-only events, networking, and discounts.
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 Podcast Academy do better than Podnews?
The Podcast Academy's standout is "Ambies voting eligibility". Podnews doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Updated every weekday since 2017" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick The Podcast Academy; if the second does, pick Podnews.
What are the trade-offs?
The Podcast Academy: annual dues required. 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 Podcast Academy and Podnews together?
Both are resources tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using The Podcast Academy for one show or episode type and Podnews for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.