After SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk hosted an audio-chat with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, thousands of people flocked to social media blogging site to buy and gain access to the exclusive 'invite-only' social media platform Clubhouse.
The audio-based app has created a lot of buzz to an extent that a market for buying an invitation to the app has begun on Reddit, eBay and Craiglist social networks.
On the other hand, in China, invitations are being sold on Alibaba-owned marketplace Idle fish, despite Apple's App store's unavailability in the country.
According to data analytics firm Sensor Tower, as of Tuesday, 2 January 2021, Clubhouse had around 3.6 million installs worldwide.
But what is the noise all about? How does one join the platform, and what makes the app different from others. Here are the details.
What Is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is a voice-based app, which is only available for iPhone users. It is a social media platform that allows users to exchange audio clips instead of images, videos or messages. The application has been developed by Rohan Seth and Paul Davison.
The app allows users to tune in to discussions, conversations and interviews based on ones own interests. It is as similar to listening to a podcast but the only difference is that one can participate in it.
What Is the Buzz All About?
Clubhouse launched in April 2019 but only recently it has gained massive traction, with some high-profile celebrities using the platform. Owing to its popularity, the app has been kept ‘invite-only’ for the time being.
Many celebrities, including Kanye West, Drake, Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Hart, are active members on the app. This means that every Clubhouse user can get a chance to participate and engage in discussions with their favourite celebrities.
Every social media platform’s success is measured by the number of people engaging on the platform. However, Clubhouse has completely changed the game by focusing on quality rather than quantity.
According to the Social Media Examiner, Clubhouse has seen massive success as Silicon Valley’s social hotspot.
What Makes Clubhouse Different From Other Social Media Platforms?
While other social media platforms allow the user to interact via exchanging texts, photos and videos, Clubhouse focuses on interactions through ‘audio mode’ only.
Several rooms can be created for a variety of purposes, including informal chats with close friends, planning a party, meeting strangers, and engaging in debates and discussions.
Every room is supervised by a moderator so the content is filtered, unlike any other media platform. Besides, all the conversations are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be recorded, making the app secure for its users amid rising concerns of privacy.
How to Get Access to the App?
As mentioned above, the app is currently an invite-only platform. However, to gain access to the app, a current Clubhouse user has to send you an invite.
Note: Every Clubhouse user gets two invites only, so only send invites to the people who you think will use the app.
Future of Indian Start-Ups on Clubhouse
Indian entrepreneurs have flocked to the app as well, with The Indian Startup Club being one of the biggest groups on Clubhouse in India with 4,000 members, reported The Economic Times.
As many as 12,000 Indians have already downloaded the app said a report published by analytics firm Sensor Tower.
The group hosts a series of rooms, where entrepreneurs can share their journey, experiences, and listen to each others’ as well.
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