Clubhouse: Changing The Game… For Now
The world of social media has evolved into a bustling metropolis in recent years. If you consider mainstream platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to be the paradigmatic skyscrapers that tower over the online landscape, LinkedIn to be the swanky corporate hub and niche domains like Meetup and Houzz to be the dive bars and night clubs, the digital ‘city’ that the social media revolution has birthed may have just gained its first invite-only country club.
Introducing Clubhouse: an iOS-exclusive hybrid of existing apps, boasting the community feel of Twitter, the collaborative elements of lockdown favourite Houseparty and the insight of a podcast lead by industry experts, the app welcomes and directs requested users to personalised conversation ‘Rooms’ (based on a series of pre-established interests) that act like audio-based conference calls.
Where Did Clubhouse Come From?
The app, launched in March 2020 by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Paul Davidson and Rohan Seth, soon felt exactly as the name depicts – like a clubhouse. Housing a mere 1500 users by May of the same year, the app’s exclusive nature may have been beginning to feel like an inhibiting factor in the platform’s limited growth.
But fast forward to the present day – just 12 months on from its low-key unveiling and Clubhouse may be staking an early claim to be the social media success story of 2021.
Propelled into the mainstream by its 10 million active users, the app has gone from being a spot for a quiet audience with the app’s founders and their limited pool of friends-of-friends, to being a swarming, diversified hive for everything and anything that may perk a particular user’s interests.
Inside the Gated Community
An invite to one of Clubhouse’s many rooms is a gateway to live, one-time-only (unlike streams on platforms like Twitch, users are unable to re-watch previous broadcasts) discussions between investors, influencers, sports fans, journalists, cinema enthusiasts, marketeers, fitness gurus and almost anything in-between. Whatever your interest or niche, chances are, you can find it on Clubhouse – but join on a particularly lucky night and you may find something a little more ‘high profile’.
Some of world’s rich and famous – celebrities like Elon Musk, Drake, Scooter Braun, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Kanye West, Jared Leto and Kevin Hart, just to name a few – have been known to frequent the app, appearing in conversations that draw several thousands of eager listeners. But in maintaining its selective nature, Clubhouse has sent demand for one of their text-based golden tickets to its chocolate factory of chatter through the roof. Clamour for membership invites is now so rife that Reuters reported a market for them has grown on platforms like Reddit, eBay, and Craigslist.
But whilst the company is planning to bring the domain to Android, don’t be mistaken in thinking that the format will be inaccessible to the masses for much longer. As is often the case in the social media industry, nothing is unique for long.
Clubhouse’s Uncertain Future
Twitter has already announced plans to unveil their rival to the sought-after ‘Rooms’, called ‘Spaces’, with Facebook also in a similar process of their own. Having taken all that is good (and bad, Clubhouse hasn’t been without its fair share of controversies) from the original, both alternatives will be readily available to the public, meaning that Clubhouse’s firm grip on the social audio sector (as it has been named) may just be starting to loosen.
Snapchat’s once-unique ‘Stories’ function has long been the go-to reference for major social networking platforms benefiting from the innovations of the rivals. The feature has become a staple of both Facebook and Instagram. Even Twitter have gotten in on that particular act, publishing their take on temporary posts with ‘Fleets’. But whilst Snapchat has survived the test of time – and has even partaken in some idea borrowing of their own in releasing their ‘spotlight’ feature, a mirror of the TikTok feed and Instagram ‘Reels’ – Clubhouse’s ability to display industry maturity beyond its tender years will be tested over the coming months.
How it will stand up to such scrutiny, only time will tell. Clubhouse has united people based on common interests during these most divisive of times and has proven that there is still room for new, fresh-thinking arrivals in such a heavily-congested industry. But whilst its exclusivity has undoubtedly propelled its rapid ascent from iPhone unknown to a social must-have, far bigger sharks are beginning to circle – and they won’t need a second invitation.
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