Google Podcasts says goodbye. Users are encouraged to migrate to YouTube Music.
It’s official: Google Podcasts has entered the Google Graveyard. As of April 2, 2024, Google Podcasts ceased its function in the United States. The mobile app is also out of the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, listeners and content creators in New Zealand and other markets globally can continue to use the platform until some time in 2024.
The decision was first revealed by the YouTube team in a statement published on September 26, 2023.
YouTube Music is set to take Google Podcasts’ place. Google has introduced several updates to YouTube Music, positioning it as the go-to destination for audio-based entertainment. A ‘podcast’ section was added, offering users easy access to a wide range of podcast content. New features, such as thumbnails, timestamps, and playlists, have also been introduced. Other features include user interface (UI) improvements, making it easier for consumers to find shows on the site, and the ability to effortlessly switch between audio podcasts and video.
Google is giving users in the US tools to migrate their podcast data over to YouTube Music through July 2024, along with a few notes:
Users are also given the option to move their subscriptions to another podcast application by downloading via an OPML file or Google Takeout.
While the migration details are already available for users in the US, Google promises to provide an update when the migration process is introduced to new regions.
