As you might be aware by now, Google is planning to add yet another awesome service, Google Podcasts, to its ever-growing graveyard of Killed by Google. This lightweight, no-frills Podcast app has been a fan favorite for many as it offers a robust library, simple controls, and a clean interface.
In its place, Google said that it plans to bring Podcasts to its music streaming service, YouTube Music. ‘…we’ll be increasing our investment in the podcast experience on YouTube Music — making it a better overall destination for fans and podcasters alike.‘ — Google.
Related:
- Google Podcasts to Be Discontinued in 2024: What You Need to Know
- Here are the Best Google Podcasts Alternatives to check out in 2024
Now as 2024 draws closer, we have a few more details on the termination of Google Podcasts and a way for users to migrate their libraries and in this post, we shall be looking at some of these. But first things first, how do you migrate to YouTube Music?
How to Move Google Podcasts Subscriptions to YouTube Music
- Visit the Google Podcasts app
- Select Export subscriptions at the top of the screen.
- Select Export under ‘Export to YouTube Music’
- Select Transfer on the YouTube Music app
- Select Continue
- Select Go to Library to view your subscriptions once the transfer is complete
Things to Note
- At the moment, this is only applicable to users in the United States. There is still not word on the global availability of this tool. I haven’t gotten it in Kenya despite being on the latest versions of YouTube Music and Google Podcasts.
- Not all podcasts will be available in YouTube Music and you may see a “Content is unavailable” message next to it if that’s the case. Google says that If a podcast is missing from YouTube Music, you can save it to your library using the show’s RSS feed link.
- Google marks April 2, 2024 as the end-of-life date for Google Podcasts, at least in the US. It remains unclear whether this only applies to the United States but in my opinion, this date applies to all Google Podcasts users globally.
Conclusion
I was alarmed at the fact that Google was posing YouTube Music as an alternative to GooglePodcasts yet YT Music wasn’t available in my country. Since then, YT Music and YouTube Premium are available in Kenya but the fate of other regions is still unknown.
See, Spotify has managed to build a robust catalog of podcasts with some original titles. Could this be the kind of integration that Google is going for? Only time will tell. As dismayed as I a to see Google Podcasts go, I am still hopeful that Google will figure out how to replicate such a simple yet elegant Podcast experience with YouTube Music.