Google sets a definitive date to close this service with more than 500 million downloads
Google has announced the definitive closure of its Google Podcast application by April 2024. This decision marks the end of a journey that began in 2016 with its launch, the third attempt to enter the world of podcasting after Google Listen and Google Play Music Podcast .
Since its launch, Google Podcasts has been part of the experience of many lovers of that format. However, things change and Google has decided to give way to YouTube Podcast, its fourth movement in this world launched in 2022.
This new application seeks to offer users a joint and unique place for music and podcasts, thus making the user experience simpler, in true Sportify style.
The company has now set a definitive date when the service will finally go to Google’s famous product graveyard. In a new support document, the company announced that users They will be able to use Google Podcasts until March 2024, so the service will cease to exist in April of next year.
You have until April 2024 to transition to YouTube Podcast
To ease the transition for users, Google has established a clear plan. With the aforementioned date in mind, those who wish to retain their subscriptions will be able to bring them to YouTube Music through a simple one-click process at music.youtube.com/transfer_podcasts.
In addition, there is the option to export your subscriptions as an OPML file until August 2024, allowing it to be imported into other compatible applications.
With all this, now we have to wait and see what impact it has, especially for content creators, who will also have to move platforms with the audience-level impact that this may have. Google’s forecast regarding this issue is positive, since the company seeks to offer users and creators an improved and centralized experience.
“With YouTube Music, you can listen to podcasts on the go using background play; download podcasts; switch between audio and video; and more, without a paid membership*. While YouTube Music looks different from Google Podcasts, rest assured that this new experience was created by a team dedicated to creating a great podcast experience for all of you,” explains Google on its blog.
