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The Clubhouse clones are coming
The popularity of Clubhouse has been well documented. Anna Wiener, writer at The New Yorker, describes the app as a “drop-in audio social network that enabled the creation of voice-only chat rooms”. I think that’s a fair interpretation. For many, Clubhouse has been a unifying platform during a pandemic that often seems endless. That being said, the technical concept behind the app is relatively simple in the grand scheme of things, and other tech companies are coming up with their own renditions.
Facebook Live Messenger Rooms
The New York Times first reported the development of Facebook Live Messenger Rooms back in February, pointing out that the tech giant is “known in Silicon Valley for being willing to clone its competitors”.
Alessandro Paluzzi, a mobile developer and self-described “leaker” noted the way Facebook’s live audio rooms product is being developed would allow for rooms that anyone on Facebook could join, and such “could be accessible from Facebook itself — meaning you would not have to switch to Messenger to join a room. When not expanded to full-screen, the room would display its title, the number of speakers, and total listeners so you could get an idea of the room’s popularity.”
Spotify / Locker Room
On Tuesday, Spotify announced it plans to acquire Betty Labs, the creators of Locker Room, a live audio app with a focus on sports.
In the next few months, Locker Room is expected to evolve into “an enhanced live audio experience for a wider range of creators and fans”.
Those new “rooms” or communities would cater to writers, musicians, songwriters, as well as podcasters.
Twitter Spaces
Twitter Spaces is a new feature within Twitter which enables users to create “rooms for voice-only chats”. A public launch is planned in April.
It’s interesting to note that Spaces will probably be available on Android devices before…
