Google Podcasts will be closed in 2024 to allow podcast listeners to switch to YouTube Music

Google has announced that in 2024 it will shut down its podcasting app Google Podcasts. This is planned to be done as part of a wider transition of listeners to YouTube Music, writes TechCrunch.

Google plans to increase its investment in podcasts on YouTube Music and make it a more attractive place for fans.

To help users transition to YouTube Music, the company will offer a migration tool and the ability to add RSS podcast feeds to their YouTube Music library. These tools are not yet available.

In addition, Google will allow users to download an OPML file of their subscriptions to shows from Google Podcast. Users will be able to use it in any application that supports import.

“We know this transition will take time, but these efforts will allow us to build an amazing product and a single destination that rewards creators and artists and provides fans with the best Podcasts experience,” a YouTube blog post explained.

Earlier this year, the tech giant announced that YouTube Music would start supporting podcasts in the US, and by the end of the year, it will expand support worldwide. And recently, the company announced that it will add the ability for podcasters to upload their RSS feeds to YouTube by the end of the year.