Google Podcasts app closes, migrate to YouTube Music

Google has closed its dedicated podcast app, urging users to transition to YouTube Music by April 2nd. This action is intended to merge music and podcasts into a unified platform

Google is discontinuing another service, the Podcasts app. The company has stated that the Podcasts app will be discontinued on April 2nd, and users with subscriptions to specific podcasts will need to transition to YouTube Music. Google is notifying users via email, providing an option to export their subscriptions.

Last year, Google began incorporating podcast features into the YouTube Music app. Now, the company is fully transitioning to this setup, allowing users in markets like the US to access both music and podcasts in a single app. This integration will soon expand to other markets.

The Google Podcasts app remains accessible on the App Store and Play Store. Existing users will have a limited time to transition to the new app. However, after April 2nd, they will no longer be able to access content.

The Google Podcasts app has amassed over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store. However, according to a report by Edison, 23 percent of users favor the YouTube Music app for consuming podcasts, while only 4 percent prefer the Podcasts app. With this transition, Google aims to consolidate all music content consumption into a single platform.

Google has been enhancing the YouTube Music app with more podcast-related features, including the addition of an RSS feed. Additionally, the company will enable users to download their OPML file, which allows them to transfer their show subscriptions to any supported app other than YouTube Music.