What is a Podcast? 2025 Free Podcast Platform Recommendations in Taiwan

Podcasts continue to grow in popularity globally and in Taiwan. Whether you're commuting, learning something new, or just relaxing, you can easily find a podcast platform that suits you. This article will provide an in-depth look at Taiwan's most popular and recommended podcast platforms, including Firstory, KKBOX, Spotify, Apple, and more, helping you easily choose the best podcast platform for your needs.

What is a Podcast?

The original definition of a podcast is an audio-only program that distributes and aggregates content through RSS feeds. Compared to radio, podcasts can be listened to anytime, anywhere, can be pre-recorded and listened to later, and offer more stable audio quality.

Podcast is a combination of "iPod" (Apple's music player) and "broadcast." In Chinese, it's translated as "播客" (boke). Originally, it referred to a digital audio program that distributes and aggregates content through RSS feeds, allowing users to listen to various content anytime, anywhere, whether it's news, interviews, entertainment, or educational programs. Its features include convenience and diverse content choices. Whether commuting, exercising, or during leisure time, podcasts have become an important source of information and entertainment for people.

Since its development in the early 2000s, podcasts have grown from a niche market to a globally accepted media format, especially with the proliferation of mobile devices, which has significantly increased podcast listening. In recent years, with the explosion of video media platforms like YouTube, there has been a trend of video podcasts, allowing podcasts to break free from pure audio format and attract more audiences through visual elements (even if it's just a static shot of two people talking face-to-face).

The Rise of Podcasts in Taiwan

Taiwan's podcast market has grown rapidly in recent years, especially during the pandemic, when many listeners turned to online media for information and entertainment. Both creators and listeners have shown increasing demand for podcasts. According to the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, the number of podcast listeners in Taiwan has grown year by year. The 2024 Taiwan Cultural Content Consumption Trend Survey Report shows that awareness of podcasts among the general population has reached 75%, with over 40% actively listening to podcasts, totaling 9 million listeners nationwide.

Reasons for this surge include: more localized content creation, knowledge sharing in specialized fields, and the convenience of listening anytime, anywhere, making podcasts a part of daily life for Taiwanese people. For more information on the distribution of podcast creators in Taiwan, you can refer to Jesse's analysis of Traditional Chinese podcast production.

Taiwan's Most Popular Free Podcast Hosting Platforms: Firstory vs. SoundOn

Podcast platforms can be divided into two main types: "hosting" platforms for creators to "upload shows," and "player" platforms for listeners to "listen to shows." When a listener wants to listen to a podcast, the player platform reads the RSS from the hosting platform to retrieve the audio file and returns listening data, completing an information exchange.

This section introduces "hosting platforms" for creators to upload shows, with player platforms discussed in the following section.

Taiwan Podcast Hosting Platform Recommendations and Comparisons

Firstory and SoundOn are Taiwan's two major podcast hosting platforms, with roughly equal market share at about 1:1. Both can be used for free, but in terms of technology development, advertising services, and creator monetization, Firstory consistently leads SoundOn, offering exclusive features such as membership subscriptions, exclusive episodes, and show promotion plans.

Firstory

Firstory is a podcast hosting service platform established in 2019, currently Taiwan's largest podcast hosting platform with the most professional creators. It has achieved significant market share in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and other countries, making it the podcast service most chosen by professional creators in Asia.

Firstory Features

• Provides large audio storage capacity and bandwidth: Allowing creators' creativity to be unlimited, freely uploading audio files with value-added expansion services.
• Serves over 14,000 shows with 200 million monthly exposures: Advertisers can reach a wide audience through Firstory shows.
• Multiple monetization models: Including podcast DAI dynamic advertising and membership subscriptions, helping creators increase income.
• Provides advanced data analytics and technical support: Close technical and customer service cooperation with Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube Music, helping creators better understand market needs and audience behavior.
• Exclusive music library partnership with KKBOX: Providing creators with better creative quality.

Overall, Firstory is a platform dedicated to helping every podcast grow. It provides professional technical support and creative resources, allowing creators to focus on content creation while also earning good revenue.

SoundOn

SoundOn was established in 2019 and is a Taiwan-based podcast platform. It provides show hosting and distribution, data analytics, and other services.

SoundOn Features

• Self-proclaimed "paradise for freeloaders": Initially attracted crowds with free services, but since 2023, has charged creators 0-5% commissions plus at least 8% processing fees.
• Provides two data calculation methods: "repeat listening" and "unique listening": Creators can choose their preferred data to evaluate performance, though this carries risks of data distortion.
• Operates its own listener app, giving listeners another choice.

Extended reading: Does unique listening = data distortion? Why should we "filter out noise as much as possible"?

Taiwan's Most Popular Free Podcast Player Platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcast, KKBOX, YouTube (formerly Google Podcast), MixerBox

Taiwan's podcast player platform market has long been divided among Spotify, Apple Podcast, and KKBOX, but YouTube/YouTube Music has risen in recent years, partly by consolidating Google Podcast's listening audience, and partly by leveraging video podcast advantages, making podcasts not just audio but also video, making it easier to capture audience attention.

