Google Podcasts App Is Shutting Down: Here's How To Migrate Your Subscriptions To YouTube Music With Easy Steps

A podcast is like a radio show that you can listen to anytime on your phone or computer. It covers various topics such as news, storytelling, interviews, or discussions. You can find podcasts on platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts. They're often hosted by individuals or groups who share their thoughts, ideas, and expertise, making it easy for listeners to tune in whenever they want.

But there is bad news for podcast lovers in India, Google Podcasts with over 500 million downloads is shutting down, but don't worry! You can easily transfer your subscriptions to YouTube Music or download them from another app. Your data will be accessible via Google Takeout for a year after Google Podcasts ends. YouTube Music offers podcast features like background play and downloads, even without a paid membership. This decision follows a trend where Google has unexpectedly shut down several of its services in the past.

Google Podcasts App

To facilitate this transition, Google has launched a user-friendly tool that allows users to migrate their podcast subscriptions to YouTube Music or download them as a file. This file can then be uploaded to another app that supports subscription imports. YouTube Music, similar to Google Podcasts, enables users to listen to podcasts on the go, providing features like background play and the ability to download podcasts, all without requiring a paid membership.

It's important to note that after July 29, 2024, users will no longer be able to migrate or export their podcast subscriptions, so it's advisable to take action before this deadline.

Additionally, Google reassured users that their podcast data will remain accessible via Google Takeout for a year following the deprecation of Google Podcasts. However, after this one-year period, all associated data will be permanently deleted, so users should ensure they retrieve any important information before it's too late.

Why is Google shutting down its Podcast App?

Last year in a blog post explaining the decision to shut down the Google Podcasts app, Google revealed, ¡°Looking forward to 2024, we¡¯ll be increasing our investment in the podcast experience on YouTube Music ¡ª making it a better overall destination for fans and podcasters alike with YouTube-only capabilities across community, discovery and audio/visual switching."

How to Transfer Your Podcast Subscriptions to YouTube Music:

• Open the Google Podcasts app, and tap on "Export subscriptions" at the top of the screen.
• Select "Export to YouTube Music," then tap "Export."
• Switch to the YouTube Music app and choose "Transfer."
• Review the disclosure and tap "Continue." Note: If you don't have YouTube Music installed, you'll be prompted to install the app.

How to Download an OPML File:

• Launch the Google Podcasts app.
• Tap "Export subscriptions" at the top of the screen.
• Under "Export to another app," select "Download."
• You'll receive a notification when the download is complete.

How to Download Your Data with Google Takeout:

• Visit https://takeout.google.com/.
• Click on "Deselect all" under "Create a new export."
• Choose "My Activity" and then "All activity data included."
• From the options, select "Podcasts."
• Click "Okay" and then "Next Step."
• Choose your file type and frequency.
• Tap "Download."