Google Podcasts to shut down in 2024
Google announced this morning it will be shutting down its Google Podcasts app later in 2024 as part of its broader transition to move its streaming
When Stitcher shut down I briefly considered this app as an alternative but I said, no. These guys can't be trusted to stick around. So no surprise here but thanks clamman for sharing it.
I had the same calculation a while ago. The feature where you could resume a podcast on my phone and Google Home speaker was tempting, but I stuck with Pocket Casts, which I just feel is more invested in their product. And the idea of listening to podcasts on Youtube is just not for me. Same reason I've never wanted podcasts on Spotify; podcast listening is something I want separate, not mixed with music.
Can confirm, I listen to podcasts on Spotify and it's really annoying.
Pocket casts has been getting a little too bloaty with features for me lately but it's still the best out there
What did you switch to? I need a decent podcast app... I currently use Google podcasts. I used to use castbox, but the ads became unbearable.
Not who you asked, but I use podbean and have recently started using antennapod. Both are really good, but antennapod is open source from what I understand, and I've been able to find more podcasts on it. Only gripes with it are that you can't rate the podcasts on it, and you can't set it play all episodes of a certain podcast automatically. You have to add them to a queue manually and play from the queue. Other than that it's absolutely fantastic.
I switched to AntennaPod and am satisfied so far. No risk of getting stuck on a proprietary platform.
I landed on Podcast Addict. It was similar enough for me to switch pretty easily.
You know, it is a running joke that Google keeps killing their products within a few years or so after release. but with all seriousness, it makes me not trust any product they release because I have no idea if it'll even be around a year later.
Dear Google, stop trying to make YT Music happen. It's not going to happen.
Just downloaded AntennaPod
I happen to use YT Music despite it sucking because I already pay for YouTube premium, and it seemed dumb to pay for Spotify or Tidal instead. Plus I hated what Spotify was doing by trying to combine music and podcasts into a single app. So naturally, a few years later Google is combining music and podcasts into a single app.
A few years ago, before Google introduced YouTube music, they had the Google Play Music app that let you listen to their entire catalog, download/cache the songs beforehand, listen to your own audio files on local storage (including .flac files), and subscribe and listen to Podcasts.
Literally was one of my most used apps until YouTube Music happened and they had less features for double the price.
1 for AntennaPod, has tons of options but also gets out of your way if all you want to do is find and listen to podcasts.
I can't see Google ever adding in all the options people want in a podcast app into YouTube Music, it's just never going to happen.
I would expect they'll probably use it to try and switch you over to the video version (if it exists) since it's going to have the more expensive ads (I assume the video ads are more lucrative anyways), which isn't overall a bad thing, but also not really a good one either.
Idk... it has the best selection of music, it's the only reason why I switched.
GP Music wasn't too bad. I wish Apple would bring an iTunes client to Android, or at least if there were a decent comparable product (that supports streaming+purchasing music as I actually prefer to buy the songs I like).
Locking people into the streaming model is lame
Comes with YT Premium, so not sure why I'd use anything else. Can't say I love the app though. Seems to get worse with each update.
Don't have either and don't see ad's on Youtube. Fuck yt premium
Do people generally like having their podcasts and music on the same app? I never understood why so many music apps added podcasts.
They added podcasts because it is comparatively cheap (they don't have to pay the record labels any royalties).
Easy, more user analytics.
I do. It helps to have it all in one place. Also since I'm paying for Spotify, I'm glad I'm not paying for another separate podcast service, and it feels like I get my money's worth. Probably listen to a good 3-4 hours of podcasts per week and another 20-30 hours of music. If I was JUST doing podcasts, I'd probably use another service but it's nice to have it all in one place that behaves the same for me in the car.
Why would you pay for a podcast service?
There are a bunch of podcast client apps that are free to use, some are open source, and they are utilizing indices such as podcastindex.org to give you access to podcasts.
Because there is a lot of shared stuff... so it's cheap to be added to the app, that's why.
That has absolutely nothing to do with it, its about more user analytics to cash in on.
Man Google is on a roll, one of the few of their apps I kept after de-googling in the last few months from most things, now I can add this to an alternative. Thanks G!
You could try AntennaPod, I really like it and it's open source.
I use it too and I find it perfect. Most music players also have a podcast feature. I used to use pocketcasts but they decided to update (ruin) the interface and I'm still mad about it.
Killed by Google
I know it's not really important but I prefer the design of the Podcasts app (Material You). YouTube Music is always completely black and clashes with the design of every other app made by Google. 🤷♂️
Youtube music is trash!! The black background looks terrible. Stopped listening to music since the switch, my entire library was migrated and then removed by youtube music.
This is stupid (as usual). I use the podcast app and when it will be turned off guess what i will use instead? Any other app instead of YouTube Music!!! Why? Because F**k Google!!! That's why! I swear, it's like they are deliberately trying to push me away from all their services. First Chrome, then Google search, and now podcast too. I'm already looking at some decent Gmail alternative.
'Podcast Addict' is an amazing alternative.
And these Google actions are what cause me to #degoogle my life, finding alternatives for every Google thing I use. Damn you Google, don't be like that...
Absolutely second podcast addict, it's what I use for my podcasts and downloaded audio books
Podcast Republic is an awesome podcast app. When Stitcher became cumbersome that's what I switched to years ago. I feel even better having made the switch now that Stitcher has been absorbed.
k-9 for Gmail account there's also protonmail, tutanota and posteo.de
even thunderbird works
I assumed that had been killed years ago.
Am I totally crazy or did the word “podcast” come directly from the Apple proprietary product name “iPod?” You know, their old music players?
If so it’s weird to see an Apple-specific term spread so far and wide. They usually stay within the walled garden.
You are correct that the term "podcast" derives from the iPod, but interestingly the term predates Apple's addition of podcasting features to the iPod and the iTunes software.
The first podcast was Christopher Lydon's Radio Open Source. The term podcast was created to describe it. It's still going strong. If you like ideas, books, music, vaguely leftish politics you might like it.
It has nothing to do with open source software.
At this point I can't even say I'm surprised that Google did this anymore.
Didn't even know this was a thing.
