Clubhouse is a social audio platform available on both iOS and Android devices. It gained rapid popularity and inspired similar features from other tech giants, Meta, Twitter (with Twitter Spaces), and Spotify (through its Greenroom app).
Clubhouse was initially launched as an invite-only platform by founders Paul Davison and Rohan Seth in late 2019. The app began as a podcast tool called Talkshow but was later rebranded as “Clubhouse.” It officially launched for iOS in March 2020 and expanded to Android in May 2021. The startup quickly attracted attention from well-known investors, reaching a valuation of $100 million. Early backers included Ryan Hoover (founder of Product Hunt), Balaji Srinivasan (former CTO of Coinbase), James Beshara (co-founder of Tilt.com), and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which led a $12 million Series A round in May 2020.
By early February 2021, the app had been downloaded approximately 3.5 million times globally, and that number more than doubled to 8.1 million within two weeks, thanks in part to high-profile appearances by celebrities like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Clubhouse’s user base soared to over 10 million weekly active users within a year of its launch. However, user numbers began to decline in early 2021, dropping by 21% in three weeks as the initial hype faded. During its early phase, the app was invite-only, and access codes were selling on eBay for as much as $400.
Key Features of Clubhouse:
- Rooms:
The core feature is live audio chat rooms. These rooms can be open to everyone, limited to users followed by the moderator (social rooms), or restricted to invited participants (closed rooms). Each room has a “stage” for speakers, and listeners can request to speak by using a “raise hand” feature. Moderators, identified by a green star, can invite speakers, mute them, or remove them from the stage. Listeners join the room silently and can leave discreetly using the “leave quietly” button or peace sign emoji. - Events:
While many discussions happen spontaneously, users can also schedule events in advance. Events include a title, date, and time, and may feature co-hosts to assist in moderation. Scheduled events appear in the Clubhouse bulletin, accessible via the calendar icon, and users can receive reminders by tapping the bell icon. - Clubs:
Clubs are community groups built around shared interests, and users can discover them using the search function. Each club has three user roles: Admins (who control settings and membership), Leaders (who can create and host open rooms), and Members (who can host private rooms and invite others). Clubs may be:- Open (anyone can join),
- By Approval (users must apply and be accepted), or
- Closed (only invited users can join).
When a public room is created within a club, all members receive notifications. Active users can create clubs from their profile pages. Notably, the first club to reach half a million members was the Human Behaviour Club, founded by Dr. Sohaib Imtiaz (also known as The Digital Doctor).
Overall, Clubhouse provides a platform for live audio conversations and community building, with structured roles and features aimed at fostering engagement and interest-based interactions.
