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Google has made a big mistake in merging podcasts into YouTube Music. The app fails to graspwhat podcast listeners want. It stubbornly insists on prioritizing video versions of podcasts, even when all you want is audio. Videos eat battery and data, and besides, Google already has a dedicated video app. It’s called YouTube.
YouTube Music over-prioritizes video podcasts
Audio as an afterthought
YouTube is the place I would think of going to if I ever wanted to watch a podcast (which, personally, is never). But I’m bombarded with video results the moment I search for a podcast on YouTube Music. The video version often takes center stage, even if the podcast is clearly focused on audio. This feels completely backward for us podcast fans.
You can sometimes find an audio-only version buried in the search results with a discreet “audio” label somewhere in the title, and there’s a toggle on video podcast playback to only play the audio. However, these extra steps highlight the platform’s mismatch with the needs of podcast listeners. YouTube Music was seemingly built with video as a priority, and shoehorning podcasts onto the platform simply doesn’t work.
YouTube does offer the option to switch to audio-only for good, but it’s not the default option for those moving over from Google Podcasts. I’d wager this option isn’t known by many people, but if you want to switch to audio-only for YouTube Music podcasts, you can do so by heading to yourSettings, selectingData saving,and pressing the button that saysDon’t play music videos. You can also shut your screen off during video playback, which will continue audio playback without consuming data for video.
Podcasts aren’t exactly easy to find
YouTube Music tucks podcasts behind a small tab
Podcasts feel like a hidden secret on YouTube Music. They’re relegated to a separate little box, tucked in next to boxes recommending different musical genres. This disconnect makes it clear podcasts are a low priority for the platform, and is further proof that YouTube Music is the wrong place for podcasts. Once you get into the swing of listening to podcasts, they’ll be more prominently represented in the app’s content shelves, but that they’re squirreled away beforehand is yet more proof they deserve their own platform.
YouTube Music isn’t alone in this neglect. Spotify hides podcasts away in a separate tab as well, although it tries to make that tab more prominent. Both platforms' interfaces feel clunky and ill-suited to browsing large podcast libraries. Spotify is still primarily a music streaming service, while YouTube Music wants to be a video platform, much like, well, YouTube.
Dedicated podcast apps are still best for me
They have all the features listeners need
Here’s the thing: you don’t need to settle for the sub-par offerings from Google and Spotify. There areplenty of dedicated podcast appsout there, and they all do a fantastic job of delivering podcasts to listeners. Some of our favorites include Pocket Casts, Overcast, and Podcast Addict, to name a few.
The beauty of dedicated podcast apps lies in their communities. Spend any time on podcast-related subreddits, and you’ll find thriving communities supporting their favorite app. Many of these podcast apps are works of love from a single developer, or a small team at the most. They don’t seek to control what you listen to or shape your tastes, and you’re not at the whims of their ad-driven algorithms. You can listen on your own terms.
YouTube Music is not the right place for podcasts
There are much better options out there
YouTube Music sucks for podcasts. I get that Google is trying to make YouTube its one-stop-shop for all our audiovisual needs, but the way it handles podcasts is not ideal for me right now. Videos are prioritized over audio and podcasts are buried in a small tab amidst all the others. The good news is Google has the resources and the know-how to fix it. I know this because, in my opinion, Google Podcasts was actually a pretty good dedicated podcast app.
And dedicated podcast apps are where the medium really shines. They provide freedom, advanced features, and a focus on the listener, all things about which Google, and Spotify, don’t seem to care. If you’re serious about podcasts, it’s time toditch the pretendersand embrace a platform designed specifically with you in mind.
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UPDATE: 2025-06-01 05:55 EST BY JAMES PECKHAM
Correction on RSS feeds
An earlier version of this article mistakenly said that YouTube Music doesn’t allow for RSS feed uploads. This feature is now availableon YouTube Music. Android Police regrets the error.
