Google Podcasts launched in 2018 as a standalone podcast app. It was clean, simple, and integrated with Google Search. But it never became anyone's first choice.

The app lived in the shadow of Spotify and Apple Podcasts, both of which had massive head starts and exclusive content deals Google never pursued.

In 2023, Google announced it would fold podcast features into YouTube Music and shut down the standalone app. Users were asked to transfer their subscriptions — many didn't bother.