By now, you probably are familiar with the name Clubhouse as it has been the talk of the town lately. If not, you really must have been living under a rock and missing out on it to a great extent. This app has been a boon for so many of us in the hard times of lockdown.
Launched in April of 2020, this app was priorly limited to only iPhone users. Nevertheless, now it has been made available for Android users also. With this inclusive access to everyone, this app has become a hot topic in every corner of the world, Nepal being no exception. What is this app and, why is everyone talking about it? You must be filled with the curiosity to know all about this new online phenomenon.
And here we are, to provide you with a list of things you need to before joining this incredible social platform.
What is Clubhouse?
The clubhouse is a free and audio-only social media, where you can have real-time interactions or discussions with like-minded people. This app allows you to connect with all sorts of people, depending on what your interests are. It is somewhat like a Zoom call, but you don’t have the option to turn your cameras on. So, basically, your voice is the only thing that matters.
You can think of it as a live podcast where you get an opportunity to speak up or just listen. Isn’t that great? Suppose you love to speak your heart out about a particular topic of your interest and share your knowledge with others. In that case, this is a perfect platform for you. We, Nepali people, are exceptional at talking. Many of us might actually transcend our prime minister, KP Oli, on this matter. We always have so much to share about, so it’s somewhat justifiable why professional individuals to young high school students, everyone has been dying to get into this app.
But, if you are shy or feel awkward talking in front of the mass, don’t worry! The app has got your back. You have the option to just be there listening to other people and expand your knowledge horizon. Or hey! Just buckle up some courage and strive to improve your social skill. Nobody there is actually going to see you; your voice and your thoughts shall do all the magic.
Joining the app
The most important thing to know about ClubHouse is its joining procedure. Because if you can’t get in, how can you get the most of it, right? This app is quite different from other social networking sites. You can’t just fill out the login information and get access. This is an invite-only app where you need to have invitations from the ClubHouse members or be approved by your friends or contacts who are already members there.
Each member will get 5 invites from where the network chain starts. Your friend invites you, and then you pass the invitations to your other friends. The cycle of networking continues like a centipede. This is something like a virtual network of a human centipede, obviously excluding the grosser part of the movie reference.
Knowing about the rooms and clubs
Once you get access to the app, you might feel lost in the beginning. You will see so many things happening at the same time. There are random rooms created by random people or rooms conducted by certain clubs. As a Nepali individual, you might see varieties of activities going on there. From youngsters enjoying this platform by playing games, launching music sessions, flaunting their poetic talents, having creative chatting rooms such as “Chiya guff”; to professionals, business people, entrepreneurs, and so on organizing meaningful learning sessions, this app has so much to be explored. Once you find a room or club of your interest, you will not be able to keep track of the time. Hours of engagement there feel like a blink.
Learning the hierarchy of the rooms
In a ClubHouse room, the hierarchy is divided into three levels. The first one is the speaker panel consisting of moderators and other speakers who are given access to speak by the moderators of the room. The moderators, in my opinion, are like RJs in radio shows, who conduct and moderate everything that happens in the room. On the second level, there are people followed by the speakers. They have connections with the people on the speaker panel indicating similar interests or professional backgrounds. You could follow these people and let the algorithm work by letting you know every time they join a room, where you can hop in as well.
Creating a striking profile
Your impression matters everywhere you go. In ClubHouse also, you can attract people by giving a strong impression through your bio and gaining followers. You can mention anything capable of catching the attention of others. Just don’t forget to be your own self and be honest while writing down an eye-catching description of yourself. Jot down your hobbies, what you do or study, what you are for in the app, and anything works as long as you are being you.
Discovering Topics and Interests
When you are first filling out information about yourself, you will get the option to choose your interests and hobbies. And according to which, different clubs and rooms are recommended on your feed. You can join a room with an interesting topic which you might find intriguing and listen or speak out your opinion on the same subject matter. Other than that, like mentioned before, you can follow other like-minded people or clubs by simply going to the search bar.
To your surprise, once you start following these people and clubs, your feed will turn out to be so interesting that you might actually face a dilemma on which one to join. How fascinating is that? The clubs can schedule discussions on various topics at a particular time on a prior basis, so you can free yourself for that time, relax, and enjoy the session.
Moderating a room or creating a club
Once you grasp how everything works out on this app, you can try hosting your own room. Or even better, you can create your club, so all the people with similar interests come together at the same place. It lets you to network with people from various backgrounds and help you be more social and professional at talking. You can get the essence of a radio show host while moderating a room, choosing a topic, and letting people speak. This itself sounds so absorbing, doesn’t it?
Every session is live!
On ClubHouse, all the sessions conducted in different rooms are done in real-time. Usually, while participating in a live platform, people get agitated about getting recorded. But nothing is documented on this app. Moreover, the app prohibits the users from recording the sessions through other apps like screen recorder. So you can feel free to speak out without the fear of being in a controversy such as turning into meme material, which often happens a lot among the Nepali social media community.
Join or leave; the choice is all yours!
You have the freedom to join and leave whenever you please. There are no obligations set for you to speak as soon as you enter the room, so you can let go of all the nervousness before you join. Nobody can force you to stay in the room and make you listen to their talks for hours. If you are enjoying it, stay there for as long as you please. If you are not, then leave quietly by clicking the peace option. It’s the opposite of what online classes are like. Nobody’s going to control you. You do you, people!
Use the app wisely to learn and explore your opportunities
The ClubHouse is a powerful social networking platform that differentiates itself from other sites in so many aspects. Everyone from celebrities to entrepreneurs is on the app where you can have real-time interactions with them. There are varieties of options for you to explore there. Whether you want to gain insights on something, some entertainment, or showcase your talents, you get it all in one. There are so many possibilities made available by this app. You can meet new people, expand your network, and also help your career to evolve. It all depends on how you decide to use the app.
Now, you can go ahead and install the app to try out for yourself what’s going on in this phenomenal and unique application beloved by everyone around the world.
