Spotify quietly shuts down Greenroom creator fund

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The company told applicants in an email on Monday that it was shutting down its live audio app creator fund. In June of last year, Greenroom launched as a competitor, where users can stream live conversations with celebrities and other creators. The live audio app and fund were intended to lure in creators with weekly payouts based on performance.

The company told people who had registered that the program wouldn't be moving forward. There was no explanation for the change in plans and the company did not respond to the request for comment.

It's not clear if the fund was officially launched or if anyone was paid through it. The website said registration was open and that payments would start in June 2021. According to the Wayback Machine, the page was promising payments would begin in 2022, but they hadn't started yet. The company didn't respond to questions about how much it paid creators.

Live audio is still being invested in by Spotify, and it is easier to listen to than it was before. On April 12th, the company announced Greenroom's name change to Spotify Live while rolling its livestreaming feature into the Spotify app. Hasan Minhaj, Swedish House Mafia, and DJ Akademiks are just a few of the celebrities who have shows on exclusive programming.