Twitter is developing a desktop version of its Spaces audio chat rooms, which users can expect to see in the not too distant future. Amid the growing popularity of Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces is one of a burgeoning group of competitors seeking to capture a portion of the audio chat market. Rivals are rushing to one-up the other with additional or fresh takes on features to differentiate their own versions of the concept.
Late last year, Twitter unveiled Spaces for its iOS app as a direct competitor against Clubhouse’s rapidly growing fanbase. Much like Clubhouse, Spaces offers a way for followers to listen in and even participate in audio conversations with accounts that they follow. At its core, the new Twitter feature offers much the same as its rival, albeit embedded into a much larger service (and, hence, no need for an invite-only system). Soon after the launch, Twitter announced that it was developing an Android version of Spaces, entering a market that Clubhouse has not yet made it to.
Now, Twitter Spaces is going even further. Last week, Twitter senior engineer Noah Jorgensen confirmed the development of a desktop version of Twitter Spaces. According to the attached images, Twitter users will be able to access Spaces directly from their feeds where they can join specific rooms based on who they follow.
Advantages Of Twitter Spaces Over Clubhouse
Although Spaces mimics much of what has made Clubhouse popular, Twitter already has an intrinsic ace up its sleeve: its lack of exclusivity. Unlike the invite-only Clubhouse, Twitter maintains hundreds of millions of users every day. In addition, it caters to more markets besides those looking to interact with creators and personalities. Among other things, Twitter users go on the platform for work, read up on news, and hunt for their interests. Thus, unlike Clubhouse’s fresh slate, Twitter users already have access to accounts they may be interested in joining audio rooms to listen to.
A desktop version also plays into how Twitter users interact with the platform. Although Twitter thrives on mobile, it’s widely accessed from desktop computers too, not least by people who use it for work, and can therefore be easily left open in a background tab. In this way, a desktop version of Spaces will allow people to listen to a conversation while working on something else. Jorgensen has also confirmed that users will be able to collapse the Spaces window and navigate around Twitter while the audio continues playing, ensuring neither their workflow nor Spaces activity will be interrupted.
Besides offering Spaces from content that users already follow, Twitter will be able to use its existing Explore feature — or, indeed, a fresh discovery page for Spaces — to suggest audio content for users based on their interests and even geographical location. Twitter can use its size and more interest-oriented focus to shape Spaces and compete against its rivals in the live audio market.
