In 2024, Google Podcasts will be retired, and users will be redirected to utilize Podcasts within the YouTube Music app. Until 2024, users will retain access to both YouTube Music and Google Podcasts, after which the latter will be gradually phased out.
Google cites this transition as aligning with the prevalent podcast consumption habits. According to Edison data, a substantial 23% of weekly podcast enthusiasts in the US opt for YouTube as their preferred platform, while merely 4% favor Google Podcasts.
In a blog post heralding the transition to YouTube Music, Google stated that“Looking forward to 2024, we’ll be increasing our investment in the podcast experience on YouTube Music — making it a better overall destination for fans and podcasters alike with YouTube-only capabilities across community, discovery and audio/visual switching.”
“Later in 2024, as part of this process, we’ll be discontinuing Google Podcasts. As part of this process, we’ll be helping Google Podcasts users move over to Podcasts in YouTube Music.” the search giant added.
