Audacy is closing Creator Lab, the free podcast hosting and brand-sponsorship marketplace it built for independent creators, effective November 1. The audio company notified partners of the decision, calling it “a difficult decision” and thanking them for their partnership, according to Radio Ink.

Creators with an open Marketplace campaign connecting them to brand sponsorship deals must complete and submit all required deliverables by the November 1 deadline. Creators without an active campaign do not need to take any action. Audacy said it will honor its existing payment terms for eligible earnings from completed campaigns.

“We’ve made the decision to wind down Creator Lab operations. It’s a very small part of our overall podcasting business where we continue to see and invest in growth,” an Audacy spokesperson told Radio Ink. “We’re exploring new ways to support independent creators, and our immediate priority is ensuring a smooth transition for our current Creator Lab partners.”

Creator Lab traces back to Podcorn, the self-serve ad marketplace Audacy acquired in 2021, which the company later folded into Creator Lab and a companion platform, Audacy Creator Exchange. At the time, Audacy Head of Podcasts Leah Reis-Dennis described the setup as “a farm league” for nurturing independent talent within the company’s broader podcast business.

The shutdown comes just five months after Audacy expanded the platform. In March, the company added YouTube distribution to Creator Lab, letting hosts publish video episodes to YouTube while continuing to monetize audio through Audacy’s ad network across Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other listening platforms. Reis-Dennis called the YouTube integration “the first step in video distribution for Audacy Creator Lab” and said the company planned to explore additional monetization opportunities for partners in the months that followed.

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