Over the past few months, it seems that all anyone is talking about is Clubhouse. The app has been notably gaining popularity, with creators Paul Davison and Rohan Seth who built the app just over a year ago. One of the notable differences of this app compared to others is that it is only invited based, leading people with straight-up FOMO. That’s right, this app is exclusive and to get in you must receive an invite. At one point, Clubhouse users were selling their invites for the app via Twitter to make a buck which I still can’t stop thinking about. The app has currently over 10 million users, including celebs like Oprah, Ashton Kutcher, Snoop Dogg and Lily Singh. The growth of the app has been impressive considering in January there were only 2 million users.
So what is Clubhouse?
The use of Clubhouse has evolved from what it was originally intended to be, the audio-only app allows for users to build communities around any topic that is of interest to them while having meaningful conversations. Think of it as a podcast except it’s in real-time. Clubhouse is in the private beta phase which is why you need to be invited by someone who is already a user. While the app is invite-only, it is also exclusive to iOS users meaning all Android users are missing out.
The app only permits audio-based communication and it is structured by having ‘rooms’ of people chatting with each other. Rooms are open to all, in which users can join in as an audience member quietly listening. You can raise your hand if you want to speak up on the ‘stage’ in which the host(s) of the room can permit.
It is an audio-based app where you talk to others (including the celebs mentioned above) in virtual rooms that you can hop in and out of. You can upload a profile photo of yourself, add a bio but aside from that, there are no options for images or video. Fear not, people who hate the sound of their voice — you can join any chat you want and mute upon entry!
None of the conversations can be saved or recorded and there are community guidelines to protect users of the app.
What do you talk about?
Anything and everything. The point of the app is to connect with other humans discussing things of interest. There are rooms for everyone – I’ve joined in on conversations about the stock market (which I know nothing about) to rooms about how to pitch to agencies and gain sponsorships. There are also rooms titled “Canadians Connecting on Clubhouse” which is a personable networking opportunity to connect with people in the area while feeling like you’re having a conversation over dinner. I admire how Clubhouse has always felt like a casual conversation that is if you don’t join in on rooms with people who try to boast themselves.
Is it a dating app?
No. Clubhouse is not intended to be a dating app. However, you may end up noticing “shoot your shot” rooms popping up. While at first, I wasn’t obsessed with people “shooting their shot” with those in the room, it has quickly become one of my favourite rooms to join for comedic purposes. In other rooms that aren’t designated to flirt, I strongly encourage you to read the room beforehand. I will give a shoutout to “NYU Girls Roasting Tech Guys” which is one of my go-to rooms to listen in on as the hosts are all funny, not afraid to hold back on what they’re thinking and it’s entertaining watching someone try and shoot their shot to a stranger. I would pick a “shoot your shot” room over the Bachelor/Bachelorette any day.
Why is it so popular?
Networking. The app is only available to a handful of people to connect with while having an exclusive network. People are jumping at the chance to network, make personal and professional connections they may not have access to prior to using this app. Oftentimes you can jump into a room, do a quick elevator pitch about yourself and connect with professionals who are within the same industry, and are more than willing to give you advice. The synchronous conversations have helped make the experience more intimate versus hopping on a Zoom call or enhancing emails back and forth. It is also convenient, you can join in from anywhere without having to worry about how you look or if you’re in a noisy environment. Apart from the networking aspect, the invite-only has given the app more attention and has piqued peoples’ curiosity of wanting to see what the app is all about for themselves.
Is it worth the hype?
Now to the final question and probably most important thing, is it worth the hype? Yes and no. I don’t believe this app is for everyone and I stand by that. It takes some time to navigate in terms of finding the right rooms you belong in. I find the demographic of users to be people in their mid-20s and above. For an 18-year-old, it hasn’t been easy connecting with a community. However, I mostly find myself in the audience section gaining some general insight oftentimes related to PR, social media and the stock market which has been beneficial. That being said, what I don’t love about the app is that sometimes you’ll start hearing people advocating for spending all of their free time and using your vacation days from your full-time job to spend time working on a side hustle. This is the least appealing aspect as it promotes toxic hustle culture but that’s a story for another day.
Now if you want in on the app, you’re going to have to wait. There is no trick to getting in other than knowing someone who can give you an invite. I saw someone on Twitter giving out a few invites and messaged them which led me to my luck. I gave my invites to people who I thought would benefit from joining these rooms. Until then, you are just going to have to wait it out until you are invited to the club. That said, this isn’t for everyone so don’t fret about missing out.