The Podcast Academy

The Podcast Academy is the professional membership organization founded in 2020 that produces the Ambies and works to professionalize the podcasting industry. Membership includes Ambies voting eligibility, access to educational programming, member-only events, networking opportunities, and discounts on industry events.

The Academy is open to anyone passionate about podcasting — creators, hosts, producers, journalists, students, marketers, executives, and industry partners — and explicitly states you don't need to work in podcasting full-time. Many members are freelancers, part-time creators, students, or professionals working in adjacent fields.

There's a discounted Student Membership for currently enrolled students. Joining requires industry references: if you know an Academy member, one reference is sufficient; if you don't, you provide two podcast industry professional references.

Membership is most useful if you're going to actually participate — attend events, vote in the Ambies, use the networking infrastructure — rather than just collect the badge. Critics note the Academy is US-skewed, and the Ambies voting body reflects that.

If you produce podcasts professionally in the US and care about industry visibility, joining is the standard professional move. If you're a hobbyist or based outside North America, the value is thinner. As of 2026 the Academy has been around for six years and continues to grow its tracks for adjacent professions — journalists, marketers, executives — which has broadened who's eligible.