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Google podcasts is shutting down

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Re: Google podcasts is shutting down

#31

Post by graypegg »

There's no good common category beyond just "sound media" for music and podcasts I think. They play together on radio obviously, but there's something weird to me about them sharing the same app. The sorting, filtering, playback controls, and presentation all feels like its too different.

Seems to be the way the big tech music apps are going though.

Re: Google podcasts is shutting down

#32

Post by taeric »

Cwizard wrote: post #16

Can anyone explain why? I see almost no downside in keeping it running? Infra costs must be minor, there is no licensing costs, it’s a simple app so I would assume very little developer cost. The upside is that Android can come with a ‘native’ podcast player. Just like iOS comes with a native player. A big downside with shutting it down is that it reinforces the idea that Google products are eventually killed so don’…

Google being a giant monorepo is almost certainly at play here. Maintenance costs are always high on products. But upgrades and constant progress on underlying technology is, itself, often a large part of the need for maintenance.

Please don't take this as an argument against monorepo. It is a discussion point there, but even if you view this as largely negative, I assert a lot of these negatives come with the size of Google.

Re: Google podcasts is shutting down

#35

Post by i_am_jl »

Cwizard wrote: post #16

Can anyone explain why? I see almost no downside in keeping it running? Infra costs must be minor, there is no licensing costs, it’s a simple app so I would assume very little developer cost. The upside is that Android can come with a ‘native’ podcast player. Just like iOS comes with a native player. A big downside with shutting it down is that it reinforces the idea that Google products are eventually killed so don’…

I imagine Google sees a benefit in funneling people into YouTube Music's ecosystem, ostensibly to sell YouTube Premium subscriptions.

Re: Google podcasts is shutting down

#37

Post by tambourine_man »

vecplane wrote: post #6

YouTube is effectively a Google Podcasts platform already. Paying for YouTube Premium to avoid ads is some of the best money I spend each month. I wish I could do the same for Spotify podcast ads. I do pay for Spotify already to avoid ads in music, but I can't seem to avoid them for the Joe Rogan Experience.

It’s better to avoid that podcast altogether.

Re: Google podcasts is shutting down

#38

Post by tkiolp4 »

Google as a brand is something I don’t trust anymore.

- cloud? You’re far better at aws than gcp

- email? Got my life-long gmail account blocked for no reason. I’m using icloud+ and custom domain now. I have a dummy gmail account just in case

- drive? I don’t trust my gmail account so, I cannot trust drive either

- search? Guilty. I’m still using it, but less and less

- youtube? Annoying af with ads. I don’t bother with blockers

- phones? Nexus 5 was great. It lasted me 4 good years. Nowadays if I want good quality I go to apple

Re: Google podcasts is shutting down

#39

Post by paxys »

The entire podcasts industry seems to be on a downward spiral. I feel like the days are numbered for Spotify's podcast dreams as well, looking at how little they are promoting them now in app or outside. What on earth happened? It was the hottest new thing in media, and then...everyone just collectively lost interest? Was it just the Covid bubble, or something else?

Re: Google podcasts is shutting down

#40

Post by jtbayly »

notRobot wrote: post #19
vecplane wrote: post #6

YouTube is effectively a Google Podcasts platform already. Paying for YouTube Premium to avoid ads is some of the best money I spend each month. I wish I could do the same for Spotify podcast ads. I do pay for Spotify already to avoid ads in music, but I can't seem to avoid them for the Joe Rogan Experience.

Lots of podcasts do not exist on YouTube. There is no way to subscribe to feeds or auto-download episodes or any of the dozens of quality of life features that podcast users have been enjoying for over a decade. I subscribe to YouTube Premium but to consider it a replacement to a proper podcasting app seems naive to me.

If you like things inshittified, then it seems like a great idea. Let's put big tech in between me and the things I want to consume, when there's no need, and let them begin to try to make money off of it and make everything worse!
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