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5 things we will miss about Google Podcasts now that it's dead
What Google Podcasts got right, and what YouTube Music needs to copy
Google killed its podcast app on April 2 and shoved everything into the YouTube Music app, and now nothing can replicate the streamlined experience of Google Podcasts. So far, YouTube Music has missed the mark completely, from its cluttered interface to its insistence that everything should be connected to video somehow. So here's what we will miss the most about Google Podcasts now that it's gone.
Google Podcasts is closing. Here's how to move your podcast feed to YouTube Music
With a few months left for Google Podcasts to die, it is time to move your podcasts to YouTube Music
You may have heard that Google Podcasts is going away and YouTube Music will become Google's new podcast delivery system in April 2024. YouTube Music users can now stay in a single app to enjoy their tunes and podcasts, similar to competitors like Spotify. To make the transition smooth, we show you how to move your Google Podcasts subscription to YouTube and where to find podcasts on the site and app. Then, get the most out of your podcasts by bringing along your favorite pair of earbuds.
YouTube Music gains another vital feature ahead of Google Podcasts shutdown
The app is getting the trim silence functionality for podcasts
YouTube Music officially started supporting podcasts in its apps almost a year ago. Although Google said at the time that its standalone Podcasts app wasn't going anywhere, we now know that it didn't pan out. Ahead of the service's expected closure in April, the YouTube Music team is busy giving the final touches to the podcast experience in the app. With this in mind, developers are working on adding a feature that's pretty common among the best podcast apps, including the soon-to-be-dead Google Podcasts.
YouTube Music needs to avoid its Play Music mistakes with podcasts
Google has to prove it won't make the same mistakes with podcasts as it did with Google Play Music.
In a world where algorithms determine all of our entertainment, YouTube Music makes sense. After all, YouTube has long been synonymous with online entertainment and a place people use for listening to music and discovering new artists. Using this strong brand for a dedicated music service seemed like the logical next step, even if that meant killing Google Play Music. But Google made a lot of mistakes in the transition, and with Google Podcasts being the next service to be transitioned to YouTube Music, the company needs to prove that it learned from its mistakes.
Your iPhone's Podcast app may be stealing gigs of storage. Here's how to reclaim that space
Using an iPhone with low storage is never a good idea
When you stream a lot of podcasts on your iPhone or iPad, they may consume considerable space on your device. The default Podcasts app on iPhone auto-downloads five episodes of your followed podcasts and fills up the device storage in no time. Before you run into errors due to low storage warnings, use the tricks below to free gigs of iPhone space by deleting podcasts.
Spotify will now translate podcasts into your native language with AI
Bill Simmons, Dax Shepard, and others are partnering with Spotify for translations
If you love listening to podcasts, you might be occasionally frustrated if English isn’t your first language. Many podcast hosts speak English, which can make their shows difficult to listen to without fluency. As more translation tools are developed, AI is leading the charge in improving the accessibility of this type of content. Now, Spotify has announced that it plans to deploy AI to resolve this all-too-common issue for some of its listeners.
YouTube Music is planning some big upgrades for podcasts
RSS feed support will soon be coming to the app
A critical part of finding success as a podcaster is making sure that your show is widely available. That being said, uploading audio to a host’s platform is a time-consuming process. Being able to streamline this by uploading to an RSS feed can reduce the time that goes into content distribution. To that end, YouTube intends to give podcasters the option to upload via RSS feeds to the YouTube Music app by the end of 2023.
Weekend poll: How do you listen to podcasts on your phone?
A dedicated app or mixed in with your music?
It's become a cliché, but these days, everyone has a podcast. Thanks to a relatively low cost to produce, podcasting has become one of the internet's favorite art forms. From interviews to scripted dramas, true crime to comedy, there's a little something for everyone in the world of podcasts. Arguably even more important than what you listen to, though, is how you listen to it, because these days, there are so many good podcast apps to choose from.
Google Podcasts is available on Android and iOS devices. While lacking in some features, it's still a great competitor to some of the best podcast apps like Spotify. It has all the basic features you need to listen to your favorite podcast episodes on the go.
Google Assistant can now help bored drivers easily get to their favorite podcast episode
'Play the Android Police podcast about Andor'
Driving can be a loathable activity. It requires globs of active attention, carries numerous risks, and, yet, you probably will need to get out on the roads today. Hands-free interaction with Android Auto and some of its best apps can help dull the monotony without posing too much of a distraction in the process. But for podcast listeners looking to pass the time with a favorite episode, they've still had to navigate menu after menu of selections. That is, until now.
