Kate Mills 
Apr 01, 2024
In an intriguing series of events, search giant Google has announced to pull the plug on Google Podcasts in the US, while informing users that they must migrate their subscriptions to YouTube Music in a bid to keep up with their favourite shows.
In case users fails to move his subscription by the announced deadline, they will still be given an extended window to do so but the tradeoff is that they won't be able to stream directly from the Podcasts app.
With over 500 million downloads count on Google Play Store in almost past five years, the app has been facilitating users with an easy-to-interact interface for users to discover, follow and stream podcasts effortlessly. Moreover, it is also capable of adding podcasts by RSS feed with the help of third-part apps.
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The discontinuation comes to fulfill Google's earlier promise of doing away with Podcasts in early 2024, and shift its entire focus of offering audio-related services to YouTube.
Google followed the same suit in 2020, when the seizure of Google Play Music was on the verge. In spite of Google prompting users to transit from Google Play Music, Google Podcasts stood tall owing to YouTube Music's inability to support podcasts, something it eventually attained late last year.
While Google's this move could also be attributed to the ever-increasing inclination of people in video podcasts, users' shift to YouTube Music will make Google a staunch contender in the audio landscape.
Although the shutdown was reported by several publications in the first place, the official announcement was brought to light on one of Google's support page, confirming that Podcasts users in the US can use the app till March 2024.
