u/Front-Pudding6097

What is the best way to add Google Play distribution to my existing app that I have been distributing directly for years? I have a significant customer base, and I already have other apps in Google Play. I have even verified my side-loaded app's package name with Google Play as required so that I can continue to distribute it on Google-certified devices after 2026. I would like to get the added exposure that Google Play would give me for that app. But I can't abandon my existing customers. Should I make a version of my app with a different package name and simply maintain two parallel distribution channels - one direct and one through Google Play? Or is there a simpler way?