The rise and rise of Clubhouse can be attributed to many things, not the least of which would include it being a highly exclusive audio-only social platform that has been much touted by celebs and influencers.

This members-only app launched back in April 2020 and is now considered the next best thing, engendering FOMO in everyone who’s been waiting with bated breaths to get in. In fact, in the last three months alone its registered users rose tenfold, from 600K in December to 6 million in February — even though getting the invite remains as evasive as ever while the app could not be found on Android either yet.

With all the buzz surrounding this new Silicon Valley spawn, it is only natural to wonder what exactly do people use the Clubhouse app for. In a word, a lot of stuff. Here are some of the things that people do on the Clubhouse app, and what you can do too once you get in. 

What exactly is Clubhouse?

Have you ever wanted an app that allowed you to listen to other people’s conversations without being a creep? That could let you in the same “virtual” room as your favorite celebrities to hear more about their inner lives, or learn about the expertise of interesting and knowledgeable people, and even join in the conversation? Well, that’s Clubhouse for you. 

When you get access to the app, you’ll be able to join in on-going conversations (their title should tell you what they’re about), or create your own room so people can come in and have a (moderated) conversation.

Conversation rooms don’t stay on indefinitely and are created and ended depending on the conversation length and the number of participants. Though nothing is recorded on the app, people find all sorts of ways to record chats anyway.  

Without much visual content to speak of, Clubhouse’s barebones space differentiates itself starkly from the rest of the social media pack – and that is where its strong suit lies. 

Related: Can You Chat on Clubhouse? Everything You Need To Know

What do people use the Clubhouse app for?

Even with its seemingly limited audio-only format, people are quickly finding out all the things that they can do with the Clubhouse app. From listening to conversations like they would a podcast, or engaging others with their opinions and worldviews – there’s a ton of things worth doing on the Clubhouse app. Here’s a taste of what it is best used for. 

Connect with others with the screen turned off

There is no shortage of social media apps that are a little too heavy on the eyes. Be it Instagram pictures, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets – they all require constant visual attention. But not Clubhouse.

When you’re on the Clubhouse app, you will find that you hardly ever have to turn your screen on when you’re listening or speaking to a room.

Just join in a room of your interest, turn off the screen, and let your eyes take some rest. Be sure to mute yourself first. When you need to speak, you can unmute yourself easily.

Connect with celebrities

It is only celebrities that can turn a fledgling app into a fad within a few weeks. Once fans got wind of rooms being hosted by big names such as Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, Clubhouse really took off.

Now, it is already considered a staple among entertainment personalities the likes of which include Drake, Kevin Hart, and Tiffany Haddish, and many more. As the circle widens and more celebrated personalities start using it, it’ll be that much simpler to connect with the celebrities that you admire. 

It is as simple as entering a conversation room hosted by your favorite celebrity and listening to their life stories and tidbits that they never really divulge. One can even ask them questions, but don’t always count on getting that opportunity. 

Eavesdrop or participate in on-going Conversations

Depending on your areas of interest, you can jump straight into a conversation and listen to what others have to say. There are tons of conversational topics to follow – from tech to sports to philosophy to world affairs to cooking and what have you.

You are never really out of topics to participate in, and the more topics that you follow, the easier it will be to find a room that fits your interests. 

Not everyone is a speaker though; some may prefer to simply sit at the back and listen. But since there are scores of conversations going on at any given time one can simply jump between rooms and switch between the role of speaker and listener based on one’s interest. 

Engage and Build your audience

The Clubhouse app is an excellent tool for influencers to gel that much more closely with their audience. As a creative influencer, you don’t have to worry about video edits or fitting in that cool meme at the most opportune moment – just be yourself and hang out with your audience.

Many of your followers would naturally be from other social platforms like YouTube or Instagram, but as you host more rooms and have healthy conversations on your niche topics, your audience will build further and their bond with you grow that much stronger. 

Learn from experts (as in audio-only lectures and Live podcasts)

There’s no shortage of things to learn in the world, and it is best to learn from someone who’s a pro. With the Clubhouse app, one can simply tune in to the conversation room hosted by an expert in your field and listen to them talk as though you were in a lecture room.

Have a question or a point to raise? You can virtually ‘raise a hand’ and let the moderator decide when (or if) to let you speak. 

Like a Podcast where an interviewer asks questions, a Clubhouse conversation too can delve deep into what makes the expert tick and how they do what they do – crucial bits of information for someone who’s learning the ropes or getting the basics down.

Since rooms are basically made up on the fly without any guarantee of future conversations, you never really know what you’re going to get. But that’s the beauty of it all and also what makes Clubhouse so addictive (in a good way). 

Have a group audio call with friends and family!

Yes, you can surely use Clubhouse as a group audio call — one where anyone can join in or leave quietly effortlessly. One can even mute the call. It’s quite suitable for a long conversation between a group of interested people.

What do you think about Clubhouse? Does it merit the attention it’s getting? Think it will grow to be the next big social network app (one without the tension of a social media app)?