Google announced it will shut down its dedicated Google Podcasts app sometime in 2024. The move is part of a broader effort to transition podcast listening over to YouTube Music as Google seeks to make it more competitive with Spotify, Apple Music, and others.
Right now, YouTube Music has only around 23% of weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. compared to Spotify's 31% and Apple's 28%. However, more people already use YouTube for podcasts than Google Podcasts, which has only 4% market share.
To aid the transition, Google will let users transfer their podcast library and subscriptions over to YouTube Music. Users can also download an OPML file to import into any podcast app.
The shift makes sense given YouTube's strength for discovery versus Google Podcasts. However, YouTube Music still lacks key podcast features like RSS subscription support which won't fully roll out until later this year.
While Google Podcasts shutting down isn't surprising given its lack of adoption, the transition faces challenges. YouTube and YouTube Music have been separate destinations until now. Users who listen to podcasts on YouTube may not want another app.
It's also concerning given Google's history of shutting down products like Google Play Music without smooth transitions. They will need to execute this shift better if YouTube Music is truly going to become a podcast player.
Apple remains the only major music service without podcasts integrated. But Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora have all combined podcasts and music. Google is now looking to catch up even if it means leaving some users behind.
How many of your listeners come from Google Podcasts? Drop your answers in the comments.
