SiriusXM is shutting down the popular Stitcher podcast platform as it pushes audio fans toward its own subscription-based streaming service. The announcement was made in an email to customers that said the Stitcher website and associated mobile apps will shut down on August 29 as SiriusXM focuses on building out its own streaming platform. Officials at Stitcher thanked their loyal customers for more than a decade of patronage: “Thank you for giving us the opportunity over the last decade to create the best possible podcast listening experience. The podcast ecosystem would not be where it is today without listeners like you.” Stitcher launched in 2008 as a way for podcast fans to follow, organize, download and stream their favorite audio shows. In many ways, Stitcher was ahead of its time, offering users the ability to subscribe to shows straight from their smartphones and tablets, at a time when most people were still using iTunes and similar software to sync podcasts between devices. Stitcher has traded hands multiple times: It was acquired by French streaming music service Deezer in 2014, only to be sold to a media firm that would be acquired by the E. W. Scripps Company for a mere $4.5 million. Stitcher has done more for podcasts than you’d think Scripps built Stitcher into a powerhouse app — the one that most users are familiar with today — and invested in producing more podcast content that found popular appeal with listeners. There is a good chance you’ve heard a…Popular podcast app Stitcher is shutting down August 29th