Google will shut down its Podcasts app in the US within days. The company has begun warning app users that they will need to migrate their subscriptions to YouTube Music by April 2 to follow and stream their favorite shows from now on. Users who don't make this step right away will still have additional time to migrate, but will no longer be able to stream from the Podcasts app directly after that date.
The Google Podcasts app, which has been installed more than 500 million times on Android devices globally for more than half a decade, offers a simple, streamlined interface to discover, follow, and listen to podcasts, as well as tools to add podcasts via an RSS feed. Unfortunately for fans of the app, the tech giant said last September that it would begin winding down the Podcasts app in early 2024 as part of its broader plan to centralize its audio services within YouTube.
In 2020, YouTube Music offered a similar transition strategy to wean music listeners away from Google Play Music before shutting down the same year. However, maintenance for the Google Podcasts app has been going on for years because YouTube Music wasn't ready to support podcasts until recently. By the end of 2023, YouTube Music was able to support podcasts globally, and by February, it had the ability to upload its own RSS feeds as well.
The move to shift podcasting to YouTube could help Google become a bigger player in the space, not only by consolidating its efforts and increasing its focus, but also because interest in video podcasts — which were already popular on YouTube — is on the rise. This week, for example, Spotify struck a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) to bring video podcasts to the streaming app's US users after announcing earlier in March that it was testing video podcasts in 11 other markets around the world.
Bleeping Computer was the first to note the shutdown date for Google Podcasts in the US, and the support page on Google's website confirms that users in the US will only be able to use the Podcasts app until the end of March 2024. With in-app popups, Google will give users additional time to save Their subscriptions by allowing them to use the app's export feature until July 2024.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but after publication it responded to say that although it is still “tracking” the US timeline for April 2, it has not shared a timeline for the rest of the world yet.
However, from its previous statements, the plan is to stop Google Podcasts globally in 2024.
Updated 3/29/24 at 5:00pm ET with Google Comment.
