Welcome to Clubhouse! If You Are Invited, of Course

Clubhouse is the talk of the Internet nowadays. Memes and posts on other social media of those lucky few invited, those many expecting, and way more of those on Android – a perfect situation to feel privileged, disappointed, puzzled, bewildered, obsolete, up-to-date… The matter is, Clubhouse is the social project that makes you feel all that.
 
What did its developers invent to get you to care? New features? No, they only left one that used to be secondary even where it was at all. As you enter Clubhouse, you see a list of rooms you can join and listen to what’s going on, or take to the stage by activating the mic. Browse your friends, follow them to know when they’re online and speaking… And yes, that’s it.

Live in the Moment

Once you are in the room, you listen to it in real-time. Maybe someone bothers to record what’s going on, maybe not. What happens on Clubhouse stays on Clubhouse. This approach may aggravate your FOMO, but at the same time, it makes your moment more precious to live in.

Listen to Celebrities

It’s no secret that it was the celebrities like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg who hyped up the interest in Clubhouse. It’s easy to find these persons; the app itself recommends many of them to you, or you can use the search. In fact, you are not here to watch their photos or listen to gossips: in audio, they share their greatness and show how their minds work. That’s what made them famous, so you’ve never been so close to them.

Made for Elite 

It’s easy to make a regular service seem elite and premium. Just keep those uninvited beyond the velvet rope. Make the app for actual iPhone and iPad models only. That’s it. Maybe there would be nothing like the actual hype if it didn’t take an invite to join Clubhouse. If you have received one – you are an elite one. Much like the early years of Instagram.

Look Off the Screen

You may hate audio messages in WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, but that’s simply because these messengers are usually used for texting and calls. In Clubhouse, everything is about audio conferences. There is literally nothing to look at, except for the list of listeners of speakers. No chats, no posts, no statuses, no PMs, even no private calls. Rooms, and that’s it.
 
The greatness of this approach is that you don’t have to stare at the screen when it begins. You can clean your house, do your workouts, even drive a car while listening to a meeting. It only takes a look and a tap if you want to join and speak. 

Nothing’s Killer

Clubhouse has no intention of killing off WhatsApp, Telegram, or Zoom. On the contrary: Clubhouse meetings are often announced through other messengers or social media, so you can schedule them in your calendar app or join when notified of the beginning. This integration makes it easier for you not to miss the meeting you’re interested in.
 
As for direct rivals, there are, in fact, none. Hardly can you compare Clubhouse to Discord or Telegram where voice chats are just parts of larger social projects; Clubhouse is all about audio chats. Podcasts? Probably the closest. But podcasts come prerecorded, while on Clubhouse the communication goes live.

Is It Worth Joining?

The author is one of those lucky ones who are already in. After participating in some meetings and listening to about ten times more I’d definitely say Clubhouse is a very informative thing. There may be time-killing talks, but the percentage of really meaningful meetings is enormous.
 
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