Clubhouse | Select … and popularity

Do we need a new social network? Yes, if we can trust the 6 million members of Clubhouse, this is an interesting invitation — only halfway between the audio platform Podcast And the telephone platform on the radio.

Kareem Benessih
Tap

Significantly, in just two months, 90% of subscribers joined the platform, and only new sponsored members with an iPhone or iPad can sign up. Launched almost in March 2020 by an entrepreneur from Silicon Valley and an engineer at Google, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, it has made significant progress in Quebec since early February.

Its success has scared China that the application has been blocked since February 8th.

Since January 22 she has been valued at $ 1 billion, which officially makes her a “unicorn”.

Like a virtual hide park

This success is all the more remarkable as the clubhouse concept is not so easy to grasp. You must first receive an invitation from an existing member, who in theory can only deliver two and have an Apple mobile device. As with any good social network, you need to link your profile with a phone number, specify your interests and subscribe to existing accounts.

Then we have access to thousands of people Rooms – Commercial Festivals, the application is only available in English – Subscribers will open with a theme of their choice and it will accommodate up to 5,000 people. The moderator speaks and gives the floor to whomever he wants. The thumbnails of those with the right to speak appear at the top and are in a sort of virtual stage, with the rest of the audience displayed below.

Everything is in audio, with sound, without text or video. We can compare the stage to the famous Hyde Park, the largest park in London where speakers parade freely throughout the day. We talk about racism, organic decoration, urban planning and the latest trends in cuisine at the clubhouse. Journalists open a lounge to question potential resources on the file they are preparing, the hosts meet their audience after an event, and Elon Musk invites Vladimir Putin to the discussion. A DJ provided the background music, but the subscriber opened the very popular lounge… where silence reigns.

Without trolls

The big stars of the network are rappers Meek Mill and 21 Savage, who have attracted 2.2 million and 1.5 million subscribers, respectively. Outside the arts, Tesla boss Elon Musk also employs 1.5 million members.

Since access is very selective and anonymity is difficult, so far the tone of the discussion has been very respectful, please note its users.

Mr. Guglielminetti, who had been in the clubhouse for two weeks, was glad that he had not yet had a bad meeting. “I have not met my service demon. Yes, there is exchange and negotiation, but there is no barbarism. It is like a breath of fresh air. “

Oliver Lapierre, Public Relations Consultant, presents this social network as “Audio LinkedIn” where young entrepreneurs showcase their innovations to find financing or buyers. He mainly uses the clubhouse to quell trends, follow international news and satisfy his curiosity.

“I’ve seen creative communities start performing competitions where people take the stage and perform a whale song. They’re also comedians sometimes, they break up in their show.”

But he warned newcomers: “It takes a long time to separate wheat from threshing. Say there are too many Coaches Many professionals who give life and advice… It can pose challenges to some professional orders. “

Democracy in view

The first popular clubhouse in the United States became popular in Asia and later in Europe and in recent months has spread throughout the French-speaking world, through a deadly game of two invitations to the subscriber. There are no ads or monetization yet, but the terms may change in the coming months, its founders announced on their blog on January 24th. First, an Android application is under construction that will be able to reach approximately 2.5 billion users of this operating system. Then, the exclusive invitation system is lifted in the medium term.

“There, like a private club, there is an option at the door, but the day we democratize the stage, there will be more people and it will change the landscape,” Bruno Guglielminetti analyzed.

Other vulnerabilities are often pointed out in the clubhouse, and this is the flip side of great transparency, the small protection given to privacy. The Federation of German Consumers’ Associations also filed a lawsuit on the 1st^Is Last February.

In the clubhouse, it is very easy to identify the activities of the members. Sponsorship is public, meetings are open to the public and interventions are recorded on company servers.

Assuring that we have not yet used this information for targeted advertising is only half the battle.

“You can post as long as it is a fashionable conversation Podcast Guglielminetti said there was no problem with that or being broadcast on the radio. This is a place to speak openly. But I will finally advise my clients Room To hold a company meeting. “