If you’re publishing a podcast, getting it onto as many major listening platforms as possible used to be an important part of growing your audience.
For a long time, Google Podcasts was one of those platforms.
However, there’s an important update you need to know before following an old tutorial: Google Podcasts was discontinued in 2024. Google stopped supporting Google Podcasts in favor of YouTube Music, so you can no longer submit a new podcast to Google Podcasts or claim a show through the old Google Podcasts Manager.
That means if you’re reading an older article telling you to visit Google Podcasts Manager, submit your RSS feed, and wait for approval, the information is outdated.
The good news is that getting your podcast onto Google’s podcast ecosystem is still possible. The process has simply changed.
In 2026, the better approach is to focus on YouTube and YouTube Music rather than Google Podcasts.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Happened to Google Podcasts?
Google Podcasts was Google’s dedicated podcast listening app.
It launched in 2018 and allowed people to discover and listen to podcasts on Android devices and through the web.
For podcasters, Google Podcasts Manager provided useful tools for submitting a podcast, verifying ownership, and viewing listener analytics.
But Google eventually decided to shut the service down.
Google announced that Google Podcasts would be discontinued in 2024, with listeners being directed toward YouTube Music instead.
This was part of Google’s broader effort to bring podcasts and other audio content into YouTube’s ecosystem.
So if your goal is to get your podcast discovered by people using Google’s services, you shouldn’t spend time looking for a way to submit your RSS feed to Google Podcasts Manager.
That system is no longer the destination for new podcast submissions.
What Happened to Google Podcasts Manager?
Google Podcasts Manager was particularly useful for podcasters because it allowed creators to claim their podcast.
You would submit your RSS feed, prove that you controlled the podcast, and then access analytics. That service has also been shut down along with Google Podcasts.
If you previously used Google Podcasts Manager, you may remember seeing information about plays, audience behavior, and podcast performance. Those tools are no longer available through the old Google Podcasts Manager.
So what should you do instead?
Focus on YouTube Studio and YouTube Music.
YouTube Is Now the Important Google Platform for Podcasts
YouTube has become a much bigger part of Google’s podcast strategy. This is good news for creators because YouTube gives podcasts access to a huge existing audience.
You don’t necessarily have to think of YouTube as a completely separate platform anymore. A podcast can have a presence on YouTube while also being distributed through traditional podcast apps.
You can publish your show as a podcast on YouTube, and YouTube can make podcast content available through YouTube Music.
This gives you another way to reach listeners who might never discover your show through traditional podcast apps.
Do You Need a YouTube Channel?
Yes, you’ll generally want a YouTube channel if you’re planning to publish your podcast on YouTube. If you already have one, you don’t need to create another channel just for the podcast.
You can create a dedicated podcast on your existing channel. Some creators prefer having a separate podcast channel, especially if they publish lots of unrelated content.
For example, a technology creator might have one channel for short tutorials and another dedicated to their podcast.
There’s no universal right answer. Choose the structure that makes sense for your brand.
How to Create a Podcast on YouTube
YouTube allows creators to organize podcast episodes using a podcast playlist.
The basic idea is simple. Create a playlist for your podcast. Add your podcast episodes to that playlist. Set the playlist as a podcast through YouTube’s podcast features.
This allows YouTube to recognize the collection as a podcast rather than simply treating it as an ordinary playlist. Your podcast can then have a dedicated presence on YouTube and YouTube Music.
The exact wording and interface can change, so if you’re following a tutorial from several years ago, don’t be surprised if the buttons look different. YouTube regularly updates YouTube Studio.
What About Your Existing RSS Feed?
If you’ve already been publishing a podcast through a podcast hosting company, you probably have an RSS feed. You shouldn’t throw that away.
Your RSS feed remains important for distributing your podcast to traditional podcast apps and directories.
You can continue using your podcast host to distribute your show to platforms such as Apple Podcasts and other podcast services.
For YouTube, there are options for using RSS feeds as part of YouTube’s podcast workflow, depending on account eligibility and the features available in your region.
