Messages and videos are passe! Drop-in audio chat rooms on voice-based social networks such as Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces are a new rage—and that is where the battle for dominance is currently raging. Although Twitter Spaces Vs Clubhouse battle shows that they are very similar, yet have subtle differences in their user interface that sets them apart.
If you’ve read our Clubhouse review, you will know that ever since the launch of Clubhouse, we started looking out for an existing social media giant to bring out their own version of a voice chat room app. Twitter is the first to respond with Twitter Spaces, and there are reports of Facebook coming up with a Clubhouse alternative of their own. Clubhouse has effectively set off a wave of voice-driven social apps that are vying for dominance in the audio chat room app world.
What is Clubhouse voice chat app and how does it work?
The buzziest one from the lot, Clubhouse is an audio-based social network where you can jump into a voice chat room of people that you follow. You can request to talk, listen to ongoing conversations or just hang around to find something that interests you.
Topic-based online voice chat rooms that you find Interesting can gather thousands of listeners while niche, relatively unknown ones might only have a trickle. However, without a public app or access for those on Android yet, Clubhouse is building on its buzz with exclusivity—while also creating a disgruntled list of Android users who’d like to listen in.
What is Twitter Spaces, and how does it work?
As described by Twitter: Twitter Spaces is “a place to come together, built around the voices of the people using Twitter, your Twitter community”.
Twitter Spaces allows you to join audio chat rooms/groups where they can listen to live conversations or join the conversation by requesting to speak.
Clubhouse vs. Twitter Spaces – Voice Chat App Comparison
A major difference between Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse voice chat app is in the way they handle your data. Both Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse record the conversations that occur in rooms, but Twitter stores the copies of conversations in rooms for 30 days to check for violations of its rules and regulations.
In case a violation is detected. Twitter Spaces may hold this data for up to 90 days to facilitate the user appeals process. Although Clubhouse social app records conversations too, these are automatically deleted after 30 days unless reported by a user during a chat. Clubhouse then holds on to the data until the investigation of the incident is complete. Another way in which Clubhouse voice app differs from Twitter Spaces is that it does not allow participants to record conversations unless all participants give their consent to this recording. On the other hand, a feature that allows recording conversations might be in the works for Twitter Spaces.
Twitter makes transcripts of conversations available to Spaces hosts. Participants of space will also have access to this data, but only for what they said in the conversation. Twitter Spaces also plans to make data available as permanent content which can be then repurposed for other mediums; however, Clubhouse rooms are live and “for the moment.”
Twitter Spaces vs Clubhouse – Features Comparison
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App independence
A major difference between Clubhouse and Twitter spaces is that Clubhouse is an independent app, while Twitter Spaces is a feature like Twitter Fleets only available on mobile.
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Content availability
Twitter Spaces relies on Fleets posted by those you follow to access Twitter Spaces content. Clubhouse lets you skim through feeds of available public rooms and then lets them access this content.
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Platform support
Although both apps are still in a limited-audience beta, Clubhouse is an iOS-only app for now, whereas Twitter Spaces beta is available for both iOS and Android.
Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces Business Model Comparison
Clubhouse is pre-revenue and is not monetizing its offering yet. However, as investors might want returns on their investments soon, both Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces would soon need to look for a viable business model.
For now, data seems to be the biggest business model for both Clubhouse and Twitter. As Clubhouse is currently revenue-free, it might want to rely on advertising (already available on Twitter) or premium, ad-free accounts for additional revenue.
For investors, the voice-based social networking space is hot, exciting, and ready for the taking. Investors were making a beeline for a chance to invest in Clubhouse and it seems that the same might also be true for newer, innovative players. As innovation brings in exciting, new features, investors are ready, with their monetary guns blazing!
Common Features of Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces
Although these apps compete with each other when it comes to innovation, the basic feature set is very similar. Both Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse allow users to gather with a person or group for conversations. You can create your own rooms, or join existing ones and “raise their hand” if they wish to say something. Additionally, these rooms are moderated, and you can be kicked out for any violations.
The numbers: Clubhouse vs Twitter Spaces statistics
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How many users do Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces have?
Twitter already has millions of users but is rolling out its controlled beta program to a select set of users. Clubhouse currently has over 10 million users and is not accepting more users as of now.
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How much money is Twitter raising/spending for/on Twitter Spaces?
Twitter has raised $1.5 billion to date. Although specifics are not available as of now, Twitter is putting in significant engineering efforts on developing Twitter Spaces to one-up Clubhouse in popularity.
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Who is investing in Clubhouse and Twitter?
Twitter has a host of investors including All Blue Capital, DFJ Growth, Slow Ventures, Alwaleed Bin Talal, ESO Fund and many more. On the other hand, Clubhouse has raised a total of $110 million from Kortschak, Andressen Horowitz and Tim Kendall.
Who Should Use Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces?
In addition to being used for social networking and personal use, both Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse are a great way for businesses to create buzz and set up marketing campaigns. The immense popularity of these platforms will make business use cases even more viable than artistic or personal ones.
Both Clubhouse and Twitter spaces also have the option to join rooms based on a particular theme or interest. This helps to build interest-based communities in voice apps such as Twitter.
Are Twitter Spaces available on Android and iOS?
Yes, Twitter Spaces is now available on both Android and iOS. Twitter users on both platforms can explore this new feature.
Is Clubhouse available on Android?
Unfortunately, no. Clubhouse is currently invite-only and exclusive to iOS, but an Android version is in the works.
Is Twitter Spaces invite-only?
No. As Twitter Spaces is a feature and not an app, Twitter Spaces is currently being rolled out to a select set of beta test users and there are currently no Twitter Spaces invites available for the feature. Twitter will roll out the Twitter Spaces for all Twitter users by April.
Are Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces still in beta?
Yes, both Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces are still in beta mode.
Alternatives to Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces
Still unable to get access to Twitter Spaces or a Clubhouse app invite? Some great alternatives may interest you!
- Discord: Discord has a great individual voice chat channel for its users. Very similar to the way Clubhouse works, Discord allows you to host both public and private channels along with being available on both iOS and Android.
- Riffr: Riffr is an audio-centered app that allows you to post riffs (audio conversations). Using Riffr search, you can easily find topics you are interested in. Although Riffr is not a real-time voice chat app but is great as an audio app.
- Spoon: Talk, cast and live options in Spoon, coupled with its search feature for trending conversations allow you to find and join great conversations. A unique feature of Spoon is that it allows you to accept monetary donations for their streams.
Conclusion
Social media and social networking had hit a dead end with most apps essentially cloning features available on the other and there was no real innovation coming forth. With the entry of drop-in audio apps such as Clubhouse, the competition has heated up and is resulting in the entry of several voice-only social apps, stirring up the social media space.
As interest in Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces rises, more and more entrepreneurs and industry bigwigs such as Facebook seem to be ready to jump the voice chat app bandwagon. Although the numbers are still not out in the open, with Clubhouse crossing 10 million active users in beta and Twitter planning to roll out Twitter Spaces to the world in April, the market is ready for a disruptive, innovative player.
If you have an innovative idea that could stir up the online voice chat room space, let us know.
Our developers are experienced enough to understand the nuances of such apps and help your app reach the top charts with an outstanding user interface and features that your users will love.
