Ximalaya (喜马拉雅) : China's largest online audio platform for podcasts, audiobooks and talk-radio shows.

Launched in 2012, Ximalaya blends podcasts, audiobooks, live radio and listener-made shows into one Shanghai-based app, roughly an Audible and podcast-network hybrid.

Listeners get personalized feeds, offline downloads and curated kids content; anyone can self-publish shows to build an audience.

Content is almost entirely Mandarin, so it mainly serves Chinese-language listeners abroad. Its prospectus counted 300 million monthly users in 2023, and Tencent Music agreed to buy it in 2025.

Can foreigners create content on Ximalaya?

Yes. Ximalaya allows content creator registration. However, the process requires a Chinese ID or business license for payment processing. The audience is predominantly Chinese-speaking. English-language content has a smaller but growing audience. Most successful non-Chinese creators collaborate with local partners.

Is Ximalaya available in English?

Ximalaya is primarily Chinese-language. It has an international version with limited English content. The platform is working on English-language audiobooks and courses. The paid knowledge model - experts monetizing specialized knowledge - is a uniquely Chinese phenomenon.

What is Ximalaya?

Ximalaya is the world's largest audiobook and podcast platform. It has over 600M users and features a vast library of audiobooks, paid knowledge courses, talk shows, and children's content. It pioneered the "paid knowledge" trend in China where experts sell audio courses.