On August 29, the Stitcher podcast app and website will shut down. SiriusXM, who purchased Stitcher in 2020 for $325 million, will incorporate Stitcher’s podcasts into their own subscription-based app and steer listeners their. In their FAQs, Stitcher said they would continue to operate Stitcher Studios and Earwolf networks after the switch. SiriusXM staff were notified on Tuesday by email from Joe Inzerillo, chief product and technology officer, John Trimble, chief ad revenue officer, and Scott Greenstein, chief content officer, says Variety.

“Podcasts are an important part of both our subscription and advertising strategies,” they said. “The scale and reach of our widely distributed podcasts has been and remains a crucial accelerant for our advertising sales business, while incorporating podcasts more holistically into our flagship SiriusXM subscription service will help to drive further growth. As a result, we have made the decision to sunset our standalone podcast listening app as we increase our focus on these priorities.”

Though the company laid off 475 jobs, or 8% of their workforce, in March, the company said there would be no layoffs associated with this change.

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What this means for Stitcher fans

On June 27, the podcast app turned off automatic renewals of their Stitcher premium subscription. Eligible subscribers will receive refunds after August 29. Until that date, Stitcher apps and web listening are still available. To explain the changes, the company created a Stitcher Farewell FAQs page and made an announcement on Twitter.

Many podcasts available on Stitcher are already available on the SiriusXM app, and they are also available on other podcast distribution platforms. SiriusXM does not have exclusive podcasts, according to the Associated Press. Stitcher users can export their saved shows via iOS, Android or the web to other platforms. In terms of premium content, hosts/creators will decide where their podcasts will be available.

“To stay updated on the availability of their content, we recommend following the hosts/creators on social media or subscribing to their newsletters.  In most cases, you can still listen to ad-supported versions of your favorite podcasts on Pandora or other platforms where these podcasts are available,” Stitcher said.

However, fans of the podcast app expressed their displeasure on Twitter about the loss of the app.

Current Stitcher users will receive an offer for a free six-month trial for SiriusXM’s platinum service which features over 425 channels, ad-free music, news, talk and entertainment, comedy, sports, Howard Stern, Pandora and podcasts. For the car radio and streaming devices plan, SiriusXM platinum is $1 for the first three months and $23.99 a month thereafter. SiriusXM’s premium price is significantly higher than Stitcher’s premium service which is available for $4.95 a month. It is not clear if the free six-month offer will be made to free users of Stitcher or only to premium subscribers.

Insider Take

This is not a surprising move. Many companies acquire others with the intention of eventually absorbing them or folding their products and services into their own. SiriusXM isn’t really taking anything away. Stitcher podcasts will still be available on SiriusXM, unless their hosts/creators decide to move them elsewhere.

SiriusXM is merging brands, so there may be some cost synergies available, but they are also potentially converting Stitcher subscribers into SiriusXM subscribers. With a price point nearly five times Stitcher’s, price sensitive subscribers are unlikely to convert, but premium subscribers who like the wide range of content offered by SiriusXM may stick around after the free six-month trial. Initially, SiriusXM may lose some revenue, but the hope is they will make up for it on the back end.

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