Can “Clubhouse”s start a new trend in China?
Since Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk posted a Twitter that he would join Clubhouse for online sharing on February 1st, Clubhouse has quickly spread across the United States, occupying the discussion areas of major social platforms. The popularity of the audio social concept remains high, and many Internet giants have rushed to develop their audio social apps.
We all know that Twitter is developing a new audio social software called “Spaces”. On March 2nd, Spaces officially twittered an announcement that everyone can use Spaces on Android devices from then on. Currently, Clubhouse is gaining momentum, but it is not yet available on Android. So getting to Android may be a key step for Spaces, and it is also maximizing the potential of the format.
Apart from the support of celebrities like Musk, let’s think about what are the reasons for Clubhouse’s popularity in the United States?
First of all, Clubhouse is currently the first audio social product in the United States. You can either be a participant in the topic, communicate and discuss interesting things with others without pressure, or just be a listener. Here, you may hear young people sharing their entrepreneurial stories in Silicon Valley, investors’ judgments on the current financial market, or Michelin chefs’ gourmet creative inspirations.
Secondly, the epidemic has made face-to-face communication between friends difficult and unable to expand their veins. Depressed social emotions naturally need channels to vent. Maybe Clubhouse is just one of them, but it is destined.
Besides, Clubhouse is invite-only, leading to a close social chain and a warm community atmosphere. The concise page and the smoothness of the experience are all bonus points.
Audio social networking has taken shape in the United States, so, can it also starts a trend in China?
Actually, I am not optimistic about the audio social in China.
I currently cannot imagine a form that meets the needs of the people’s lives to match such a form of real-time connection to the microphone. The real-time chat takes up a long continuous time, otherwise, it will challenge the integrity of the content. In contrast, the duration of a short video is often less than fifteen seconds, and the threshold for time is lower. You can watch several complete short videos on Tiktok in just a few minutes while waiting for a taxi. Under the influence of the popularity of short videos and live broadcasts, the Chinese have become very picky about products.
Relatively limited and niche users ensure the quality of chat and communication. But once the number of users surges, the situation will become different. Not all users are good at expressing themselves in public. As for the rules of procedure and respect for discussants, it is difficult to establish in an unfamiliar chat room. Also, users gather based on topics, and supervision is also an important issue. For example, many topics are forbidden to discuss in China.
Another thing is that China has had a lot of audio social software in the past ten years. They have special positioning in dating, music, games, or chatting to kill time. In the end, these products cannot escape the fate of being shut down.
Nevertheless, the development of things often exceeds our expectations. I also look forward to a new turning point for audio social apps in China.
