• Users in the U.S. must migrate to YouTube Music by 2nd April to continue streaming podcasts, as the Google Podcasts app will no longer be operational after this date.
  • The app, installed over 500 million times on Android devices, will require users to adapt to YouTube Music’s platform, which has recently gained the capability to support podcasts and RSS feeds.
  • Google’s move coincides with a growing interest in video podcasts, a format already popular on YouTube, potentially positioning the company as a major player in the podcasting space.

Google is discontinuing its Podcasts app in the U.S., prompting users to switch to YouTube Music for uninterrupted access to their favorite podcasts.

Migration deadline announced

The company has commenced notifying users of the app that they are required to transfer their subscriptions to YouTube Music by 2nd April in order to continue following and streaming their preferred podcasts. Although users who fail to act promptly will not be immediately barred from migrating, they will lose the ability to stream content directly from the Podcasts app beyond this date.

The Google Podcasts app has been a staple on Android devices across the globe, amassing over half a billion installations, and for over five years, it has provided a user-friendly platform for the discovery, tracking, and playback of podcasts, as well as the facility to add podcasts via RSS feed.

Also read: 5 most interesting takeaways from the Sam Altman-Lex Fridman podcast

Centralizing audio services

Alas, the app’s devotees have been disheartened by the tech behemoth’s announcement in September of last year that it would commence the phasing out of the Podcasts app by the early part of 2024, as part of a wider strategy to amalgamate its audio services under the YouTube brand.

In the year 2020, YouTube Music embarked on a comparable strategy to encourage music listeners to transition away from Google Play Music prior to its cessation of service that year. However, the Google Podcasts app sustained maintenance for an extended period, as YouTube Music was not equipped to manage podcasts until quite recently. By the year’s end in 2023, YouTube Music had extended its support to podcasts on a global scale, and by February, it had also introduced the capability to upload RSS feeds.

This latest move to reposition podcasting services to YouTube stands to bolster Google’s presence in the industry, not merely by consolidating its resources and honing its focus, but also due to the surging interest in video podcasts, which have already garnered a substantial following on YouTube. This is exemplified by Spotify’s recent agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG) to introduce video podcasts to the U.S. streaming audience, following preliminary tests in eleven additional markets worldwide in March.

Bleeping Computer was the first to draw attention to the impending closure date of Google Podcasts in the United States, with a support page on Google’s website corroborating that American users will retain access to the Podcasts app through March 2024. For those who might overlook the app’s alerts, Google will extend the opportunity to secure their subscriptions by permitting the use of the app’s export feature up to July 2024.

While Google has not promptly reacted to press inquiries, it did subsequently indicate that it is still on course to adhere to the 2nd April deadline for the U.S., though it has yet to divulge a schedule for the global cessation of the service.

According to earlier communications, the intention is to phase out Google Podcasts on a worldwide basis in 2024.