A Comparison Between Clubhouse and Instagram: Which One is Better?

Social media has always been and will always be a part of people’s everyday lives. And now that there are lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it served as one of the major means of communication. For this reason, there came numerous features and platforms that aim to better connect people with each other.

For instance, Instagram developed its Instagram Live feature where people can talk to their followers in real-time. On the other hand, Facebook further improved its video chat feature, allowing people to watch a movie or a video clip together. But if there is one platform that stood out during the pandemic, it would be Clubhouse.

In this article, we are going to dig into Clubhouse and compare it to one of its competitors —  Instagram.

What is Clubhouse and How Does It Differ With Instagram?

By now, you may have already seen lots of celebrities posting Instagram Stories about their conversation on Clubhouse. And by now, you might be wondering what this platform is and what it does. You might even have tried downloading this app and got dismayed because you were put on a waitlist. So, what exactly is Clubhouse, and why can’t you use it as the celebrities do? 

Clubhouse is an invite-only audio-based platform. It is similar to a phone call. However, you can invite multiple attendees. Once you open the app, you will see a number of rooms that you can join in. If you prefer, you can also create your own room. Each of these rooms has a different topic and is often hosted by a pioneer or an expert in that field. Unlike any other communication platforms right now, Clubhouse does not have videos and pictures. It hardly even have any text.

Since this platform is solely based on audio, you can think of it as joining a live podcast episode. You cannot save the discussions you had on Clubhouse. For this reason, if you are enjoying the conversation you are in, do not leave as you will never be able to play it back. 

Moreover, this platform gained immense popularity after celebrities including Virgil Abloh, Drake, and Oprah Winfrey joined. According to Vajresh Balaji, Clubhouse now has approximately 10.1 million users. In addition, it has already expanded to include social media stars and popular podcast hosts like Serena Kerrigan and Lindsey Metselaar. Both of them used the platform in order to host more private discussions with their followers and co-stars. 

Clubhouse’s invite-only feature gives high-profile users a sense of security. It also allows them to host interesting conversations. For instance, MC Hammer is popular for hosting Clubhouse rooms about cryptocurrency. On the other hand, Kevin Hart jumps into lighter topics, such as debates about whether he is funny. 

Meanwhile, Instagram is a very inclusive platform. When popular individuals use Instagram Live, they have to be careful with what they say or do as it could cause them to become the next headline of the news. 

However, Instagram Live definitely has more features compared to Clubhouse. Viewers could interact better with who they are watching by commenting and liking the live video. Creators, on the other hand, can gain a profit through going live. This is because Instagram added a monetization feature to Instagram Live. Through this feature, viewers can send their favorite creators an in-app good called Badges. These badges have a corresponding money amount, allowing creators to turn their craft into a means of income. 

Can I Join Clubhouse?

As of now, you have to be invited before you can join an existing Clubhouse room. In an instance that you receive the coveted invitation, then you can extend it to up to four other individuals. Such an invite-only feature is typically seen with restricted dating applications like Lox Club and Raya. And just like these dating apps, you can download Clubhouse, but you will be placed on a fruitless waiting list.

According to Paul Davison, the CEO of Clubhouse, the platform will eventually be available for everyone. But as long as it isn’t still, then we will have to wait until it happens.

On the other hand, you do not need an invite for you to watch a live broadcast on Instagram. You can watch any live broadcast unless the creator of it has blocked your account. And right now, the social media platform has expanded its live feature and is now allowing up to four people to join a single broadcast. According to many, this move came after Instagram felt threatened and pressured over the growing popularity of Clubhouse. As a result, it tried to imitate some of the platform’s features in hopes of attracting more users. 

Moreover, Instagram is known for copying features from emerging platforms. When Snapchat gained its popularity, Instagram launched a feature called Instagram Stories. And if you will look at Stories’ features, such as its filters, you can see that it is very similar to Snapchat. 

Similarly, when the short-form video platform TikTok became viral, Instagram also made its own version of it, thus giving life to Instagram Reels. 

The Takeaway

There is no denying that Clubhouse has got some real promises. It has an informal nature that makes everyone feel comfortable using it. If you do not feel fine with people seeing your face during a live discussion, then Clubhouse is a great platform for you. 

For that reason, if one of your friends has sent you a Clubhouse invite, then don’t just think that it is another social media platform to deal with. This is because a lot of people think that this new live broadcast platform will be present for the long haul. They also think that it will be extremely popular, considering how it went viral in just a blink of an eye. 

Date: April 2, 2021 / Categories: Interesting, / Author: Joy P