Google Podcasts, a widely-used app boasting over 500 million downloads on the Play Store, is set to cease operations in the US starting April 2. The decision comes as Google shifts its focus towards audio and video podcasts integrated with YouTube Music. Despite the imminent closure, users are provided with a window until July 2024 to migrate their subscriptions to alternative platforms.
Google had announced the closure of the Google Podcasts app in a blog post last year, with in-app notifications reminding users of the impending shutdown for weeks. Now, a warning on the app's home page encourages users to transfer their data to YouTube Music or other podcast services of their choice.
Here's a step-by-step guide to transferring your subscriptions to YouTube Music:
Open the Google Podcasts app and navigate to the Home tab.
Locate the Google Podcasts app shutdown notification and tap "Export Subscriptions."
Select "Export to YouTube Music."
You'll be redirected to YouTube Music to choose a Gmail account. Once confirmed, your subscriptions will be transferred (allow a few minutes for completion).
Be aware that not all podcasts might migrate seamlessly. You might see a "Content is unavailable" message. In such cases, manually adding the podcast using its RSS feed link is necessary.
Moving subscriptions to a non-Google service requires a slightly more complex process. Users need to download an OPML file through Google Takeout.
While most subscriptions will migrate smoothly, some podcasts may not be available in YouTube Music, resulting in a "Content is unavailable" message. In such cases, users can manually add podcasts by providing the show's RSS feed link. Additionally, transferring podcasts to a third-party app requires downloading via an OPML file from Google Takeout.
Google cited its intention to enhance the podcast experience on YouTube Music, offering exclusive features tailored for both fans and podcasters. By investing in YouTube Music as a primary podcast destination, Google aims to provide a comprehensive audio-visual experience with unique capabilities in community engagement, content discovery, and seamless audio/visual transitions.