What is the best podcast and audiobook platform in 2026?

Audiobooks and podcasts have gradually carved out an increasingly important place in our daily lives—to the point of becoming indispensable. They have even become a key factor when deciding which music streaming platform to subscribe to. What is the best podcast and audiobook platform in 2026? We’ve got the full rundown so you can make your choice with confidence!

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Audiobooks and podcasts: why do they matter so much?

Music alone hasn’t been enough for a long time—at least not for streaming services. As offerings across platforms have become standardized and it’s grown difficult to determine which service best suits our habits, companies have had to differentiate themselves and find new ways to attract customers.

But where could they find this new appeal? In content that complements music—areas that had previously been largely untapped.

We don’t know about you, but at Soundiiz, we feel like we woke up one morning to find that absolutely everyone—from influencers to your next-door neighbor—had decided to launch a podcast. It was as if, in the span of a few weeks, this type of audio content had sprung up everywhere, even on our streaming platforms.

Put simply: the whole world is wild about podcasts, covering absolutely every imaginable topic. Some people listen to dozens of hours of podcasts a week—even eating into the listening time previously reserved for music.

A new market

Some streaming platforms have fully grasped this. For them, podcasts represent a market worth investing in; they offer a vast array of content and even fund specific productions—in-house podcasts that allow them to stand out.

Spotify and Apple Music both offer podcasts they have funded themselves, available exclusively on their services. It’s a way to attract new customers and provide them with premium content.

Then came audiobooks. Statistics show that the entire world is seeing a year-on-year decline in time spent reading. Competition from screens has been compounded by a struggling publishing market, with publishers and bookstores alike seeing their revenues shrink.

Amidst these challenges, readers are turning to audiobooks—books read by the author or a narrator—which are generating significant buzz and seeing listening figures skyrocket. While it will take years for the audio format to replace print, there is no doubt that audiobooks have a bright future ahead.

Just as they did with podcasts, streaming platforms have decided to stake a claim in this potentially lucrative market.

So, what is the best podcast and audiobook platform in 2026? Without further ado, here is our verdict!

The best podcast and audiobook platform in 2026 – The runner-ups

Apple Music’s audiobooks and podcasts: distinctive apps

This section will be brief. It’s simple: you won’t find podcasts or audiobooks on Apple Music. Apple chose to separate its apps, dedicating one to each type of listening experience: Apple Music for music, Apple Podcasts for—you guessed it—podcasts, and Apple Books for audiobooks.

This approach might put off those who want everything in one place, but it’s a real plus for those who prefer not to have their apps “cluttered” with non-music content.

Note that Apple Books and Apple Podcasts are well-stocked with content and should provide everything you’re looking for!

Amazon Music’s audiobooks and podcasts: one of the best!

Amazon Music is a serious contender for the title of best streaming service for podcasts and audiobooks. Its strength? Integrating Audible—a market leader in audiobooks—directly into its subscription plans.

This gives Amazon Music access to a massive catalog that ranks among the very best. Simply put, if you’re an avid audiobook listener, you won’t find better than Amazon Music—with the possible exception of Spotify.

Some even argue that Amazon has the best offering on the market. As Amazon was a pioneer in the audiobook space, so it makes sense that they are hard to catch up with.

When it comes to podcasts, Amazon Music has recognized them as an essential component. You should be able to find any podcast you want on Amazon Music, without exception. However, if we had to nitpick, we’d say the app’s usability and navigation features can detract from the listening experience and content discovery.

Still, that’s a minor detail; it shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Amazon Music is a top-tier service!

YouTube Music’s audiobooks and podcasts: only half the job done

You won’t be able to listen to audiobooks on YouTube Music. Since YouTube is a Google-powered service, YouTube Music has opted to restrict the purchase and playback of audiobooks to external apps hosted by Google.

Unlike Amazon Music or Spotify, audiobook playback is not integrated into the music streaming app itself. Consequently, if you choose YouTube Music, you will need to use a separate app and pay an additional fee to listen to audiobooks.

