Google Podcasts Is Gone. Here’s How to Transfer Your Subscriptions Leave a comment

Steve McLendon, a product supervisor at Google, admits he’s unhappy to see Google Podcasts head towards the software graveyard. He means that the app’s simplicity, considered one of its core strengths, is what led to its downfall: “Podcast experiences will be improved for customers in a manner that I feel Google Podcasts would by no means actually be capable of ship.”

After launching the app in 2018, the corporate wound down Google Podcasts on April 2. YouTube Music will function Google’s new dwelling for podcast listening. Whereas some customers crave the bare-bones expertise of an RSS feed catcher for podcasts, McLendon is eyeing a future the place algorithmic discovery and video podcast clips are extra central to the person expertise.

“Google could also be infamous for having plenty of totally different merchandise that sort of do related issues,” he says. “So, which is definitely the one which we’re invested in?” Whereas McLendon desires to create a person expertise the place podcast-only listeners really feel welcome, he’s excited by the multimedia potentialities as nicely. For instance, if somebody watches a bunch of clips from NBA video games on YouTube, then their YouTube Music account might counsel some basketball podcasts.

Learn how to Migrate From Google Podcasts to YouTube Music

McLendon’s crew launched a software to assist Google Podcasts customers transfer their show subscriptions to YouTube Music. The characteristic remains to be only for customers in the USA, however McLendon says the corporate ultimately plans a world rollout. It’s value noting that customers have to finish this migration earlier than Google makes the info unavailable in July.

Begin by opening the app in your Android or iOS system and toggling to the Dwelling tab. Since saying that it might be shutting down its Podcasts app, Google has begun displaying a notification on the prime of the app’s Dwelling display that provides a fast hyperlink to export your subscriptions. Search for this notification on the prime and choose Export subscriptions. (In a browser, the identical choice ought to seem beneath the Discover reveals tab.) For those who’d like to modify every part over to YouTube Music, select the Export button. Tapping this in your cellphone will routinely open the YouTube Music app and make sure which account you wish to use to finish the change. After you click on the Switch as… button, YouTube Music will double-check whether or not you wish to add the RSS feeds for your entire podcasts to your library. Then the method begins.

The software was capable of migrate all 12 of my podcast subscriptions in beneath a minute. (For those who’re a podcast fanatic with a whole lot of subscriptions, it could take longer.) Afterward, you’ll be able to hearken to your favourite reveals in YouTube Music by tapping Podcasts on the prime of the Dwelling or Library tab. For those who don’t instantly see the Podcasts choice, you could must scroll by the grey buttons to the left. For those who’ve used YouTube Music, you’ll know {that a} premium subscription is required if you wish to hearken to music whereas your cellphone display is locked. Fortunately, this isn’t the case for podcasts; you’ll be able to stream or play downloaded reveals whereas the display is locked, even in the event you don’t have a subscription.

Different Podcast Listening Choices

Pissed off with this variation and on the hunt for an additional minimalist podcast app? For iPhone homeowners, the Overcast app is a robust choice that mirrors the streamlined nature of Google Podcasts. Pocket Casts is one other well-designed app which may suit your preferences, and it’s out there on each Android and Apple units.

Fortunately, in the event you determine towards YouTube Music and also you wish to depart Google’s podcast ecosystem completely, you’ll be able to nonetheless take your present subscriptions with you. Observe the identical steps listed within the part above; whenever you arrive on the YouTube Music export choice, discover the secondary choice labeled Export for an additional app and press Obtain. This course of will save an OPML file to your system.

Within the Overcast app, you’ll be able to add this subscription listing by going to Settings and scrolling all the way down to Import OPML. The migration course of from Google Podcasts to Pocket Casts is somewhat trickier however nonetheless doable. Open the Recordsdata app in your smartphone and find the downloaded OPML knowledge file. Select to share the file, after which ship it over to Pocket Casts. This could switch your show subscriptions to the brand new app.

Replace, April 2, 2024, 8 am EDT: This story was up to date to replicate hat Google Podcasts is now formally gone.