Which countries have Die drei ??? and other German audio dramas on Apple Music?

The short version

• Germany, Austria, Switzerland: the most complete catalog, with dozens more episodes of some series than anywhere else.
• The rest of Europe: nearly everything – including Die drei ???. A few series are slightly smaller.
• US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil and more: Benjamin Blümchen, Bibi Blocksberg and TKKG, yes – Die drei ???, practically no.
• What you see is set by the country of your Apple account. That stays the same when you travel.

How we counted

Apple doesn't publish which audio dramas – Hörspiele in German – are available where. So on 12 October 2026 we queried Apple's public catalog interface (the iTunes Search API) for seven well-known series in 36 countries. Then we counted how many albums – usually one per episode – each country lists.

Two caveats: the interface returns at most 200 albums per series, so big series show up as “200+”. And it reflects the iTunes catalog – including what's only for sale – rather than the streaming catalog directly. For the series in the table we checked that Apple Music really offers them as streamable albums; individual episodes can still differ. That's why one well-known series is deliberately missing: the iTunes Store lists more than 70 episodes of Gabriel Burns in German-speaking countries, but Apple Music streaming has just one single. The episodes are purchase-only.

Albums per audio drama series in Apple's catalog (as of 12 Oct 2026)

Region	Die drei ???	TKKG	Benjamin Blümchen	Bibi Blocksberg	Fünf Freunde	Die drei !!!
Germany	200+	188	200+	200+	200+	145
Austria	200+	187	200+	200+	200+	145
Switzerland	200+	188	200+	200+	200+	145
Rest of Europe¹	200+	153	200+	200+	177	113–114
South Africa, Israel	42	153	200+	200+	177	114
United States	1²	151	200+	200+	88	94
Canada, Latin America, Asia, Oceania³	1²	152–155	200+	200+	177	114
United Arab Emirates	0	155	200+	143	177	114

What the numbers say

1. German-speaking countries get the most

Germany, Austria and Switzerland share practically the same catalog, and it's the most complete one. TKKG makes it obvious: around 35 episodes are missing outside German-speaking countries. Die drei !!! also has some 30 more episodes here than elsewhere.

2. Europe is surprisingly well covered

If you move to Spain, Sweden or the UK, you lose almost nothing. Die drei ??? is fully available all over Europe, including Ukraine and Turkey. From Lisbon to Helsinki, the catalogs are nearly identical.

3. Outside Europe, the biggest series is the one that's missing

German audio dramas do exist in the US: Benjamin Blümchen, Bibi Blocksberg and John Sinclair stream in full in New York or Sydney. It's mainly one series that's missing – and it's the most successful one. In the US, Canada, Australia, Japan or Brazil there isn't a single regular episode of Die drei ???.

Nobody gives an official reason. Licensing is the likely one: audio dramas are licensed country by country, and Die drei ??? is based on the American book series The Three Investigators by Robert Arthur. Rights to a brand that started in the US appear to be more complicated outside Europe. That's our assumption, not a confirmed statement.

The US stands out in another way too: only 88 episodes of Fünf Freunde and 94 of Die drei !!!, against 177 and 114 in Canada or Japan.

Why audio dramas are on Apple Music at all

In most countries, music services are just music services. German-speaking Europe is the exception: in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, audio dramas for children and adults are a big market, and labels such as Europa (Sony Music) or Kiddinx have put their catalogs on streaming services for years. Apple Music there even has its own “Hörspiele” genre.

The app isn't built for them, though. Asked about better audio drama features in 2025, Apple's head of music Oliver Schusser admitted they hadn't had the time yet (as reported by GIGA).

In everyday use that means: playing one episode through works. Across a whole series, you're on your own. Where you stopped in an episode, which episodes you've heard and when a new one comes out is yours to remember – and Apple Music doesn't reliably sort by episode number either. That gap is one of the reasons zentr exists.

Tips for expats and travelers

On holiday: no problem

What you see depends on the country of your Apple account. Your location doesn't matter: with a German, Austrian or Swiss account you can keep listening while you travel. Within the EU this is even guaranteed by law (the Portability Regulation).

Moving abroad: switch your store country with care

If you move for good, you'll eventually have to change your Apple account's country, for example because your payment method has to match. From then on, the new country's catalog applies. Moving within Europe, you'll barely notice. Moving to the US, Canada or Australia, Die drei ??? disappears from your library.

Keep your own collection

Audio dramas you bought as files (MP3, M4A or M4B) are yours, whatever the streaming catalog says. zentr lets you import those files and whole folders. zentr keeps them in your iCloud Drive, right next to your Apple Music episodes in the same library – with your position remembered. How to prepare CDs and MP3s for that is covered in Audio drama MP3s and CDs on your iPhone.