Podcorn advertising: what creators need to know

Podcorn advertising is now part of Audacy Creator Lab, and the service is scheduled to sunset on November 1, 2026. As of October 9, 2026, its app remains reachable, but podcasters should not treat it as a normal active marketplace to join. Existing users should follow Audacy's transition instructions instead of starting a new long-term sponsorship workflow there.

Podcorn began as a marketplace that connected podcasters with brands for native sponsorships. Entercom, which later became Audacy, announced its acquisition of Podcorn in 2021. Audacy later renamed the product Creator Lab, a change confirmed in its official Creator Lab history.

Podcorn advertising is closing under its new name

The old Podcorn domain now redirects to the Creator Lab application. The live Creator Lab application states that Creator Lab will be sunset on November 1, 2026. It also gives separate instructions for hosted accounts and sponsorship accounts.

That current notice takes priority over older help articles that still describe applications, proposals, fees, and pricing. Those pages explain how the marketplace worked, but they no longer support a recommendation to build a new sponsorship program on it.

If you are comparing current options, use a list that separates active services from closing ones. Our guide to sponsorship marketplaces for podcasters gives you a broader shortlist to investigate.

How the marketplace worked

Podcorn launched as a self-service sponsorship marketplace. Brands posted opportunities, podcasters browsed campaigns, and creators submitted proposals. Its appeal was access: Audacy's help material said Creator Lab accepted podcasts at all levels, provided the show had an active RSS feed.

A brand could review a show's proposal and decide whether the audience, concept, and requested price fit the campaign. That is different from an ad network automatically filling every available slot. Acceptance into a marketplace never guaranteed a campaign, and a submitted proposal never guaranteed approval.

The model focused on creator-led advertising and branded content. A host might record an ad read, build a sponsored segment, or produce another agreed placement. The exact deliverable depended on the opportunity and the accepted proposal. Our explainer on how podcast advertising works covers the wider path from buyer brief to final report.

Legacy fees and pricing guidance

The figures below are historical first-party guidance from Audacy's still-live help center. They describe the marketplace before its announced closure. They are not verified transaction averages, current market benchmarks, or promised earnings.

The Creator Lab fee article says the platform took a 10% fee on completed sponsorships. Its pricing tips page says creators controlled their rates, then offers the ranges above as recommendations.

Do not carry those figures into a new proposal without current evidence from the service you plan to use. A rate depends on the ad unit, delivery window, audience fit, rights, production work, and sales terms. How much to charge for podcast sponsorship explains how to build a quote from the inventory you can deliver.

What existing Creator Lab users should do

Audacy's app tells hosted accounts to migrate to another podcast host as soon as possible. Sponsorship accounts are told to uninstall the Podcorn RSS prefix. The notice also directs users to their registered email inbox, including spam or junk folders, for more details.

Start by saving the records you are allowed to retain under your agreements. That may include signed campaign terms, approved creative, delivery reports, invoices, payment records, and contact details already available to you. Check outstanding obligations before removing campaign infrastructure. If an ad still owes delivery or a payment remains unresolved, use the account-specific support route and written terms rather than guessing.

Removing a prefix changes the request path for future downloads. Verify your public RSS feed and several episode enclosure URLs after the change. Keep the removal timestamp beside your analytics so a measurement break does not look like an audience change. The guide to measuring podcast downloads explains why the source and collection period need to stay attached to every total.

Choosing a replacement

Separate the job Podcorn handled before comparing replacements. You may need sponsor discovery, proposal management, campaign delivery, payment administration, or analytics. One provider may not cover every job.

For marketplace applications, confirm current eligibility, fee disclosure, payment timing, control over rates, and access to campaign records. For direct sales, decide who owns prospecting, contracts, invoicing, and advertiser reporting. Small shows that do not meet an active marketplace's threshold can also compare memberships, listener support, affiliate offers, and their own products in our podcast monetization platforms guide.

Do not use Podcorn's old open eligibility as a reason to wait for another campaign. The closure date creates a short operating window, and the older signup pages do not cancel it. Move each active obligation to a named owner, remove the prefix when Audacy directs, and choose a current sales route for future sponsorships.

Want a clean analytics baseline after changing your sponsorship setup? You can start with Podder Analytics.

FAQ

Is Podcorn still operating?

Podcorn was renamed Audacy Creator Lab. The service remains reachable as of October 9, 2026, but its current app says Creator Lab will be sunset on November 1, 2026.

Should a podcaster join Podcorn now?

No. A platform with an announced November 1, 2026 closure should not be the foundation of a new sponsorship workflow. Compare active marketplaces or pursue direct sponsor sales instead.

What should an existing Podcorn user do?

Check the email address registered with Creator Lab for account-specific instructions. Audacy tells sponsorship accounts to uninstall the Podcorn RSS prefix, while hosted accounts should move to another podcast host as soon as possible.