YouTube can use an RSS feed to help create podcast episodes on YouTube, which can save creators from manually uploading every episode.
However, the exact availability and setup can change, so check your current YouTube Studio options before assuming RSS ingestion is available on your account.
Why YouTube Music Matters
YouTube Music is increasingly important for podcast listening. The advantage is that people already use YouTube’s ecosystem for music, videos, and podcasts.
Instead of downloading a separate podcast app, a listener can find podcasts through the same ecosystem. This gives podcasters another discovery opportunity. YouTube also has a massive search engine.
That’s something traditional podcast apps don’t always offer at the same scale. Someone might search for: “How to start a small business” and discover your podcast episode. That’s a powerful opportunity.
Use Good Podcast Artwork
Your podcast artwork is still important. Even though you’re moving into YouTube, your podcast needs a recognizable visual identity. Use a simple design. Make sure your title is readable.
Don’t cram ten different elements into the image. If you’re publishing video versions of your podcast, your thumbnails can have a different design from your podcast cover artwork.
That’s perfectly fine. The two formats serve different purposes.
What About Podcast Analytics?
One of the reasons podcasters liked Google Podcasts Manager was its analytics. You could see how people were consuming your episodes.
Today, you can get analytics from your podcast hosting company and YouTube Studio. Your podcast host can provide information about downloads and listeners across supported podcast platforms.
YouTube Studio gives you information about views, watch time, audience behavior, traffic sources, and other video-related metrics. These aren’t identical measurements.
A podcast download isn’t the same thing as a YouTube view. Don’t combine the numbers and call them all “listeners.” Instead, treat them as separate parts of your overall audience.
YouTube Views Aren’t Podcast Downloads
This is worth emphasizing. Suppose your podcast receives: 10,000 downloads through traditional podcast apps. And your YouTube episode gets: 5,000 views. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have 15,000 unique listeners.
One person could listen to the podcast through an app and watch the YouTube version later. Another person could watch only part of the YouTube video.
The measurement systems are different. Keep your reporting clear. It will make your analytics much more useful.
Should You Upload Video or Audio?
This depends on your podcast. If you already record video during your interviews, uploading the video version to YouTube is an obvious choice.
If you only produce audio, you still have options. You can create a simple visual version of the podcast using your cover artwork, waveform, captions, or other visuals.
But don’t feel like you need a Hollywood production. The most important thing is useful content.
A great conversation with simple visuals can outperform an expensive production with boring content.
Don’t Abandon Traditional Podcast Apps
Moving toward YouTube doesn’t mean you should stop using traditional podcast platforms. Your audience is spread across different services.
Some people love Apple Podcasts. Others use Spotify. Some prefer dedicated podcast apps. Others listen through YouTube Music.
The smartest approach is usually to make your content available in multiple places rather than forcing everyone onto one platform.
Your podcast host and RSS feed can remain the foundation of your traditional distribution strategy. YouTube can then become another major distribution channel.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a guide on how to submit your podcast to Google Podcasts and claim it in Google Podcasts Manager, there’s an important update you need to know in 2026.
You can’t do it anymore. Google Podcasts and Google Podcasts Manager have been discontinued.
The Google podcast strategy has moved toward YouTube and YouTube Music. That doesn’t mean podcasting on Google’s platforms is dead.
Quite the opposite. YouTube gives podcasters access to a huge audience and powerful discovery tools.
The best approach today is to keep your podcast RSS feed as the foundation of your podcast distribution while building a strong presence on YouTube.
If your podcast is already established, don’t start over. Keep your existing podcast name, feed, branding, and episodes. Then add YouTube as another way for people to discover and consume your content.
The podcasting landscape has changed quite a bit since Google Podcasts launched. But the basic goal hasn’t changed.
Create something worth listening to, make it easy to find, and put it wherever your audience already spends time.
And in 2026, that means YouTube and YouTube Music deserve a place near the top of your podcast distribution strategy.