Social Audio Innovation

Facebook launched its own social audio feature as it pushes to compete with Clubhouse, Discord and Twitter Spaces. The big differentiator is that its own version will allow listeners to send Facebook's virtual currency "stars" to content creators in the live audio rooms.

The payment/tipping feature is nothing new in social media as it is already prominent in Southeast Asia with apps like Sina Weibo, Douyin/TikTok and QQ. Facebook will only start taking a cut of creators' revenues in 2023.

The live audio rooms will accommodate up to 50 speakers and unlimited listeners. Anyone in the room will be able to speak, when invited. Facebook is also working on a project with Spotify to share and listen to music on the platform.

This platform will also have exclusive podcasts for US listeners, and will expand from there. The issue is obviously going to be the moderation of content in these rooms, which is a big problem that all social media platforms face.