Audacy Shutters Creator Lab, Says Indie Commitment Remains.

Audacy says it remains committed to working with smaller and independent podcasters, but how it will do that is evolving. The company has announced it will wind down the operations of Audacy Creator Lab on Nov. 1.

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

The Audacy Creator Lab hosting and monetization platform was launched in April 2025, with focus on independent podcast producers by providing them with monetization services. It is built from the foundation of Podcorn, which was acquired by Audacy in 2021, leveraging Audacy’s existing relationship with the advertising community. In March, it announced it would expand its offerings to video by giving creators direct distribution integration with YouTube.

The Creator Lab’s arrangement with creators was Audacy would take a 10% service fee of any podcast sponsorships that was sold. And for any podcaster that uses its hosting services, Audacy would get 50% of any revenue their show generates. But the returns were not sufficient to continue supporting the product.

“We’re sad to be closing this chapter, but grateful for the platform we’ve been able to provide to the independent creator community,” Audacy says in an email to users. “Supporting you and getting to know so many of your shows have been among the most rewarding parts of this effort. We’re very grateful for your partnership and are working on new ways to support emerging creators.”

The announcement gives users the next two months to move their RSS fees to a new hosting option. Podcasters are also told that any open ad campaigns must be completed by Nov. 1, with all required campaign deliverables are completed and submitted before that date.

The moves come as Audacy has continued to sign several high-profile deals in recent months. That includes an ad sales deal with the MeidasTouch Network that’s set to begin Sept. 1 and a new partnership to exclusively handle audio sales and distribution for Matthew Berry’s “Fantasy Football Happy Hour” podcast, expanding its sports lineup ahead of football’s busiest months.