YouTube Music now supports podcasts, signaling end of Google Podcasts
Google has integrated a new podcasts feature into its YouTube Music app. The podcasts will be available on-demand, offline and will support background listening. The best part is you can tune into podcasts on the app regardless of whether you have a Premium subscription. However, the latest update makes one wonder what lies in store for Google's dedicated Podcasts app.
Why does this story matter?
YouTube announced that it was bringing the podcast feature to its music app in February and it is finally here. The latest update reflects Google's goal of providing a unified experience, making music streaming and podcasts available in a single app. It might just be what YouTube Music needed to take on market leader Spotify, which recently hit 500 million monthly active users.
You can swap between audio and video versions of podcasts
The YouTube Music app now allocates a dedicated tab for Podcasts. You can also switch between the audio and video versions of a podcast on the app. However, only those podcasts or shows that have uploaded video versions of episodes to YouTube are currently available on the app. Google said the "new podcast listening experience complements the podcast video experience on YouTube."
You can browse through categories including comedy and business
The dedicated Podcasts tab will show recommendations and it will display personalized carousels like 'Keep Listening,' 'Your Favorites,' and 'Your Shows.' The 'Explore' tab, located right next to the home screen toggle, will list trending podcasts based on your location and will also let you browse from various categories including business, society and culture, comedy, health and fitness, and true crime.
You can set timers for the podcasts
The controls incorporated for the podcast player are more or less similar to what's available when streaming music. The 'Now Playing' screen will include a 10-second rewind and a 30-second forward option. You will find the playback speed control on the left and a sleep timer on the right. Right at the bottom you can see the 'Details' tab.
Each podcast creator will have a designated 'channel page'
Podcast creators will have a designated 'channel page' on the YouTube Music app where you can find all the episodes they have featured in. "You can also browse show details, add a podcast to your library, or download episodes from the channel page," said the official blog. "To get to the channel page, click the channel name from a podcast episode."
YouTube will bring the podcast feature to more countries
The podcast option on YouTube Music is currently available only to users in the US. However, the company said that it is planning on bringing the new feature to more countries in the future.
What does the new feature mean for the Podcasts app?
While YouTube Music has gained the podcasts feature, the Podcasts app appears to have taken a backseat. Google released the Podcasts app in 2018, but the tech giant seems to be paying little attention to the app. The last update it received was in August 2022. The app also stopped showing up in Google Search results for a while.
Google may end support for Podcasts app in near future
It is worth mentioning that at present the Google Podcasts app has a larger library and offers more features. But Google might end support from the app in the future as it continues to make improvements to the YouTube Music app.
