Facebook launches Audio Rooms as it takes on Twitter Spaces

They say technology keeps evolving and any product can be made better either through improvement and innovations, but this seems to have been taken to a new level as Twitter and Facebook battle for the audience on their platforms as a strategy to market their products.

Early this year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to launch audio products including in-thing chat rooms as a strategy to effectively rival Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse, which are incredibly awesome at least based on feedback from audiences.

Already, Facebook has started rolling out Live Audio Rooms as well as podcast discovery. The Live Audio Rooms feature is open on iOS for selected public figures and Facebook Groups in the US and can have up to 50 speakers.

“Live Audio Rooms on Facebook enable you to discover, listen in on, and join live conversations with public figures, experts, and others about topics you’re interested in. Public figures can invite friends, followers, verified public figures, or any listeners in the room to be a speaker. The host can invite speakers in advance or during the conversation. There can be up to 50 speakers, and there’s no limit to the number of listeners," Facebook said in a blog post.

The Live Audio Rooms launched by people or groups that you follow will always appear at the Facebook News Feed, above the Stories panel. During the session, users will be notified when friends or followers join the chat, too, Facebook said.

The UI of Facebook’s audio rooms has similarity to Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces, with profile images of the room hosts at the top, then listeners below that.

Facebook added: “Listeners can also offer support and show appreciation to the public figure host of the Live Audio Room by sending Stars, which bumps those listeners up to the “front row.” The “front row” is a special section that highlights people who sent Stars, so hosts can recognize supporters (and maybe even give them a shout out during the conversation!). Listeners can purchase Stars packs during the conversation and send them anytime.”

The company is also launching new podcast support options, which will enable users to discover and listen to podcasts, without having to leave the app.

“People can listen to podcasts while browsing Facebook, via a mini player or full-screen player experience with playback options, including with their phone display turned off. People can listen to select podcast creators on their Facebook Pages, as well as in News Feed,” it said.

Facebook also pointed out that there is more in the offing in its audio journey. “… is just the beginning of our audio journey. Looking ahead, we are working with creators who will use our audio tools to further develop and launch Soundbites — short-form, creative audio clips,” it said.

The clubhouse was first launched after Twitter Spaces. The platforms are increasingly becoming competitive given that they allow users to discuss important issues on live sessions, thus limiting requirements for live studio appearances in mainstream media.

Some of the technology-based revolutions in other tech companies include; Microsoft Corp.’s LinkedIn and Salesforce.com Inc.’s Slack are working on their own audio room competitors. Twitter offers Twitter Spaces, which function like live audio rooms. And last week, Spotify announced its live audio offering called Greenroom.

All these services will face steep competition—a plight that may be worsened by the gradual loosening of Covid-19 restrictions. People are increasingly returning to offline activities for their social and entertainment needs. Clubhouse downloads exceeded 9 million in May, but had sunk to less than a million in April, says Naomi Nix as quoted by Bloomberg.

However, after the company added a version of the app for Android phones, downloads climbed again. According to SensorTower data, Clubhouse had reached about 5.3 million downloads in the first 15 days of June alone.

It is, of course, possible that the audio craze fades away, or gets relegated to a stable but unexciting corner of the global tech industry. But there’s a compelling intimacy to audio that can appeal to people in ways that video, text and other digital communications tools just don’t. Even old-fashioned radio shows still entrance listeners.

GAROWE ONLINE