Facebook to Announce Series of “Social Audio” Products to Take On Clubhouse

Facebook will announce a series of products under the umbrella of “social audio.”

According to a new report from Recode, Facebook is set to announce later today a number of new products under the ambit of “Social Audio.” The one that is being spoken of loudly is the much-expected competitor to Clubhouse.

Reports of the new audio-focused features first emerged a couple of months ago when sources told the New York Times that employees at the social media giant had been told to create a product similar to invite-only audio-chat app Clubhouse.

“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,” company spokesperson Emilie Haskell told the publication at the time.

Now, the next announcement from Facebook, according to Recode, will bring news of a series of products under the umbrella of “social audio.” As well as its take on Clubhouse, which would allow groups to listen to and engage with speakers on a virtual stage, Facebook is expected to announce its expansion into the world of podcast distribution and discovery, which will be linked to Spotify.

An audio version of Rooms is also reported to be on the cards, as well as a feature that would allow users to record short voice messages and post them to their feeds.

Facebook had previously been testing the audio-focused market with a product called “Hotline” that allows creators to speak and take live questions.