Technology is continuously emerging and we are finding new ways to communicate with each other from all continents of the world.

Social networking has been a major factor for this and we are seeing new sites and apps being developed all the time. The beginning of 2021 has seen the rise in a new social networking app called Clubhouse.

What is Clubhouse?

Unlike other social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter Instagram and LinkedIn, Clubhouse connects people together using an audio only format.

Users on Clubhouse can join rooms with all kinds of conversations such as talkback radio, conference calls and house parties. Users can also join in on the conversation by being invited to the stage by one of the hosts!

How does it work?

When a user joins Clubhouse, they are asked to choose topics of interest which can vary from knowledge and tech to lifestyle and sports. The app will then recommend rooms that you can join based on the topics you chose.

Users can join any room and listen in or engage in the conversation. Users can follow other users in the rooms they are in and there is a feature for users to connect their Twitter and Instagram accounts to Clubhouse.

Facts about Clubhouse

Clubhouse was launched back in March 2020 by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Paul Davidson and Rohan Seth. It hit 1,500 users in May 2020 and was worth $100m. Fast-forward to February 2021, it now has 2 million users and is now worth $1 billion (Guardian).

Clubhouse was used to host an audio chat between Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, which saw conversation chat rooms reach maximum limits.

How do you join Clubhouse?

Currently, Clubhouse is invite only, which means you need to be invited by a user who is already using the social networking app. Users can only invite two people to join. Clubhouse is also only available for Apple users but are hoping Android users will be able to join in on the party soon!

What is the future of Clubhouse?

Clubhouse is still in its early days, so there is plenty of room for it to grow. Becoming available on Android and being accessible for everyone will be a huge stepping stone.

There is already plenty of talk for social networking giants Twitter setting up a platform called ‘Twitter Spaces’ and LinkedIn setting up ‘LinkedIn Creators’ to compete and take over Clubhouse in the audio only environment.

Dan’s experience of Clubhouse so far…

I first heard of Clubhouse when I was in a seminar back in February and some of the students in the class were talking about it. Luckily one of the students was able to invite me to the app.

I have joined a few chat rooms related to marketing. The first one I joined was hosted by Gymshark who were talking about influencers on Instagram. Just like a podcast, it is something you can have playing in the background or while walking the dog (which is when I tend to listen to podcasts!). What else is great about Clubhouse is it is live and you can ask to have an input in the conversation yourself.

For me, the idea behind Clubhouse is great and I am looking forward to seeing how it progresses in the future, especially once it is available on Android devices and fully inclusive to everyone as well!