When a pandemic and storms are ravaging the world, Clubhouse is taking the tech industry by storm. The voice-based, invite-only chat app was founded by Alpha Exploration Co.’ Rohan Seth and Paul Davison. The app remains invite-only as the team currently can’t manage the growth of its user base.
What is the Clubhouse app? Top 15 Questions Answered
The app has become so popular that tech firms such as Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Slack, Spotify, and Reddit, have created similar products to compete undeviatingly with Clubhouse.
1. What is the Clubhouse App?
Clubhouse is an invite-only audio chat application that can accommodate groups of up to 5,000 people. It hosts live discussions, where people can participate by listening and speaking. Available for Android and iOS, Clubhouse combines talkback radio, Houseparty, and conference calls.
Clubhouse users can discuss an assortment of topics. Obviously, you’ll need an invite to use the app, which I have answered below. Once you make your topic choices, Clubhouse will show you discussions that are underway and upcoming.
For instance, if Elon Musk is conducting an audio session, Indian users can join in and people from around the globe.
2. How does Clubhouse work?
When you download the app, you can’t just enter and create an account. You have to be invited to register by an existing member. I got my invite from an iOS who has been a part of the app for 5 months now.
When you join, you get to select subjects of interest, like books, tech, books, health, and so on. You need to give more information about your interests so that the app will suggest conversation rooms and individuals.
You can think of the conversation room as a conference call, where most people talk, and some listen to the conversation. When the conversation is over, the room is closed. Rest assured, the live audio-chat conversation rooms disappear. But keep in mind that users can record the conversations in nefarious ways.
3. How to join Clubhouse?
As I have mentioned before, to join Clubhouse, you will need an invitation from an existing user. Tap on the ‘envelope’ icon on the homepage, where users can view the number of invites they can designate. You can download the app and register with your mobile number and a username. The app will tell you that it has reserved a spot for you.
But don’t fall for that as you will only enter when you have been invited. When someone you know sends you an invitation, you will receive a text message with a link. The said link will take you to a sign-up page. New users can initially invite only two people.
4. How to get a Clubhouse to invite?
An existing user needs to send you an invite from their app that gives you access to set up a Clubhouse account. If someone you know invited you, you’d see a link texted to your phone number, which will direct you to a sign-up page in the app.
As I have said, new users can’t send an invite to anyone who wants to join. In their blog, the app creators have said that once the app’s beta stage is complete, they aim to “open up Clubhouse to the whole world.”
5. How do I join Clubhouse without an invite?
You cannot join Clubhouse without an invite. You will need an invitation from an existing Clubhouse to gain access to the app. You can, however, “buy” invites on eBay or Reddit. There’s also something known as a “pay-it-forward” invite chain, but there are loads of scams going around, so be cautious.
6. How much do Clubhouse invitations cost?
‘Real’ invitations cost 0 amount. But the invites are selling for from $20 to $50. On eBay, some have gone for as much as $125.
7. How to create a club on the Clubhouse app?
Clubs are associations or communities of users who constantly discuss a shared interest in the app. There are numerous clubs on a wide variety of topics. Currently, only active users who have hosted at least three rooms can create a club. Clubhouse manually allows applications for new clubs, as each user can create one club.
Such clubs can be open to the public or remain private, consisting of founders, members, and followers. If you want to be a part of clubs, users can search for clubs on the Explore page.
You can also follow them to be notified when a public room within the club is created. To become a club member, users must be added by one of the club’s founders, which is essential! Club members can choose users to be reviewed by the founders for admission, or users can be added by the founders from the club’s followers.
You see, only the founders have the ability to begin public club-branded rooms, but members can host private rooms with other club members. On the user’s profile page, the clubs which they are a part of are displayed.
8. How to add an Instagram account to the Clubhouse app?
Clubhouse app allows you to connect your Instagram and Twitter profile linked to your Clubhouse profile where users can tap on. Following is the process of adding an Instagram account to your Clubhouse profile.
Step 1: Launch the Clubhouse application.
Step 2: Tap your profile picture located on the top-right corner of the Clubhouse home screen.
Step 3: Find the ‘Add Instagram‘ option and tap on it.
Step 4: Here, enter your Instagram login credentials for the Instagram profile you want to connect.
