Earlier this year, rumors broke out that Facebook is developing a Clubhouse clone. This “clone” is now official and it’s called Facebook Live Audio Rooms. The social network announced on its blog that the new feature is already rolling out to iPhone and Android users in the US.
Facebook has added a way for Live Audio Room hosts and streamers to earn a living with a special in-app currency, called “Stars”. You can buy “Stars” with real money and send them to your favorite streamers to support them and by doing so you get promoted to the “front row”.
The “front row” is a special section that highlights people who sent Stars, so hosts can recognize supporters (and maybe even give them a shout-out during the conversation!)
Live Audio Rooms are extremely important to Facebook or so it seems because the social network will be promoting the new feature at the top of News Feed. Furthermore, Live Audio Rooms will be heavily featured in Facebook Groups.
Unlike Clubhouse, however, Facebook is taking a somewhat careful approach to this new format. From the start “only verified public figures and creators in the US with accounts in “good standing” are able to create a room.”
The list of early birds includes names such as D Smoke, Kehlani, Reggie Watts, Lisa Morales Duke, Dr. Jess, Bobby Berk, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Joe Budden, and DeRay Mckesson. Anyone is free to join a room and listen, though and there's no invite system of any sort.
Along with Live Audio Rooms, Facebook is also adding Podcasts to the table. You can listen to episodes from different podcasts while you browse via a mini-player (it also works with your smartphone’s screen off). Facebook is starting with just a handful of names but plans to add more in the next few weeks.
Live Audio Rooms is yet another attempt to replicate the success of Clubhouse. Back in March, Twitter announced its answer to Clubhouse called Spaces, and Spotify followed suit with Greenroom. Facebook, on the other hand, has more than 2 billion users already engaged with various Groups and Pages and this can play to its advantage.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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