Google Podcasts is going lights out – all hail YouTube Music

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Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got news that’ll make you double-check your app subscriptions. Google Podcasts, that little-used app sitting in your drawer, is signing off for good.

“We plan to make Podcasts on YouTube Music globally available before the end of the year,” writes a company blog post. Yep, as– of 2024, it’s goodbye Google Podcasts and hello YouTube Music.

Google’s pulling the plug on Podcasts after just six years. But don’t go mourning just yet — they’re just dialing it up to 11 on YouTube Music, making it the new hotspot for podcasters and listeners alike.

This isn’t just some shot-in-the-dark move by Google. Nope, they’ve got the numbers to back it up.

According to Edison, a whopping 23% of weekly podcast users in the US say YouTube is their go-to service. Google Podcasts? Well, it’s just scratching a measly 4%. So, it’s not exactly a shocker they’re switching tracks.

But what does this mean for you, the podcast listener?

It’s migration time, baby. Google’s got a migration tool in the works to help you shift your podcasts to YouTube Music. You’ll also be able to add podcast RSS feeds to your YouTube Music library.

What if you’re a podcaster? Well, good news. YouTube Music is gearing up to offer you some robust creation and analytics tools.

Plus, you’ll get to make your podcasts available everywhere. YouTube Music listeners are already enjoying their favorite tunes. We’re talking in the background, in the car, offline, and more.

Google is determined to make the transition from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music as smooth as possible. They’re even calling for feedback to polish the migration process.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to migrate from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music:

• Step 1: Keep an eye out for the migration tool that will pop up in the Google Podcasts app over the next few weeks. It’ll be available through a banner at the top of the app.
• Step 2: Once the banner is visible, click on the “Export subscriptions” link. This will allow you to move your Google Podcast subscriptions over to YouTube Music.
• Step 3: After clicking, you can choose to export your subscriptions as an OPML file. This file can be used to import your subscriptions to another podcast app of your choice.
• Step 4: Remember, for the migration to complete successfully, you’ll need to have both Google Podcasts and YouTube Music installed on your device.
• Step 5: After the transfer, give it a few minutes for everything to show up in your YouTube Music library.

The tools will be ready for release once they’re good and tested, complete with a handy set of guidelines.

Sure, the transition might take some time, but Google’s betting it’ll be worth the wait. They’re envisioning a single destination that rewards creators and artists and gives fans the ultimate podcast experience.

In the meantime, keep enjoying YouTube, YouTube Music, and Google Podcasts as usual.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Google finally adds YouTube Music streaming to Wear OS watches
• Popular podcast app Stitcher is shutting down August 29th
• Apple will refresh Podcasts interface, search later this year
• What Joe Rogan’s AI podcast with Steve Jobs means for the world

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.