Google is shutting down its podcast app in the US in a few days. The company has started warning app users that they will need to transfer their subscriptions to YouTube Music by April 2nd to continue tracking and streaming their favorite shows. Users who do not take immediate action will still have additional time for transfer, but they will no longer be able to stream directly from the Podcasts app after that date.
Google Podcasts app, installed over 500 million times on Android devices worldwide, has been offering a simple and efficient interface for discovering, tracking, and listening to podcasts for over a decade, as well as tools for adding podcasts by RSS feed. Unfortunately for app enthusiasts, the tech giant announced last September that it would start winding down the podcast app in early 2024 as part of its broader plan to consolidate its audio services under YouTube.
In 2020, YouTube Music offered a similar transition strategy to move music listeners from Google Play Music towards its closure that same year. However, Google Podcasts app has persevered for years as YouTube Music was not ready to support podcasts until recently. Until the end of 2023, YouTube Music managed to support podcasts worldwide, and until February, they had the capability to upload their RSS updates as well.
The move to transfer podcasts to YouTube could help Google become a bigger player in the field, not only through its consolidation efforts and sharpened focus but also because interest in video podcasts—already popular on YouTube—is on the rise. This week, for example, Spotify signed a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) to bring video podcasts to its streaming app users in the US, after earlier in March announcing tests of video podcasts in 11 other markets worldwide.
Bleeping Computer was the first to notice the closure date of Google Podcasts in the US, and a Google support page confirms that US users will only be able to use the podcast app until the end of March 2024. For those who miss the pop-up windows within the app, Google will offer users additional time to keep their subscriptions by allowing the use of the app's export feature until July 2024.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but after the publication, it did respond and stated that while they are still "working towards" the April 2nd timeline for the US, they have not yet shared a timeline for the rest of the world.
However, based on their previous statements, the plan is to discontinue Google's podcasts worldwide in 2024.
Updated, 3/29/24, 17:00 ET with Google's response.
