In an unexpected twist, Google has decided to pull the plug on its popular podcast platform, Google Podcasts. According to a company blog post, the tech giant plans to discontinue Google Podcasts in 2024, shifting its focus towards making YouTube Music the new hub for podcasts. .stk-5c5c249{box-shadow:0 0 0 2px rgba(120,120,120,0.1) !important}.stk-5c5c249-container{background-color:#f3f3f3 !important}.stk-5c5c249-container:before{background-color:#f3f3f3 !important} .stk-fff85bd{margin-left:-20px !important}.stk-fff85bd .stk–svg-wrapper .stk–inner-svg svg:last-child{opacity:0.7 !important}.stk-fff85bd .stk–svg-wrapper .stk–inner-svg svg:last-child,.stk-fff85bd .stk–svg-wrapper .stk–inner-svg svg:last-child :is(g,path,rect,polygon,ellipse){fill:var(–stk-global-color-56583,#911d9c) !important} .stk-75422ff{margin-left:-17px !important}.stk-75422ff .stk-block-text__text{font-size:16px !important;font-weight:300 !important;font-style:normal !important;font-family:”Golos Text”,Sans-serif !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-75422ff .stk-block-text__text{font-size:16px !important}}Looking forward to 2024, we’ll be increasing our investment in the podcast experience on YouTube Music — making it a better overall destination for fans and podcasters alike with YouTube-only capabilities across community, discovery and audio/visual switching. Later in 2024, as part of this process, we’ll be discontinuing Google Podcasts. As part of this process, we’ll be helping Google Podcasts users move over to Podcasts in YouTube Music This move may seem surprising to many, but for those closely following Google’s recent activities, the writing was on the wall. Earlier this year, Google introduced the ability for users to listen to podcasts on YouTube Music, hinting at a potential consolidation. As per The Verge, Google justifies this change by citing data from Edison, which indicates that about 23% of weekly podcast users in the US prefer YouTube as their go-to service, compared to a mere 4% for Google Podcasts. The Transition Phase Image: KnowTechie As Google Podcasts prepares for its final bow, Google promises a smooth transition for its users….Google dumps Google Podcasts, migrates to YouTube Music