When it comes to podcasts, YouTube Music offers a vast selection, with the bonus of integrating video podcasts. This format is increasingly popular and widely adopted by content creators.

So, if you listen exclusively to podcasts and love to watch their videos, YouTube Music could be an excellent choice!

Spotify’s audiobooks and podcasts: the all-in-one solution

As is often the case, Spotify has gone big. Podcasts? They were the first to offer so many, so quickly—covering everything except titles hosted exclusively on rival platforms.

Audiobooks? It’s the same story. They were among the first to recognize the sector’s rapid growth and now offer a vast selection on their platform.

Spotify is an all-in-one solution, ideal for those who want everything in one place—presented clearly and intuitively—without having to switch between apps.

While Amazon seems to have a slight edge in audiobooks thanks to its Audible integration, Spotify excels when it comes to supplementary audio content. They also continue to update their tools and add new titles to their catalog.

Deezer’s audiobooks and podcasts: a slight disadvantage

Deezer does a great job with podcasts. Navigation is efficient, and the search engine is precise enough to help you find whatever you’re looking for. Almost all podcasts are available, though you might notice a few missing titles—particularly from the US. It’s hardly a deal-breaker, though!

For French-speaking users, Deezer is a perfectly viable option!

However, the French platform has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to audiobooks. While some titles—mainly the most popular ones—are available, Deezer pales in comparison to the industry leaders right now.

If you never listen to audiobooks and stick to podcasts, Deezer should meet your needs perfectly.

TIDAL’s audiobooks and podcasts: nothing to see here!

TIDAL has long focused exclusively on music. With one of the highest per-stream payout rates in the industry and top-tier audio quality, TIDAL is a prime destination for audiophiles and those who care about protecting artists’ rights and compensation in the digital age.

However, for those who listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, you won’t find them on TIDAL—or at least, not without resorting to rather complex workarounds.

That said—and this applies to all the platforms mentioned in this article—you can use apps independent of music streaming services to listen to any podcasts or audiobooks you like! While our comparison focuses solely on music streaming, many well-known apps let you access all the audio content you want in seconds. A quick Google search should give you exactly what you need.

The best podcast and audiobook platform in 2026 – Conclusion

If you’ve read our detailed comparison, you’ve probably already figured it out. If you’re a big fan of podcasts and audiobooks, Spotify and Amazon Music are the best options.

Spotify has a slight edge over Amazon Music when you consider both. It’s more user-friendly and offers more playback options. But the difference is minimal! Choosing one platform or the other shouldn’t make a huge difference to your listening experience.

On the other hand, if you want your streaming platform dedicated solely to music and nothing else, without being “polluted” by external elements, platforms like Apple Music, TIDAL, or Qobuz are relevant.

You’ll need to download external apps if you want to listen to podcasts or audiobooks, but this will allow you to keep your listening habits separate. Deezer is a good platform for podcasts but is still somewhat limited when it comes to audiobooks.

Note that if you want to listen to audiobooks without using Spotify, Amazon Music, or any other streaming platform, there are many options available. Audible, Hoopla, Libby, Blinkist, Libro.fm, Everand, Google Books, and Scribd are all excellent choices.

Can I transfer audiobooks and podcasts across platforms using Soundiiz?

It is not possible to transfer podcasts or audiobooks with Soundiiz. Our services focus solely on music. And to be honest, these are the only things you can’t transfer from one platform to another!

Thanks to our Transfer tool, renowned for years, you can transfer your playlists, liked artists, albums, and songs from Spotify to YouTube Music, from Amazon Music to YouTube Music, or any other transfer path in just a few minutes.

Soundiiz services are compatible with all streaming platforms, regardless of your source or destination platform!

But that’s not all: Soundiiz is an all-in-one tool that lets you manage your entire music library in one place. You can upload your data and playlists, sync playlists between different platforms, generate playlists using our AI by entering tags or prompts, create aesthetically pleasing and trackable SmartLinks… and a multitude of other options!

To try out everything Soundiiz has to offer, click here.