Google announced today its intention to close its podcast service during the next 2024, according to its official website.
The company plans to integrate the Google Podcast service into the YouTube Music service, to be a comprehensive platform for all audio and music services.
This comes at a time when Google is adding a lot of updates to the podcast section of YouTube Music, including making it available in all countries of the world before the end of this year.
The company said it will provide a “simple migration tool” to transfer users’ existing subscriptions from Google Podcasts, and there will be the possibility of adding podcasts to YouTube Music via RSS feeds, including audio programs that are not currently on YouTube.
Google will also offer the option to export subscriptions in an OPML format, where it will work with other podcast players.
YouTube will allow podcast hosts to upload audio episodes via RSS feeds instead of requesting a video transcript.
Google said it would facilitate the transition to YouTube Music, adding that users could continue to use the standalone podcast service for now.
The company did not give a specific date for the new changes announced, only indicating that they will be launched when they are ready, and promised to provide clear guidelines on how they work, so that users are not negatively affected by those changes.
Google has stated that it will increase its investment in the podcast experience at YouTube Music, to make it a one-stop destination for podcast hosts and listeners alike.
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