Google Plans to Discontinue Podcasts Service in 2024 and redirecting its focus towards making YouTube Music the primary destination for podcast. The discontinuation of Google Podcasts comes following Google’s earlier announcement that YouTube Music will start supporting podcasts in the U.S., with global expansion anticipated by the year’s end.
Google plans to increase its investment in the podcast experience, approximately 23% of weekly podcast users in the U.S. consider YouTube their most frequently used service, compared to a mere 4% for Google Podcasts.
Google is developing a migration tool that will facilitate the transfer of subscriptions and preferences from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music. For podcasters, Google is working on tools to enable the uploading of RSS feeds directly to YouTube Music, even for shows not currently hosted on the platform.
To address potential challenges during this transition, Google also plans to provide users with the option to download an OPML file of their show subscriptions from Google Podcasts. This file can then be seamlessly uploaded to any app supporting imports, offering users flexibility in their podcasting choices.
While the official discontinuation of Google Podcasts is set for later in 2024, Google assures users that they will continue to have access to YouTube, YouTube Music, and Google Podcasts in the interim.
