Spotify is shutting down its live audio app creation fund, the company told applicants in an email. Greenroom (now called Spotify Live) launched last June as a competitor to Clubhouse, where users stream live conversations with celebrities, influencers and other creators. The fund, announced alongside the live audio app, was meant to attract creators through weekly payments based on performance.
In an email obtained by The Verge, Spotify tells people who had signed up in the background that the show would not be going ahead. “We plan to switch to other live creator initiatives,” the company writes. Spotify did not offer an explanation for the change in plans and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It’s unclear if the fund was officially launched or if anyone was paid through it. As spotted by Podnews, the webpage said that registration was open to participate and payouts would start “later this summer” in June 2021. But, earlier this month, the same page promised payouts would start in 2022. , suggesting that the payments had not started. however, according to the Wayback Machine. The company did not respond to questions about how much it had paid creators through the fund.
Although the creator fund is gone, Spotify continues to invest in live audio and has made it more accessible to listeners. On April 12, the company announced the name change from Greenroom to Spotify Live while rolling out its live streaming feature to the Spotify app (in addition to having a standalone app). An exclusive programming lineup includes shows with celebrities such as Hasan Minhaj, Swedish House Mafia and DJ Akademiks.