Clubhouse is changing the name of the game by allowing hosts to record chats so Clubhouse users can listen to them later versus tuning in for a live discussion.
First teased in September, the Replays feature is now rolling out on iOS and Android and also allows Clubhouse hosts to post chats on rival apps and third-party sites. Room creators will have to enable the record function before starting a chat; otherwise, it disappears after the discussion is done as usual, Clubhouse explains in a blog post.
Not only will the audio from each speaker get recorded, but the audience details, Pinned Links, and details on who’s speaking all get saved. Replays offer audience members the ability to skip forward by 30 seconds or jump to the next speaker.
Hosts also get some extra abilities, like being able to see who tuned in for live chats and Replays (and how many total audience members a room had throughout the chat), as well as the option to download all the audio from a room and share it outside the app—"as a podcast, a clip on YouTube, an Instagram story, a TikTok video, an embed in their article or newsletter, or anywhere else," Clubhouse says.
Clubhouse emerged with a focus on the live experience; there was no built-in record function and workarounds that live-streamed popular talks to third-party sites were discouraged. But interest has waned since an early-2021 high, so new features like recording may boost interest once again (and help with the accountability concerns we identified in our review of Clubhouse.) Still, it changes the dynamic of what was once a rather ephemeral and exclusive experience.