Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Like Spotify, Apple, and others, Google is betting big on podcasts. The company’s latest move is supposed to streamline its offering on this front, with podcasts now coming to YouTube Music.
The information on how Google wants to integrate podcasts into the YouTube Music experience is very limited right now. The Mountain View-based search giant is going to allow both audio and video content, and YouTube Studio will be updated to let users mark uploads accordingly.
Google will also allow users to create podcast playlists, similar to how they can now organize videos and songs.
One important feature coming to YouTube Music is the support for starting a podcast on a device and then continuing from where users left off on another. This will be possible when the same Google account is used, as the content will be synced between devices.
Just like music, podcasts will be allowed to play when the phone is locked. Users will be able to control playback from the lock screen, and podcasts will also debut in the car via dedicated YouTube Music apps for Android Auto and CarPlay.
As per Google’s typical approach, podcasts will be recommended to users based on the content they’ve previously played.
Given the migration of podcasts to YouTube Music, it’s not hard to figure out that Google Podcasts’ future is currently in limbo. Google has invested massively in podcasts in the last couple of years, but Google Podcasts appears to become a second-class citizen of its product lineup.
Most likely, YouTube Music will now spearhead Google’s podcast efforts, so the company is expected to enter the race of securing exclusives. Spotify and Apple are investing big on this front, and Google is likely to join the battle, especially as it needs YouTube Music to grow in this regard.
YouTube Music has long been the company’s main focus in terms of music, and podcasts moving to the platform makes sense in the long term. However, it looks like the company doesn’t immediately plan to get rid of Google Podcasts, though it’s very clear that this application doesn’t make much sense anymore.
Google will first roll out the podcast experience in YouTube Music in the United States, but the company promises to bring it elsewhere in the coming months. The company is also updating YouTube Studio to set videos as podcasts and edit them. Uploading podcasts will also be possible via RSS beginning later this year.
More details are expected to be provided in the coming weeks as the migration of podcasts to YouTube Music is making progress. For now, the transition is yet to start, but even so, remaining committed to Google Podcasts is nearly impossible both on the phone and in the car.
Google will also allow users to create podcast playlists, similar to how they can now organize videos and songs.
One important feature coming to YouTube Music is the support for starting a podcast on a device and then continuing from where users left off on another. This will be possible when the same Google account is used, as the content will be synced between devices.
Just like music, podcasts will be allowed to play when the phone is locked. Users will be able to control playback from the lock screen, and podcasts will also debut in the car via dedicated YouTube Music apps for Android Auto and CarPlay.
As per Google’s typical approach, podcasts will be recommended to users based on the content they’ve previously played.
Given the migration of podcasts to YouTube Music, it’s not hard to figure out that Google Podcasts’ future is currently in limbo. Google has invested massively in podcasts in the last couple of years, but Google Podcasts appears to become a second-class citizen of its product lineup.
Most likely, YouTube Music will now spearhead Google’s podcast efforts, so the company is expected to enter the race of securing exclusives. Spotify and Apple are investing big on this front, and Google is likely to join the battle, especially as it needs YouTube Music to grow in this regard.
YouTube Music has long been the company’s main focus in terms of music, and podcasts moving to the platform makes sense in the long term. However, it looks like the company doesn’t immediately plan to get rid of Google Podcasts, though it’s very clear that this application doesn’t make much sense anymore.
Google will first roll out the podcast experience in YouTube Music in the United States, but the company promises to bring it elsewhere in the coming months. The company is also updating YouTube Studio to set videos as podcasts and edit them. Uploading podcasts will also be possible via RSS beginning later this year.
More details are expected to be provided in the coming weeks as the migration of podcasts to YouTube Music is making progress. For now, the transition is yet to start, but even so, remaining committed to Google Podcasts is nearly impossible both on the phone and in the car.
Google News