In a strategic shift, Google has announced the discontinuation of its Google Podcasts app by the end of 2024. This move is part of the tech giant’s broader plan to transition streaming listeners to YouTube Music. The platform started supporting podcasts in the US in May, with plans for a global rollout by the end of the year.
According to the company, the decision aligns with current listening trends. Edison Research indicates that 23% of weekly podcast users in the US frequently use YouTube, compared to 4% using Google Podcasts. To facilitate the transition, Google plans to introduce a migration tool that will allow Google Podcast users to add podcast RSS feeds to their YouTube Music library, even for shows not hosted by YouTube. This tool is expected to be available in the coming weeks and months.
The new focus for YouTube Music will be on features that enhance discovery, community engagement, and seamless toggling between audio podcasts and video—a functionality also under development by Spotify. As part of this strategy, podcasters will be able to upload their RSS feeds to YouTube by year’s end.
For those not interested in switching to YouTube Music, Google will offer the option to download an OPML file of their show subscriptions from Google Podcasts. This file can then be imported into any app that supports the format.
This transition aims to make YouTube Music a more robust competitor against the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. Apple remains the only major player that has yet to consolidate its music and podcast offerings into a single platform.
“We know this transition will take time, but these efforts will allow us to build an amazing product and a single destination that rewards creators and artists and provides fans with the best Podcasts experience,” according to a now-removed YouTube blog post. “For now, nothing is changing and fans will continue to have access to YouTube, YouTube Music, and Google Podcasts. We’re committed to being transparent in communicating future changes with our users and podcasters and will have more to share about this process in the coming months,” the post added.
