Google is shutting down its podcast service

Google is sending another service to the virtual “graveyard” of projects - Google Podcasts. This podcast app was praised for its simplicity, proximity search, and open RSS nature.

How did the service develop?

Google Podcasts officially launched on Android in 2018. A few months after launch, the app added basic features: mute, cast, show sharing, improved notes, automatic support, sleep timer, and dark theme.

“Google Podcasts will be the launchpad for creating an even better podcast listening experience using artificial intelligence.”

Google, 2018

The company launched the Google Podcasts web client in March 2019, and introduced an iOS version in March 2020. At the same time, Google introduced bulk transcription and relevant podcast episodes as search results.

In January 2023, Google Podcasts search stopped showing individual episodes and replaced that functionality with a shared catalog linked to third-party services.

In early 2024, Google announced that the app would be discontinued. Google Podcasts will stop working on April 2, 2024.

Why did Google Podcasts close?

Despite over 500 million downloads of Google Podcasts on Android alone, the company cites data from Edison Research to highlight that about 23% of weekly podcast users prefer to listen to YouTube Music, while only 4% choose Google Podcasts.

Bringing podcasting to YouTube could help Google become a bigger player in the space, not only by joining forces and increasing focus, but also by increasing interest in video podcasts.

How to transfer subscriptions to YouTube Music?

For those users who intend to migrate to YouTube Music, Google has created a support page with a step-by-step guide to make the transition easier.

However, if the podcast does not comply with YouTube's policies, it will not be exported automatically. In this case, users can go to Library > select Podcasts > click Add Podcast > select Add Podcast via RSS Feed.

Are there other similar Google Podcasts?

In addition to YouTube Music, there are other similar Google Podcasts, including: Spotify, Pocket Casts, Castbox, PodBean, Podcast Addict and AntennaPod.