Clubhouse + It's Competitors
Earlier this year, Clubhouse exploded in popularity. The app jumped from 2 million users in January 2021 to now over 10 million active weekly users, despite being invite-only.
You know how they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Well, it looks like Clubhouse has launched a growing trend toward audio-only platforms with large social media companies, like Facebook and Twitter, launching their own audio-only capabilities.
So why the interest in the audio-only space and what platforms should you be aware of? We’re here to break it down.
Why audio-only?
When quarantine first hit in March of 2020, we saw a massive shift in consumer behavior. We all started spending a lot of time online. Entertainment and social apps like TikTok saw extraordinary growth. Somewhat surprisingly, podcasts also saw an increase in listeners and general popularity, even with the decline in work commutes. Then at the end of 2020 into early 2021, Clubhouse took center stage, introducing the audio-only social format to the general public.
From a high level standpoint, audio-only is easy for users. There’s no need for any prep (no need to do your hair or tidy up your room), you just bring your thoughts and willingness to listen and share. Without any visual stimulation, audio-only strips it down to raw, real-time conversations. And for listeners, conversations can be played while doing other activities at home, or laying down and getting comfortable. With all the time we are spending in front of a screen these days, audio-only is a nice break.
Who’s playing in the space?
As Clubhouse gained popularity, the “old guard” social platforms quickly reacted with their own offerings. Here’s how other platforms are adapting.
Instagram: Instagram rolled out the ability for Instagram Live hosts to turn off the camera and mute the microphone. While Instagram has always been a visual-heavy platform, this is one step the app has taken to prioritize audio.
Spotify: Spotify recently acquired Locker Room (a sports focused audio app) & Betty Labs. They have been no stranger to acquiring business in the audio world, including heavy investments in podcasting, like their Gimlet acquisition.
Twitter: Twitter launched “Spaces” in response to Clubhouse’s popularity. Spaces is basically a copy of Clubhouse with a few adjustments. Anyone with over 600 followers has the ability to host a space and up to 11 people can be speakers. Spaces also has emojis for listeners to react to conversations and has capabilities to pin tweets and write captions.
Facebook: Live Audio Rooms is the Clubhouse copy for Facebook, which is expected to be live this summer. Additionally, Facebook is introducing a few other audio products including “Soundbites”, which will be a place for bite-sized jokes, poems, etc that will go into an algorithmic feed, and “Boombox”, which is a Spotify collaboration for sharing music.
Reddit: Reddit Talk is Reddit’s Clubhouse clone. It will live within subreddit communities, which are Reddit’s forums that are focused on specific topics or themes. The main functions are similar to Clubhouse, but with Reddit Talk, users will be able to use emojis to react to speakers (like Twitter Spaces). Reddit Talk is currently in initial testing and is available as a “sneak peek” where interested moderators can add themselves to the waitlist.
The audio-only space is on the rise. Have you thought about how your brand is going to adapt?
