Google is shutting down its Google Podcasts app in 2024. The company announced this today (27 Sep 23), stating that it will be focusing its podcasting efforts on YouTube Music.
To be honest I am not happy with this news at all. Google Podcast is my favorite app for listening to podcasts. Previously I used many other apps but none of them could beat the UI and simplicity of the Google Podcat app.
I have read many comments on the web and it seems like most people like me are not happy with this change but Google is after all business and focusing on money is more important for them than creating the products that people really love. And it is not the first product that Google killed, there is a graveyard of Google dead products.
Anyway, this is the email I received today:
“Hi Stephan,
Recently we announced that Google Podcasts will be discontinued next year. We wanted to reach out directly with more information on what to expect.
For now, nothing is changing, and you can continue to use Google Podcasts as normal. Over the coming months, podcasts in YouTube Music will be made available globally and we will start rolling out tools that will enable you to transfer your podcast show subscriptions from Google Podcasts. In YouTube Music, you will be able to listen to your podcasts just like you did on Google Podcasts, no paid subscription required. If YouTube Music isn’t for you, there will also be an option to download a file of your show subscriptions, which you can upload to an app that supports their import.
We acknowledge that this is a big change and want to thank you for being a loyal Google Podcasts user. We’ll reach out directly with more details over the coming months. In the meantime, if you have questions, please check out our Help Community here.
Sincerely,
The Google Podcasts team”
You can read the announcement here.
Google Podcasts was launched in 2018, the app was downloaded over 100M times but it never achieved the same level of popularity as other podcasting apps like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It is possible that Google decided to shut down the app in order to consolidate its resources and focus on YouTube Music, which is already a popular destination for music fans.
Google has stated that it will be working with podcasters to migrate their content to YouTube Music and that it will provide users with tools to transfer their subscriptions and listening history.
If you are a Google Podcasts user, you will still be able to use the app until it is shut down in 2024. However, you may want to start thinking about switching to a different podcasting app in the meantime.
So basically, Apple is now the only major player in the game that hasn’t combined music and podcasts into one place. You see, Spotify, Amazon, and Pandora all have this cool thing where you can access both music and podcasts from their main apps. But Apple is holding out on us, sticking to separate destinations for music and podcasts.
Google Podcasts was seriously one of the coolest products out there! It’s honestly one of the few Google apps that knows exactly what it wants to do and does it pretty well. I’ve been a loyal user since 2018, and let me tell you, I am not looking forward to the day it joins forces with the chaotic mess that is YT Music. It’s gonna be a real bummer, that’s for sure. I will probably shift to Apple podcast or Spotify as I never liked the YouTube Music app.
Google Podcast is what I have always used to enjoy podcasts while on the go. It has the most simplified UI. Don’t know why Google always discontinues their products.
This is a sad news. I guess I am about to receive the same email from Google.