Step 5: Click on the ‘Login‘ option. You should also know that there is a ‘Continue with Facebook’ option. You will be asked to save the login information in the app, where you can choose either ‘Save Info‘ or ‘Not Now.’
Step 6: Once you’ve filled up the login details, click on ‘Allow.’ You have now connected your Instagram profile to your Clubhouse account.
9. What if I want to deactivate the Clubhouse account?
Earlier, users had to email “support@alphaexplorationco.com” to ditch Clubhouse. With a new change, users can deactivate their account by clicking on the Profile picture > Settings > Account > Deactivate Account.
10. How did Clubhouse went viral?
When Clubhouse was launched in March 2020, the app had only 1,500 users; its net worth was valued at $100 million. It all changed when Tesla CEO Elon Musk organized a Clubhouse session with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev. This prompted many users to try the app. By December 2020, Clubhouse had 600,000 registered users. The app truly takes social networking to the next level.
The invite-only season has been in place because of the influx of users. Many yearn for the invites, so much so that they are up for sale on eBay, Reddit, and Craigslist. In China, the invites can be found in second-hand markets as the app of this nature is prohibited in the country.
Thanks to Elon Musk, the audio-chatting app had its moment in the sun. The Tesla CEO hosted a session with Robinhood CEO that yielded a new destiny for Clubhouse. Even Mark Zuckerberg has used the app. Celebrities such as Drake, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, and others are quite active on it.
This January, German podcast hosts Philipp Gloeckler and Philipp Klöckner began an invite-chain over a Telegram group that brought German politicians, journalists, and influencers on the app.
11. Are Clubhouse rooms recorded?
Clubhouse’s guidelines forbid recording conversations. You can’t even reproduce, transcribe, or share them without specific permission. This has been a source of controversy because instances of bullying, harassment, and racism have occurred on the app.
12. How does Clubhouse make money?
Clubhouse app was valued at $100 million after receiving funding from numerous venture capitalists. It also includes a $12 million Series A investment from the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. As of April 2021, Clubhouse is valued at nearly $4 billion in a funding round.
In April 2021, Clubhouse has also introduced a new feature that allows people on the app to monetize their content. Known as Payments, users can send money directly to their preferred content creators without being dependant on third-party crowdfunding sites.
13. Who is the target audience for Clubhouse?
Anyone can use Clubhouse, but people who miss an audience can try the platform as it is intriguing and engrossing. People who want to be a part of engaging conversations can also give it a shot.
Although, the app has shot to fame in various places where rifts have divided fellow citizens. Palestinians and Israelis created a room named Meet Palestinians and Israelis where citizens from both the conflicted-affected sides talked. The room received approximately 380,000 visitors.
14. Why is Clubhouse the next big thing?
The clubhouse is rightfully touted as the next big social media phenomenon. It currently has some 10 million users, shared by celebrities, global web influencers, Silicon Valley investors, leaders, etc.
People realized that they could have uncensored audio conversations about their work, interest, industry, life, hobbies, and more. More and more brands understand that users are flocking the app, and thus they are jumping on the bandwagon.
The marketing industry wants to bank on the opportunity as well. Firms build conversation rooms to pull in audiences and enlighten them about their brand and the products/services they have to offer.
CEOs and business owners want to interact with people in real-time as conversations on Clubhouse can be unfiltered and honest. This changes the focus on those running the firms rather than their services or products.
The feeling of participating in an unscripted and live platform is exhilarating. You can have authentic conversations and openly discuss any matter. Clubhouse could give brands some awareness and benefits to redefine their business and relationships. New businesses can thrive on such a platform, having a heart-to-heart discussion with their employees and clients.
15. Who is the owner of the Clubhouse app?
Alpha Exploration Co. owns the Clubhouse app, founded by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth. It was originally supposed to be podcasts under the name Talkshow, but the app was rebranded as ‘Clubhouse,’ officially released for iOS in March 2020 and May 2021 for Android.
Conclusion
So, this is all about the new Clubhouse app taking the world by storm – quite literally! I, too, was excited to try it when it launched for Android. I was quite intrigued when the app was unveiled, how it would stand out in a sea of social media platforms. It made me research the San Francisco-based app. Even with its immense popularity, the app is banned in China, Oman, and Jordan due to security issues.
I have tried to answer as many questions as possible. These are the most-asked questions about the Clubhouse app. Tell me in the comments if I answered all your doubts or if you have more.
