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The current replacement is YouTube Music. You can search for podcasts there, follow or save shows when they are available, and add a missing show by its official RSS feed in the YouTube Music mobile app.
What happened to Google Podcasts?
Google announced in September 2023 that it would discontinue Google Podcasts and move podcast listening to YouTube Music. The change was completed during 2024:
- For listeners in the United States, Google Podcasts listening ended after April 2, 2024.
- Listening ended in all regions after June 24, 2024.
- The subscription migration and OPML-export tools were available only until July 29, 2024.
Those deadlines have passed. The old site is now a legacy redirect, not a temporarily broken web application. An old tutorial telling you to open Google Podcasts, search for a show, subscribe, or manage a queue on the website is obsolete.
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What happens when you open the old website?
Opening Google Podcasts redirects to YouTube Music’s Google Podcasts notice. The page explains that Google Podcasts is no longer available and directs listeners to YouTube Music.
If you are seeing this redirect, nothing is wrong with your browser. Switching browsers, deleting cookies, disabling extensions, or using an older version of a browser will not bring back the Google Podcasts web player. There is also no authoritative recovery method involving an old Android APK.
How to listen to podcasts now
- Open YouTube Music in a browser or open the YouTube Music app.
- Sign in with the Google account you want to use for your podcast library.
- Search for the show by its title. You can also search for an individual episode.
- Open the show or episode and use the available follow, save, or library control.
- Play the episode from YouTube Music.
YouTube Music is Google’s official replacement destination for podcasts. Depending on the country, account type, show, and device, it may support background listening, car and smart-speaker use, offline access, and switching between audio and video when both versions exist. These features are not necessarily identical for every podcast or account.
Do you need YouTube Music Premium?
No. A paid membership is not required for ordinary podcast listening. Google’s current help information says that most podcasts can be downloaded regardless of membership, although some shows or episodes may not offer audio-only downloads. Some music-related offline and background-play benefits do require Premium, and podcast advertising may still appear for Premium members.
If those optional features matter to you, you can evaluate YouTube Music Premium; do not treat it as a requirement for replacing Google Podcasts.
What to do if a podcast is missing from YouTube Music
Some shows may not appear in YouTube Music’s normal search results. First, get the show’s official RSS-feed URL from the podcast publisher or hosting provider. Use the publisher’s website where possible, because searching the web can produce an unofficial, outdated, or incorrectly copied feed.
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Google’s documented RSS-addition process is available in the YouTube Music mobile app:
- Open the YouTube Music app and sign in.
- Tap Library.
- Select Podcast.
- Choose Add a podcast.
- Select Add a podcast by RSS feed.
- Paste the show’s official RSS-feed URL and submit it.
The show may take several minutes or longer to appear. The official instructions are mobile-app-oriented, so do not assume that every RSS or library-management function is available in the desktop web interface.
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Limitations of RSS-added podcasts
An RSS-added show is not necessarily equivalent to a podcast that is natively available in YouTube Music. Google lists several limitations. RSS-added podcasts may not:
- Switch between audio and video versions.
- Use the same like or dislike controls.
- Use the same show and episode sharing controls.
- Display a YouTube Music channel page.
- Be reported through the same controls.
- Display captions.
RSS ingestion is therefore a practical fallback for finding a missing show, not a guarantee that every native YouTube Music feature will be available.
Can you recover your old Google Podcasts subscriptions?
Only in limited circumstances. During the shutdown transition, Google offered two paths:
- Transfer show subscriptions to YouTube Music.
- Export subscriptions as an OPML file for import into another podcast application.
The migration and export window ended on July 29, 2024. It is not a current feature of the old website.
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If you already have an OPML file
Import the file into an OPML-compatible podcast app. The app must support OPML subscription imports; the file is not a backup of the entire Google Podcasts account.
OPML generally represents a list of subscribed podcast feeds. It should not be treated as a guaranteed recovery of your listening history, queue, downloads, playback position, recommendations, or every other account setting. Google’s transition information specifically described subscription transfer and OPML export, not a complete recreation of all account data.
If you never exported your subscriptions
If the migration window has closed and you do not already possess an OPML export, the old Google Podcasts web player cannot be used to retrieve the list. You may need to rebuild it manually. Useful places to check include:
- Browser history for podcast or episode pages.
- Saved bookmarks and reading lists.
- Email newsletters, episode notifications, or shared links.
- Notes, screenshots, or downloaded files.
- The official websites of shows you remember listening to.
These are practical reconstruction methods, not guaranteed Google recovery tools. There is no reason to expect Google Podcasts to restore old queue state or listening history.
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If you were looking for the old website
Many older instructions still describe a Google Podcasts web player. They may tell you to open the site, browse categories, subscribe to a show, or manage your library in a browser. Those steps no longer work because the service itself has ended.
The correct current paths are:
| What you want to do | Current option |
|---|---|
| Listen to a podcast available in Google’s catalog | Search for it in YouTube Music. |
| Add a show missing from search | Use the official RSS feed in the YouTube Music mobile app. |
| Recover old subscriptions | Import an OPML file if you exported or retained one. |
| Restore the old web player | Not possible; Google Podcasts has been discontinued. |
| Use a non-Google podcast service | Import the existing OPML file into an app that supports OPML, if you have one. |
For podcast publishers
If you publish a show rather than merely listen to one, YouTube can ingest a podcast RSS feed and create static-image videos from audio-first episodes. Google says RSS-ingested podcasts can become available on YouTube and YouTube Music, but this does not distribute the show to other podcast platforms. The process also has content and metadata limitations, so it should not be confused with universal podcast distribution.
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Quick troubleshooting
YouTube Music cannot find my show
Confirm the title spelling, then search for a specific episode. If it is still missing, obtain the official RSS URL and add it through Library → Podcast → Add a podcast → Add a podcast by RSS feed in the mobile app. Allow time for the feed to appear.
My old Google Podcasts subscriptions are gone
Check whether you have an OPML export. If not, the official migration period has ended, so rebuild the list from browser history, email, bookmarks, or publisher websites.
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Podcast download behavior varies by show and episode. Google says most podcasts can be downloaded without membership, but some episodes or shows do not support audio-only downloads. YouTube Music Premium should not be assumed to override every show-specific limitation.
I want my old queue or listening history back
The documented transition covered show subscriptions and OPML export, not full account-state restoration. You should not expect the old queue, listening history, playback positions, or downloads to reappear automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Podcasts still available on the web?
No. Google Podcasts was discontinued in 2024. Its website now redirects to YouTube Music and displays a notice that the service is no longer available.
What replaced Google Podcasts?
YouTube Music is Google’s official replacement for podcast listening. Search for available shows there, or add a missing show by its RSS feed in the YouTube Music mobile app.
Can I still migrate Google Podcasts subscriptions?
Google’s migration and OPML-export window ended on July 29, 2024. If you already have an exported OPML file, import it into a podcast app that supports OPML.
Can I use YouTube Music without Premium for podcasts?
Yes. Ordinary podcast listening does not require Premium, although download availability and other features vary by show, episode, country, account, and device.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Google Podcasts cannot be used on the web anymore. Use YouTube Music for available shows, add missing podcasts through their RSS feeds in the mobile app, and use an existing OPML export if you need to rebuild subscriptions elsewhere. The old player, migration window, queue, and account-history recovery tools are not coming back through browser troubleshooting.
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