Ximalaya, the podcasting startup behind iTunes and Spotify rival Himalaya

Launched in 2013, Ximalaya is one of China’s most popular platforms for podcasting and audiobooks. It claims some 400 million downloads since launch, and says it earns more from selling paid content than ads.

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Most content on Ximalaya are in Mandarin, but there are also English-language podcasts for ESL learners.

Published: 7:24pm, 7 Feb 2019Updated: 8:09am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

More Americans are listening to podcasts than ever. That could be one reason why Spotify is trying grow its podcast network. But if you’re like me, no matter how much you enjoy podcasts, you’ve never spent a dime paying for any of them.

Turns out, that’s quite different from how millions of people in China listen to podcasts on the country’s hottest platform, Ximalaya -- known as Himalaya elsewhere.

Case in point: Ximalaya’s “123 Knowledge Carnival” in November 2018. During the annual mega sales event, Ximalaya said more than 21 million people shelled out some US$64 million on podcast lectures and audiobooks. That’s more than the sales of audiobooks in the US in one week.

Most content on Ximalaya is in Mandarin, but there are also English-language podcasts for ESL learners.

To be clear, a huge chunk of content on Ximalaya is actually free. Amateur DJs run live music channels. Parents of young kids can find bedtime stories and nursery rhymes. History buffs can revel in podcasts about the Qin dynasty or World War I. And English learners can listen to TED talks or speeches by famous Americans. There seems to be something for everyone: The last time I checked, the most popular free podcast was by an acclaimed stand-up comedian.

But Ximalaya also hosts plenty of premium content.

Want to be emotionally intelligent? For US$29 you can download a 201-episode series that helps you deal with your personalities and feelings. (It’s currently the top-selling paid podcast on Ximalaya, having raked up over 78 million listens.)

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