Key Takeaways:
Google is bringing the curtains down on its podcast app – Google Podcasts – on April 2nd as part of its efforts to establish YouTube as the go-to platform for music and podcasts.
The company is asking users to migrate their subscriptions to YouTube Music to follow and stream their favorite shows moving forward.
Although Google Podcast customers will be given additional time beyond the deadline to migrate, they will no longer be able to stream shows directly on the app starting Tuesday.
With the move, Google aims to establish YouTube Music as its primary audio platform, placing it in direct competition with giants Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Google Winds Down Podcast App, Shifting Focus to YouTube Music and Video Podcasts
Launched in 2018, Google Podcasts was installed over 500 million times on Android devices globally and offered a simple and streamlined interface for discovering, following, and listening to podcasts as well as adding shows through RSS feeds.
In 2020, the company introduced the app on iOS, allowing iPhone users to listen to their favorite podcasts. The service could also be used on the web, Windows, and Mac.
Google Podcasts took advantage of Google’s tech prowess to recommend the latest and trending shows. However, where it trailed behind Apple and Spotify’s offerings was in terms of features and exclusive shows.
Last September, the tech giant announced that it would be winding down the Podcasts app in early 2024 as part of its broader plan to bring all audio services under the YouTube brand.
Google played out a similar strategy to transition users to YouTube Music back in early 2020 when the company announced it was going to discontinue the Google Play Music app later that year.
The only reason Google Podcasts continued for as long as it did was because YouTube Music lacked support for podcasts until the end of 2023. In February, YouTube introduced a feature that allowed the upload of RSS feeds to its music streaming platform.
The move will help Google become a bigger player in the podcast space. YouTube is already popular for its video podcasts, a feature that only debuted on Spotify in 2020 with the ‘Joe Rogan Experience’.
Tech news outlet Bleeping Computer was the first to report on the Google Podcasts shutdown date after sighting a support page on Google’s website confirming that the app’s US users would no longer be able to use it through the end of March 2024.
23% of American Podcast Listeners Choose YouTube as Their Go-to Platform
According to data from Edison Research, about 23% of listeners in the US opted for YouTube as their go-to platform for podcasts, followed by Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just 4% of listeners queried during the survey suggested Google Podcasts.
The survey was indicative of the growing popularity of video podcasts among listeners. Just last week, Spotify inked a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) to introduce video podcasts to its US users. This came following news that the Swedish music and podcast streaming platform was testing video podcasts in certain global markets.
Existing users have been given time until July 2024 to export their subscriptions to YouTube Music. The April 2nd deadline is for Google Podcasts’ US customers as Google has not shared a timeline for the rest of the world yet. However, the company is expected to wind down global support for the app by the end of the year.
More News: Lenovo Prepares To Go All In On AI, Says Chairman