Back in September, Google announced that it would be saying goodbye to its podcast service Google Podcasts, and now we have an official date for its demise. Google has confirmed that Google Podcasts will be shuttered in April 2024 in the US, and is encouraging users to head to YouTube to listen to their favorite shows.
Google Podcasts, which launched in 2018, was Google’s third attempt at a podcast platform. Google Listen, which was powered by Google Reader, ran from 2009-2012, and Google Play Music offered podcasts from 2016 to 2020. Now, Google plans to make YouTube Podcasts, which launched in 2022, its main podcast service.
Google is keen to be a bigger player in the growing podcast market, and the decision to migrate close Google Podcasts and focus on YouTube Podcasts is part of Google’s strategy to invest more in YouTube as a streaming platform, making it a one-stop service for both music and podcasts that can compete with Spotify and Apple Music.
YouTube Podcasts can be found in the YouTube Music app, and it offers similar features to other podcast platforms. Podcasts are also available on the YouTube site in the form of a landing page, giving you the option to watch podcast episodes as well as listen to the audio.
Google has yet to confirm if or when it will shut down Google Podcasts in other countries.
How to transfer your Google Podcasts account to YouTube Podcasts.
Google is making it easy for users who currently listen to podcasts via Google Podcasts to make the move to YouTube Podcasts ahead of the April 2024 change, with an online tool that allows you to smoothly move your subscription over with a single click.
According to 9to5Google, Google Podcasts will shortly start to see an ‘Export subscriptions’ banner on-screen which they can also click on to transfer their subscriptions over to YouTube. Alternatively, subscribers will be able to export Google Podcasts accounts as an OPML file if they want to switch to a different podcast app.
Users in the US will have until June 2024 to migrate from Google Podcasts to YouTube Podcasts.
