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 may be improved for customers in a means that I believe Google Podcasts would by no means actually have the ability to 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 consumer expertise.
“Google could also be infamous for having plenty of totally different merchandise that sort of do comparable issues,” he says. “So, which is definitely the one which we’re invested in?” Whereas McLendon needs to create a consumer expertise the place podcast-only listeners really feel welcome, he’s excited by the multimedia potentialities as properly. 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.
The best way to Migrate From Google Podcasts to YouTube Music
McLendon’s group launched a device to assist Google Podcasts customers transfer their show subscriptions to YouTube Music. The characteristic continues to be only for customers in america, however McLendon says the corporate finally plans a global rollout. It’s price 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 will be shutting down its Podcasts app, Google has begun displaying a notification on the high of the app’s Dwelling display that gives a fast hyperlink to export your subscriptions. Search for this notification on the high and choose Export subscriptions. (In a browser, the identical possibility ought to seem below the Discover reveals tab.) In the event you’d like to change all the things over to YouTube Music, select the Export button. Tapping this in your cellphone will mechanically open the YouTube Music app and ensure 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 whole podcasts to your library. Then the method begins.
The device was in a position to migrate all 12 of my podcast subscriptions in below a minute. (In the event you’re a podcast fanatic with a whole bunch of subscriptions, it could take longer.) Afterward, you may hearken to your favourite reveals in YouTube Music by tapping Podcasts on the high of the Dwelling or Library tab. In the event you don’t instantly see the Podcasts possibility, you might must scroll by means of the grey buttons to the left. In the event you’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 may stream or play downloaded reveals whereas the display is locked, even for those who don’t have a subscription.
Different Podcast Listening Choices
Pissed off with this alteration and on the hunt for one more minimalist podcast app? For iPhone homeowners, the Overcast app is a powerful possibility that mirrors the streamlined nature of Google Podcasts. Pocket Casts is one other well-designed app that may suit your preferences, and it’s obtainable on each Android and Apple units.
Fortunately, for those who resolve in opposition to YouTube Music and also you wish to depart Google’s podcast ecosystem completely, you may nonetheless take your present subscriptions with you. Observe the identical steps listed within the part above; while you arrive on the YouTube Music export possibility, discover the secondary possibility labeled Export for one more app and press Obtain. This course of will save an OPML file to your system.
Within the Overcast app, you may add this subscription record by going to Settings and scrolling right down to Import OPML. The migration course of from Google Podcasts to Pocket Casts is just a little trickier however nonetheless doable. Open the Information app in your smartphone and find the downloaded OPML information 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 mirror hat Google Podcasts is now formally gone.
