Google is not removing Google Podcasts in favor of YouTube Podcasts. According to a company spokesperson, “Google Podcasts continues to serve its many audio users around the world”^[1]. However, YouTube is reportedly launching a new podcasting service called “YouTube Podcasts”^[2], which could potentially replace Google Podcasts in the future. Google has also recently removed the feature that allowed users to access playable podcasts directly from the Google Search results^[3], which could be an indication that they are shifting focus to YouTube Podcasts.

Sources:

1. https://9to5google.com/2023/02/23/google-podcasts-youtube/
2. https://arstechnica.com/ars-podcast/2021/10/youtube-podcasts-will-reportedly-be-the-next-piece-of-youtubes-media-empire/
3. https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/07/google-winds-down-feature-that-put-playable-podcasts-directly-in-search-results/

YouTube, a Google subsidiary, is experimenting with podcasting and may officially embrace it in the near future. This test allows existing content to be marked as podcasts without manual conversion, giving uploaders access to performance, audience, and revenue data. The podcast content is also displayed on the dedicated Podcasts homepage on YouTube, which is currently only available in the US. Outside of the US, the podcast uploads are displayed as regular YouTube videos. The webpage also displays Google’s third iteration of the podcast logo, colored in blue instead of red.

This move follows the removal of Google Podcasts from Search results, indicating that YouTube may be the ultimate successor for Google Podcasts. As Chrome Unboxed points out, “YouTube is in a unique position to take over the podcasting space”. This could be a great opportunity for YouTube to expand its content library and become a major player in the podcasting industry.