Spotify

Spotify was originally everyone's familiar music streaming platform. After acquiring a podcast company in 2019, it further expanded its services to become a comprehensive audio platform. Not only can it be used on iOS and Android, Spotify also provides a web version, allowing users to listen to shows directly on their computers. This makes Spotify a dual tool for music and podcast lovers.

Spotify Advantages:

• Music and podcast integration: Spotify integrates music and podcasts on the same platform, providing a comprehensive audio experience.
• Rating feature: Listeners can rate their favorite shows, helping promote quality content.

Spotify Disadvantages:

• Free users must listen to ads: Spotify allows free users to freely listen to music and podcasts, but after every 3-5 songs, they must listen to unskippable ads. The mechanism for inserting ads between podcasts is currently being tested in some countries, and when it will officially launch remains unknown.
• Interaction features are relatively basic: People's past impression of Spotify was that it only allowed one-way listening to podcasts, lacking interaction with creators. However, Spotify has recently gradually opened episode comment features, even allowing likes and replies like social media, with more interactive elements on the horizon.

Apple Podcast

Apple Podcast is the preferred platform for Apple device users because this app is built into iPhones, iPads, and Macs, requiring no additional download. Apple Podcast allows Apple users to conveniently browse and subscribe to various shows, but some characteristics of the platform make it suitable or unsuitable for users with different needs.

Apple Podcast Advantages:

• Built-in functionality: Apple Podcast is pre-installed on Apple devices, requiring no additional download, making it convenient to use.
• Complete basic features: Provides download, offline playback, commenting, and show sharing functions, with a simple and intuitive user experience.
• Review system: Users can leave reviews of shows, helping other listeners filter content.

Apple Podcast Disadvantages:

• Weaker filtering functionality: For those who want to filter shows by rating or category, Apple Podcast's filtering options aren't robust enough.
• Cannot be used on other systems: Limited to Apple devices, cannot be used on Android. However, in August 2024, Apple Podcast finally launched a web version, allowing Android and Windows users to use it seamlessly without additional software downloads.

KKBOX Podcast

KKBOX is Taiwan's largest and longest-established local music streaming platform. In recent years, it has also invested in podcast services, launching KKBOX Podcast, focusing on the Taiwan and Chinese-language markets. Whether Android, iOS, or computer users can download and listen to shows through KKBOX, making it convenient to use.

KKBOX Advantages:

• Rich Chinese content: KKBOX Podcast provides abundant Taiwan local and Chinese-language shows, particularly suitable for Chinese-speaking listeners.
• Cross-device use: In addition to mobile phones, KKBOX Podcast also supports computer versions, allowing users to listen on different devices.

KKBOX Disadvantages:

• Insufficient international content: Compared to international platforms like Spotify, KKBOX has relatively fewer foreign-language shows.

YouTube Music: Integrating Google Podcast

Google Podcast entered the market in 2018 and officially shut down in 2024, with podcast functionality integrated into the more mature YouTube/YouTube Music, greatly expanding visibility at once.

YouTube Music Advantages:

• Simple and intuitive interface: Google Podcast's interface is very simple, suitable for users of all ages.
• Powerful search functionality: Using Google's powerful search technology, users can easily find shows of interest.
• Rich video resources: Thanks to YouTube's long-term cultivation of the video market, podcasts have transformed from "audio only" to "video + audio," generating more interest.

YouTube Music Disadvantages:

• Complex functionality: Video format and audio format podcast shows coexist on the YouTube platform, easily confusing listeners.
• Difficult audio file updates: YouTube abandons the RSS format commonly used by podcasts, unable to automatically update audio content grabbed from RSS, meaning any updates must be done manually in the YouTube backend, increasing creator burden.

MixerBox

MixerBox is a software technology company focused on developing Super-Apps, with a research and development team in Taiwan. Its main product, MixerBox 3, is a free third-party YouTube music player that integrates songs and videos on YouTube and can also listen to podcasts searchable on YouTube.

MixerBox Advantages:

• Also operates hosting services: Podcast creators can freely upload shows to the MixerBox platform to increase exposure and listening rates.

MixerBox Disadvantages:

• Unclear data calculation: Because MixerBox rarely discloses data calculation rules, creators find it difficult to know the status of their show operations.

Podcast Web Version Online Listening: How to Choose the Right Platform?

In addition to mobile applications, many podcast platforms also provide web versions, allowing users to conveniently listen to shows on computers. Here are introductions to web versions of several popular platforms.

Convenience of Web Version Platforms

The advantage of web version platforms is that there's no need to download applications - users can listen directly in browsers, very suitable for offices or people who need to use computers for long periods.

Differences and Recommendations for Each Platform's Web Version

Different platforms' web versions differ in functionality and interface design. For example, Apple Podcast's web version has relatively simple functionality, while Spotify and KKBOX, because they also have large music libraries, provide rich interaction and recommendation features.

Conclusion

Whether you want to learn something new, relax, or find entertainment, podcasts provide a diverse, convenient, and free way to meet your needs. Taiwan's podcast market is thriving, whether it's hosting platforms like Firstory and SoundOn or player platforms like Apple and Spotify, each platform has unique features and show content, allowing creators to express themselves freely and listeners to easily choose shows that match their tastes.