The Future of Twitter Spaces: A New Era in Audio Social Networking
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The Rise of Twitter Spaces
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, we often adhere to a few guiding principles. Mine include: 1) Show kindness, 2) Connect with family weekly, and 3) Maintain low expectations from Twitter. However, after a quick reaction followed by deeper consideration regarding Twitter’s new audio feature—Twitter Spaces—I find myself softening my stance on the last point.
Twitter and Clubhouse are currently engaged in a fierce competition to establish dominance in a burgeoning form of audio-based social networking, which merges elements of podcasts, conferences, and casual discussions. For those unfamiliar, the format allows users to join virtual "rooms" where a moderator presents a topic and encourages audience participation. This innovative approach to social media has generated excitement akin to the introduction of Snapchat Stories in 2013. Much like Stories, it's plausible that the primary winner in this scenario may not be the original innovator.
Clubhouse has undoubtedly carved out a remarkable niche with its unique format. The conversations within its rooms often feel timely, engaging, and occasionally daring. The thrill of being in a room alongside celebrities and industry leaders—regardless of whether you speak—creates an exhilarating sense of community. This allure has led to Clubhouse invitations being sold for as much as $125 on platforms like eBay.
Despite Clubhouse's current popularity, Twitter is strategically positioned to harness this momentum with Spaces, which integrates Clubhouse's features directly into its existing app. The user interface of Twitter Spaces is straightforward and enhances the overall experience on the platform. While it may face challenges (as per my earlier rule), it shows promise and is unlikely to replicate the fate of Google+.
Evaluating a new social network's potential often leads me back to Eugene Wei's concept of "Status as a Service." In a detailed post from two years ago, Wei, a former Amazon and Facebook employee, articulated that social media users are primarily motivated by the desire to maximize their social capital. Essentially, this means people engage with social platforms to gain recognition for the content they create. This is why they share posts at no cost. Younger audiences, for instance, tend to shy away from Twitter due to the difficulty in gaining visibility for their tweets. Conversely, they favor Instagram, where the use of hashtags and discovery features helps them cultivate a following.
The early success of Clubhouse can be attributed, in part, to its status-centric appeal. Users who frequent the platform engage in discussions, build followings, and take pride in their increasing follower counts, often mentioning it within minutes of conversation. Establishing a following on Clubhouse paves the way for future engagement in subsequent rooms, which translates to valuable social capital.
Twitter Spaces, however, is in a better position to facilitate this crucial element. Users can join discussions and gain followers similarly to how they do on Clubhouse, showcasing their wit and engagement. Moreover, they can interact with their followers in future Spaces rooms while also having the unique advantage of tweeting to new followers.
Thus, a follower on Twitter holds more value than one on Clubhouse when it comes to social capital. For individuals seeking the most efficient way to boost their recognition, time spent in Twitter Spaces proves to be more beneficial than time on Clubhouse. While this might seem rather simplistic, it accurately reflects the mechanics of these platforms.
Twitter Spaces must overcome one significant hurdle: matching Clubhouse's effectiveness in showcasing intriguing rooms. “The magic of Clubhouse is the hallway,” remarked Josh Constine, a Clubhouse enthusiast and investor in the app. By “hallway,” he refers to the ability to browse a feed of rooms, allowing users to seamlessly enter and exit discussions. Currently, on Twitter, Spaces are only visible when followed accounts are hosting them (displayed in the Fleets bar) or through tweets linking to them. Nevertheless, Twitter has a distinct advantage.
Unlike Facebook, where connections are primarily with friends and family, Twitter users follow accounts based on their interests—reporters, athletes, politicians, entertainers, etc. This creates a clear signal regarding the topics and discussions users would be inclined to engage with. Even without a designated "hallway" (which Twitter is likely to develop), the platform will provide relevant conversations from the outset. “This experience fundamentally is the same thing,” explained Kayvon Beykpour, Twitter's product head, in a recent discussion on Spaces. “The same use case, with slightly different mechanics.”
Another advantage for Twitter in attracting participants to Spaces is its vibrant user base, which includes some of the most influential figures in the world. When Elon Musk joins Clubhouse, it becomes a headline. When he tweets, it’s just another Wednesday. These prominent users will generate interest for Spaces as they begin to utilize the feature, bringing their millions of followers along. The draw for them is clear: reach. They can connect with a broader audience on Twitter, which boasts 192 million daily users, compared to Clubhouse's 2 million weekly users.
In addition, Twitter has quietly built a suite of tools to attract mid-tier content creators—those with moderate followings. The platform's acquisition of Revue, a newsletter service that allows creators to monetize subscriptions (taking only a 5% cut compared to Substack's 10%), aligns perfectly with Spaces. Imagine this scenario: a creator establishes a paid newsletter on Revue, promotes it via Twitter, and then engages with subscribers in Spaces after sharing their content. It’s a cohesive strategy.
Ultimately, Twitter is heavily invested in making Spaces successful. The platform has faced a barrage of criticism for its toxic conversations, leading many to feel apprehensive when opening the app. Twitter can be both entertaining and informative, but it often devolves into a chaotic shouting match where even innocuous comments are dissected by agitated users.
In an ideal scenario, Spaces could transform interactions, encouraging users to see each other as real individuals rather than mere avatars. Audio allows for the conveyance of nuance, tone, sarcasm, and humor—elements that often get lost in the hostile environment of text-based timelines. Engaging in dialogue can diffuse even the most heated disagreements, as evidenced by San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's participation in a Clubhouse chat with some of his most vocal critics. This is precisely why Twitter is fully committed to this initiative; its future depends on its success.
For instance, after I tweeted my belief that Twitter would ultimately prevail over Clubhouse earlier this month, I received considerable backlash. Tonight, I plan to discuss my views on Clubhouse with some of those who disagreed (as requested by them). This conversation is guaranteed to be more constructive than a Twitter argument. Soon, we may see such interactions becoming commonplace, potentially within the same application.
If you're interested in joining Clubhouse, tune in to the discussion at 6 p.m. Pacific Time today, Thursday, February 11.
I write this without any vested interest. I haven't invested in either platform, unlike many of Clubhouse's ardent supporters. Furthermore, I don't harbor any particular loyalty to Twitter. (Previously, I authored an article that prompted 1 million users to tweet #RIPTwitter over a weekend.) Nevertheless, I've been closely observing the service for a considerable time and believe Spaces offers a truly distinctive opportunity. While Twitter may falter, the circumstances appear to align favorably for Twitter Spaces to evolve into the next iteration of Instagram Stories.
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The first video features Elon Musk discussing the future of AI in an insightful Twitter Spaces conversation.
The second video showcases a live discussion between Trump and Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces, highlighting their perspectives on current events.