Will Twitter's pivot to podcasts get more people to use it?
Or will the feature flop like Fleets and take the company down with it?
Twitter's strategy with adding new features has pretty much consisted of shoving stuff up the noses of users and seeing what sticks. And to Twitter's credit, it occasionally works. Spaces has been pretty successful on its own and it has stayed relevant despite a dip in popularity of Clubhouse, the app it borrowed its main concept from. The app is venturing further into the audio space by adding a new podcasts feature to Spaces. It's not a bad idea in itself — after all, making a good new thing better should be one of the company's biggest priorities right now. We're normally less than confident on Twitter's additions after flubs like NFT profile pictures and Fleets. But if executed right, Twitter just may be able to earn some new stripes and gain some real popularity — perhaps surpassing Snapchat and coming up to the likes of Facebook.
Facebook is out of the podcasting business after only a year
The writing was on the wall, but it’s now confirmed
Last year, Facebook announced it was introducing a couple of new audio formats, including podcasts, and the features began rolling out to U.S. users in June. However, despite all the hype surrounding the company’s foray into a particularly booming space at the time, things quickly took a U-turn with reports emerging last month that the Meta-owned social media site was dialing back interest. A new report is confirming previous suspicions that the company is giving up on podcasts and that they'll be removed from the platform starting next month.
Facebook's starting to realize that everyone already has their preferred way to access podcasts
The company's shifting efforts towards the metaverse, e-commerce, and short videos
In April last year, Facebook announced it was introducing a couple of new audio formats, including podcasts, a short audio content creation tool called Soundbites, and Live Audio Rooms for hosting Clubhouse-like talks. The features started rolling out in June in the US. But less than a year down the line, the company’s interest in the space is waning, according to reports.
Spotify made a low-key acquisition last year, picking up a podcast discovery platform called Podz for just shy of $50 million. Thankfully, the name is gone, but the technology from Podz powers a new UI test rolling out to some Spotify users. The toolbar now has a button that launches a TikTok-style feed of podcasts that could help you find your next pod-binge. Or if this change upsets you, there are other music services out there.
Twitter has come a long way from its humble text-based origins, and lately the service seems to love nothing more than experimenting with new content formats. After introducing stories-like Fleets, the company began branching out into audio. Its first foray came in 2020 when it tested audio chat rooms in Spaces, its Clubhouse-esque platform. To help build up the feature, the company went as far as buying the podcast app Breaker. Now it looks like Twitter's ready to take things a step further with a full-blown podcast tab.
Spotify dethrones Apple as king of podcast listenership thanks to its annoyingly aggressive strategy
All those exclusive podcasts must be working (to our raging chagrin)
In its third-quarter earnings call, streaming audio giant Spotify reported sustained profits from its growing paid membership and ad sales. A good chunk of those ads managed to land on podcasts which more people than ever are listening to.
It took Google a long time to include a podcast app on Android by default, eventually building one directly into its mobile search application. It's become surprisingly popular thanks to its ease of use and free accessibility, and it's about to look a whole lot better too. Fresh off of some changes to its core UI, Google Podcasts is next up for its Material You makeover, and it's looking pretty spiffy if we do say so ourselves.
Google Podcasts gets a fresh UI that simplifies sorting through your endless library of episodes
The 'Activity' tab is dead, long live the 'Library' tab
Google Podcasts might not be everyone's first choice in podcast apps, but it's become a pretty popular service with Android users nevertheless. Throughout the last couple of years, it's gained a proper playback panel and support for custom RSS feeds, making it feel a lot more complete than its initial barebones launch. A new design is now arriving on Android devices, providing some minor but notable tweaks to Google's podcast player.
Google Podcasts on the web is picking up a welcome feature from the Android app
The episode listening queue is now available via desktop browsers
Google's Podcasts client is surprisingly good. It's a nice alternative to the more established options, especially if you're looking for something simple and straightforward. Podcasts is available either on the web via desktop browsers, or as a dedicated mobile app on Android and iOS, with your audio subscriptions and progress saved in both. But before now, the saved playlist of episodes available on the app wasn't visible on the web. Now it is. Neat.
Android Auto starts suggesting music, news, and podcasts, so you can keep your focus on the road
Google is probably also trying to subtly fix your listening habits
We've heard it all along, Android Auto is designed around keeping your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. While that doesn't always work out in practice, many of the changes to the Auto interface are at least intended to streamline your interactions with the screen. It looks like Google may have identified people were spending too much time browsing for music and podcasts, because a new shortcut now provides automatic suggestions that can get you listening without a lot of tapping.