Google Podcasts app shuts down, users urged to migrate to YouTube Music

Google shutters its dedicated podcast app, encouraging users to switch to YouTube Music by April 2nd. The move aims to consolidate music and podcasts into a single platform.

By: Tech Desk
Bengaluru | Updated: April 1, 2024 09:57 AM IST

2 min read

Google Podcasts will cease to operate from April 2 (Express Photo)

Google is officially shutting down yet another service; this time it’s the Podcasts app. The company has announced that the Podcasts app will shut down on April 2nd and users who have subscriptions to certain podcasts will have to move to YouTube Music. Google is informing users by sending an email with an option to export their subscriptions.

Also read | YouTube Premium and Music surpass 100 million subscribers

Google started to integrate podcast-related features within the YouTube Music app last year, and the company is now making a full-fledged transition to the same. This means users can now access music and podcasts within one app in markets like the US, which will soon be extended into other markets.

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Google is transitioning Podcasts app users to YouTube Music (Express Photo)

The Google Podcasts app is still available on the App Store and Play Store, and existing users will have some time to migrate to the new app. However, they won’t be able to consume content after April 2nd.

Also read | YouTube launches new money-making features for creators in India

The Google Podcasts app currently has over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store. However, according to a report by Edison, 23 per cent of users prefer the YouTube Music app to consume podcasts, with only 4 per cent of users preferring the Podcasts app. With this transition, Google is also looking at streamlining all the music content consumption into a single platform.

Google has been adding more podcast-related features to the YouTube Music app, which includes the addition of an RSS feed. On top of that, the company will also allow users to download their OPML file, which allows users to migrate their show subscriptions to any supported app other than YouTube Music.

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