Clubhouse – a new audio-driven social media app that allows hosting voice-based discussions within a community – has recently surged. Even though it is currently following an invite-only model, I’ve witnessed many creators and prominent personalities from domains ranging from music and health to journalism hosting discussions on the platform. The only drawback? Well, Clubhouse is currently exclusive to iOS, which has left many interested users without access to the forum. That will soon change, as Clubhouse has finally started working on its Android app.
“From the earliest days, we’ve wanted to build Clubhouse for everyone. With this in mind, we are thrilled to begin work on our Android app soon and to add more accessibility and localization features so that people all over the world can experience Clubhouse in a way that feels native to them,” the company said in an official blog post. However, it is unclear how long it will take before the company officially releases the Android app.
As per a report from the information, venture capital firms have approached the company regarding a fresh round of funding that will help the company reach a $1 billion valuation. Talks about buying shares from existing shareholders are reportedly underway as well. While the company is yet to officially confirm the bit about reaching a $1 billion valuation and attaining the unicorn status officially, the blog post does mention that Clubhouse has secured a fresh round of funding and has outlined how it wants to put that money to use to improve the voice-based social media platform further. The Clubhouse has big plans to scale up and add new features to its platform.
Clubhouse says it will utilize the funds to add more accessibility and localization features, scale up the infrastructure, and add more advanced tools to curb the abusive use of its platform effectively. The company also aims to boost the discovery aspect of its platform by making it easier for users to find people, clubs, and rooms that might interest them. More importantly, the company will also add monetization tools for creators by introducing features such as tips, subscriptions, and selling tickets to their voice-based discussions.
The Clubhouse will have to duke it out with Spaces by Twitter.
While the popularity of Clubhouse has soared in the wake of a global pandemic that has pushed more creators and audiences online, the company has a venerable rival in its nascent stage. That rival is Spaces by Twitter, which went live last month and is currently in the closed-circle testing phase. By default, Twitter has a much broader reach, and luring the audience to its new voice-based social media platform, Spaces would be much easier than for Clubhouse to increase its user base organically. Plus, Twitter has more resources to one-up Clubhouse on almost every parameter.
