Facebook has started testing its live audio rooms clubhouse competitor in Taiwan. The social media platform is testing the feature with public figures and content creators in the country as it works on integrating podcasts.
Facebook announced the development of the live audio rooms in April with plans to allow users participate in the audio conversations. The trial will be expanded to more countries over time with plans to go live on both Facebook and Messenger. Taiwan is one of Facebook’s most vibrant markets where celebrities and politicians constantly engage and interact with the public to debate important issues.
Unlike Clubhouse which is predominantly audio-based, Hotline combines both video and text elements allowing the audience to type in or send their questions or comments via text. Users also have the option of turning on video.
Read: Facebook Starts Testing Audio Q&A app Dubbed Hotline
Podcasts are also being integrated in the main Facebook audio app due to their rising popularity in the platform’s pages. The playback feature for podcasts will be available directly on the app. New shows will be recommended to users depending on their interests and users will have the option of sharing podcasts with their users.
The invite-only app, Clubhouse, is reported to be so popular that it has attracted at least 10 million weekly users. Following the success of the audio-based platform, other social media networks have started incorporating audio features in their latest updates.
Twitter started testing Spaces late last year and is now rolling out the feature to all mobile users. iOS users are currently able to host the spaces, and already a number of listeners are taking up to the feature to engage and share ideas. Twitter is already rolling out Spaces to Android users. The feature has become popular even in Kenya.
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