Google is shutting down its Podcasts app in the U.S. in a few days. Users are being encouraged to migrate their subscriptions to YouTube Music by April 2 in order to continue listening to their favorite shows. Those who do not make the move immediately will still have time to migrate, but will no longer be able to stream from the Podcasts app directly after this date.
The Google Podcasts app, which has been installed over 500 million times on Android devices globally for over half a decade, provided a simple interface for discovering and listening to podcasts. However, last September, Google announced its plans to wind down the app in early 2024 to consolidate its audio services under YouTube.
In 2020, YouTube Music helped music listeners transition away from Google Play Music ahead of its shutdown that same year. The Google Podcasts app continued to be maintained until YouTube Music was ready to support podcasts globally by the end of 2023 and allowed podcasters to upload their RSS feeds by February 2024.
Shifting podcasting to YouTube could position Google as a significant player in the space, especially with the rising popularity of video podcasts. Recent deals like Spotify’s partnership with Universal Music Group to offer video podcasts to users highlight the growing interest in this format.
Google Podcasts will be discontinued in the U.S. by the end of March 2024, with users having until July 2024 to export their subscriptions. While Google has not provided a timeline for the rest of the world yet, the plan is to discontinue Google Podcasts globally in 2024.
Updated, 3/29/24, 5:00 PM ET with Google comment.
