Facebook reportedly building a Clubhouse clone for audio-only groups

Clubhouse recently hosted Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg himself, who spoke about augmented and virtual reality

(AFP via Getty Images)

Facebook is reportedly attempting to build an audio chatting product similar to Clubhouse.

Clubhouse, the audio-only social media app that is currently exclusive on iPhones, has risen in popularity, hosting Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenov as well as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg himself, who recently spoke about augmented and virtual reality.

Mr Zuckerberg apparently expressed interest in audio-only communication, according to a report from The New York Times citing people familiar with the matter.

The company is apparently creating a similar product, but as of writing it is only in the earliest stages of development and the project's code name could change.

Clubhouse did not reply to The Independent's request for comment before time of publication, but declined to give comment to The New York Times.

“We’ve been connecting people through audio and video technologies for many years and are always exploring new ways to improve that experience for people,” Emilie Haskell, a Facebook spokeswoman, told the newspaper. Facebook provided the same statement, unattributed, to The Independent.

As well as Facebook, other social media companies are looking to enter the audio-only space.

Twitter recently announced that it was introducing "Spaces" to its app, which would allow group chats via voice recordings.

Currently, that function is being rolled out to woman and people of colour, but is expected to launch later this year should it prove successful after being revealed in November 2020.

With access to Spaces, users will be able to see who is part of the group conversation and who is talking. The person who hosts the space will be able to control who can or cannot participate.

Twitter made the announcement concurrently with its launch of Fleets, which lets users upload temporary text and videos similar to the Stories function on Instagram, Snapchat, and a menagerie of other apps.

Facebook's business plan of copying other successful technology companies is not unique to Clubhouse. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, developed a TikTok-like feature called Reels in August 2020, letting users record short videos that can be shared with friends and edited with filters and effects.