Google Podcasts to be shuttered in 2024: Here's what's next
What's the story
Google has announced it will discontinue its Google Podcasts app in 2024. The company will instead start offering podcasts within YouTube Music.
The tech giant aims to hike investments in podcasts on YouTube Music, making it the ultimate destination for podcast listeners.
It plans to integrate features centered on discovery, community, and seamless switching between audio podcasts and video.
Previously, Google revealed YouTube Music would start supporting podcasts in the US and expand globally by the end of the year.
Details
Google Podcasts was launched in 2018
To help users transition from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music, Google will offer a migration tool and the option to add podcast RSS feeds to their YouTube Music library.
According to Edison Research, 23% of weekly podcast users in the US choose YouTube as their most frequently used service, compared to just 4% for Google Podcasts.
The Google Podcasts app was first launched on Android in 2018 and was later brought to iOS in 2020.
Insights
Google's migration tool will help users shift to YouTube Music
While migration tools will be provided, it remains to be seen how the termination will impact podcasters who have built their audience on Google Podcasts.
Google's move leaves only Apple with not having merged music and podcasts into a single destination.
Others including Spotify, Amazon, and Pandora currently support both types of audio in their respective applications.