Hey, remember last year when I said SiriusXM might close down Stitcher? Yep, they're about to do that! But here's a twist: they didn't merge Stitcher with Pandora, which they had bought back in 2018. Instead, they're nudging people towards their SiriusXM app. A bit weird, huh?

Now, SiriusXM and their app mostly operate separate from their podcast activities. The main aim of their business is to keep content exclusive and get users onto a single platform. But, podcasts work differently. You make money through ads by spreading the podcast across various platforms. That's where Pandora fits in perfectly—it’s mostly free and runs on ads. So, why didn't they shift Stitcher to Pandora?

Here’s a thought: What if they're planning to combine Pandora and SiriusXM into one mega audio app? Imagine this: an app that's on par with Spotify, offering free content, an ad-free version, and a premium layer for exclusive stuff like SiriusXM radio. Not only would they rake in more from ads, but they'd also boost their ad-free subscriptions, especially considering Pandora's declining numbers.

There are hints that this is coming. After buying Pandora, SiriusXM merged their development teams. Last year, a key figure from Pandora took on a bigger role in SiriusXM. They've even hinted at a possible full-blown merger in the future.

Now, Pandora was once a financial powerhouse, but its user base dropped below 50 million last year, with dwindling ad revenue. Contrastingly, the SiriusXM app's popularity is on the rise. Their CEO, Jennifer Witz, mentioned that while SiriusXM has a range of models, they haven't pinpointed the best one yet. Their core business of paid subscriptions is doing well, and their podcast advertising reach is massive. However, using other platforms for their podcasts limits their data access for targeted ads—a problem Spotify doesn't have with its vast user base.

Pandora and Spotify are rivals in a sense, as Witz mentioned. But given Pandora's falling numbers, it might be time for SiriusXM to fully embrace it, meshing together the best of both platforms.

Now, merging wouldn't be a walk in the park. Pandora’s 47 million users still outweigh SiriusXM app's 32 million. And, merging free, ad-free, and premium content on one platform? That’s uncharted territory. They've announced a brand new app coming soon, so let's see how that turns out!

Quick disclaimer though: While I've been closely watching the Sirius podcast world, this is mostly me connecting the dots and speculating for fun. Don’t take it as gospel; always good to hear more views on this!