https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/21/technology/clubhouse-twitter-spaces.html
Clubhouse launched in March 2020 exclusively to iPhone users
and it saw explosive growth in app downloads over the year. Despite the app
being invite-only, the active user base was ~2 million individuals at the start
of 2021. CEO Paul Davison credits Clubhouse’s success and virality to not only
being the first mover in the social audio category, but also creating a sense
of exclusivity for the registered users. Big names have also appeared on the
platform earlier in 2021 such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. However,
Clubhouse app downloads have leveled off in the summer when tech companies like
Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify introduced their Clubhouse-like platforms,
forcing Clubhouse to quickly launch the app on Android and remove their
invite-only feature. These changes helped Clubhouse gain traction again, but
the competition is fierce and the article reminds us of the 2016 Stories battle
between Snapchat and Facebook. Twitter Spaces is also gaining momentum with 2
million users since its inception, and they have invested in their Spark
program that enables hosts / moderators to generate revenue on the platform – the
program pays $2,500 per month to audio content creators. Will Clubhouse retain
its dominant position and establish itself as one of the top social networks? Or
will other, more mature tech firms takeover the social audio category? The
advantage of Clubhouse is their focus on audio. If Clubhouse can find a way to
attract and provide a revenue generating platform to audio creators, then they will fend off the competition. Maya Watson, Clubhouse’s Head of
Global Marketing, is not worried as she states in the article, “more people
getting into social audio is good for social audio…we’re not bothered by it,
and, if anything, it makes us feel confident in where we’re going.”
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