Google has confirmed plans to phase-out its Podcasts app in the U.S., urging users to transfer their subscriptions to YouTube Music by April 2 to avoid any disruption in their program listening experience. Any users failing to make this transition will lose access to streaming through the Podcasts app after the stated date.
The news of Google Podcasts' U.S. discontinuation was first reported by Bleeping Computer. Google has reassured users that extended time is available for the switch. However, users who overlook app notifications can resort to an alternative solution offered by the company. This includes converting subscriptions into an OPML file or manually adding podcasts using the RSS feed. Through the app's feature, users can retain their subscriptions until July 2024.
Despite the Podcasts app boasting over 500 million downloads on Android's Play Store, Google highlights data from Edison Research illustrating only a small percentage of weekly podcast listeners in the U.S - 4% - prefer to use Google Podcasts. This compares to a more substantial 23% who prefer listening on YouTube Music. Google's decision to integrate its resources into YouTube Music as a sole platform for music and podcasts aligns well with this user behavior data.
In September 2023, Google proclaimed its intention to terminate the Podcasts app in a blog post, promoting the new feature of watching and listening to podcasts on YouTube Music in the U.S. While it has given a shut-down date of April 2 for the Podcasts app in the U.S., Google has yet to specify a timeline for the app's global shutdown. However, based on previous declarations, it seems likely that Google Podcasts will be discontinued worldwide by 2024.
