I was in an audio room this morning with my friend Shannon talking about wellness and self-care. We touched briefly upon the idea that it’s becoming harder to stay grounded as we spend more time in front of screens, tending to our digital and social media profiles. She and I have been exploring many of the new social audio platforms like Twitter Spaces, where this discussion was happening. I saw the other day she was going live on a new live streaming platform called Happs.TV. Then in another room, yet another audio platform, Angle, was being brought up. Shannon and I also briefly discussed the merits of Beams, a new startup, and Greenroom, another live audio platform backed by Spotify.
I find myself at the point where there are simply too many platforms and not enough time in the day to try them all. Individually they have their merits, but what I’m finding in all of this research is the question around community. Where do I find my tribe?
People vs Platforms
One practical issue with the ever growing number of apps is audience fragmentation. The personalities regularly present on a site like Clubhouse is completely different than Twitter Spaces or Greenroom. If the platform is a small startup without the marketing might of a large tech company (that’s you Facebook), then you don’t have the “network effect” of a locked-in audience keyed to your social profile. I’ve been on Twitter since 2006, and the investment of time and effort I’ve made in curating my social feed there isn’t something I want to abandon. And if you think you can convince all your Facebook friends to come join you on a new shiny platform, think again.
So, for now I’ll keep checking out the new kids on the block, but gauging whether the community that’s there is a good fit for what I’d like to share and contribute.