It’s not the only invite-only app to exist—though most others are dating apps—but Clubhouse is also inherently different in the way people use the app. After all, there’s no text—no captions, line-by-line forums, or commenting options. Clubhouse is all audio. Apart from being audio-based, it’s the exclusivity factor that is creating all the more intrigue around the mysterious app. What is Clubhouse? What’s the point of Clubhouse? And perhaps most importantly, how the heck do you get an invitation to join to see what all the fuss is about? Here’s everything you need to know about the Clubhouse app!

What is the Clubhouse app?

Clubhouse is an invite-only social media platform in its beta stages, only available on iOS right now. It’s a live, all-audio platform—kind of like a podcast episode, but live and interactive. Discussion, not episodes. All the communication on the app is audio. That audio is recorded, for security and safety purposes, but then deleted. Users do not have the option to leave text comments or reactions. You must be 18 years or older to use Clubhouse (and as previously mentioned, you have to be invited, too). Here’s how it works: entering the app, it’s like you are walking into a hallway. Literally, it’s called the Hallway. On Clubhouse, there are different Rooms to wander in and out of. In your Hallway, you’ll see curated recommendations based on what the users you follow are interacting with. Based on those recommendations, you can explore the different Rooms based on the kinds of discussions you’re interested in interacting with. Because of previous ~drama~ involving who owned TikTok, you may be wondering: Who owns Clubhouse? According to Fortune, Clubhouse was founded by Bay Area entrepreneurs Paul Davidson and Rohan Seth, who both graduated from Stanford. As of February 2021, the app has more than 2 million users.

What are the rules of Clubhouse?

You must be 18 years or older to use Clubhouse and you must use your real name in lieu of a username. The following behavior is banned: harassment, hate speech, misinformation, and spam. All discussions in Clubhouse are recorded as a way to investigate any violations that may be reported. The company can then review the audio as a response to a reported violation, but if there is no issue with recording, they are then deleted. Users are also not supposed to share discussions publicly. This would require permission from speakers due to a potential risk of violating one’s intellectual property.

How to join a Room on Clubhouse

Once you choose to join a Room on Clubhouse, you can enter upon which you will be immediately muted and registered as part of the Audience. (Like when you first enter a Zoom call and your video’s off, your audio muted.) In each Room, there are Moderators; they are considered to be on “Stage” and as you can guess, their audio is not muted. But don’t worry—if you have something important to add to the conversation, you don’t have to be muted forever. You can use the “Raise Your Hand” feature to indicate that you’d like to be “called on,” so to speak. A Moderator has the ability to un-mute you so you, too, can engage in the discussion.

How to get a Clubhouse app invite

There are essentially two ways to get a Clubhouse app invite: You can either be invited by a contact of yours already using the app or you can join the waitlist. Download the app on iOS for the App Store, then Clubhouse will automatically take a look through your phone’s contacts to see who you know already on the platform. If someone you know is already using Clubhouse, the app will contact them to invite you. Or, you can join the waitlist. Download and open the app; it should give you an option to get on the waitlist.

Can I buy Clubhouse app stock?

As Clubhouse rises in popularity, many people are wondering if they can buy Clubhouse app stock. After all, Fortune reports—via PitchBook—that the app, which only launched in March 2020, is already at $1 billion valuation.  So, can you get in on that in the way of buying Clubhouse app stock? Not really. In fact, there’s a lot of confusion about Clubhouse app stock. Because Clubhouse is rooted in live streaming audio technology, shares in Agora—which owns the tech—have been jumping, according to CNBC. Shares in Clubhouse Media Group are also jumping, but this is actually the incorrect stock to invest in as it is not associated with Clubhouse. An outpour of investments in Clubhouse Media Group seems to pure coincidence or confusion regarding the media group’s similar name. Next up:  What is a Karen?

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