Facebook, a social networking site that started in 2004 as a platform for Harvard students, slowly grew for a bigger audience in September 2006, and thereafter just blew up. A lot has been said and shared about how it was founded and how it grew.
What remains, is that it has survived the longest and been pivotal in driving social media platforms on the whole. It acquired and further grew other social media giants like Instagram and Whatsapp.
Many investors religiously follow its success story and aspire to own an app like Facebook someday. The key to such continual success of this platform is surely constant innovation. Had Facebook settled with its popularity it would have met the fate of many other bygone social media platforms.
Eg. Orkut. It was, as one can say, the pioneer when it comes to the concept of social media. But, its name and fame died out slowly as it did not keep up with the changing trends and lifestyles of its consumers.
Facebook enters the world of Audio Platforms
We speak about innovation and Facebook today because some time ago, in April, Facebook announced that it would substantially invest its resources and come up with new audio products as a part of its upcoming planned investments.
And, delivering as promised, in June, Facebook rolled out its “Live Audio Rooms” in the US on the iOS platform with a few celebrities/public figures and chosen Facebook groups. It also announced the debut of a few US podcast partners.
What does it mean for Facebook clone App Owners?
The perks of building a Facebook clone is that you can be compatible with all the new innovations and technology implementations that arrive in the market and are brought by Facebook itself.
This announcement is a sure sign of getting the audience excited for something new and also surprising them by giving them not something that they crucially need, but, would surely want. With the turn of events in the past 6 months, more people are expected to engage in such live audio groups for information sharing, connecting, or just hanging out.
It is a wonderful way of connecting out-of-reach public figures or celebrities to the audiences directly on live audio. These products will be made broadly available with time, and more people, groups, and podcasts shall be brought on board.
For those dealing with a Facebook like app, the business model is ready and the implementation can be quick. Add in your USP to this innovation and get going to offer something unique to the users of your Facebook clone app.
Features to Include in your Facebook Clone App Live Audio Rooms
Facebook’s “Live Audio Rooms” feature has been rolled out to compete against Clubhouse that has become fairly popular. Facebook announced that many public figures have been given the opportunity to host live sessions via their Facebook app on the iOS platforms only. However, the members who are listeners can be either iOS or Android users.
So, if you are willing to introduce the Live Audio Rooms kind of feature in your Facebook clone, then you must surely have a look at what are the features existing.
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Participants Count:
The event host has the liberty to invite up to 50 members to be speakers. They all can speak simultaneously. However, there is no limit set as to how many listeners can be added to the room. This makes the live audio room feature very fair and inclusive. Moreover, this is something that Clubhouse fails to offer its audience.
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Groups Moderation:
The provision for groups is that the admins get to decide who is allowed to create the room. They have a choice between group members, admins themselves, or moderators. In addition to this, there is a difference as to who can be a listener in the group. For public groups, a member, as well as visitors, can be listeners. Whereas, for a private group, it’s “members-only” participation.
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Some Additional Features:
Facebook’s Audio Rooms are replete with features and although prominent they cannot be categorized. Facebook has basically worked on the nuances to offer a remarkable experience to its users. Here’s what it means:
- During the Live audio room session, the profile photo of the host appears at the top. This makes it known to the person who joins in late or midway who the host of the room is.
- Whenever a person is speaking, a glowing ring appears around their profile photo which is an indication to the participant to identify the speaker.
- It is possible for participants to make live comments during the active session of the audio room.
- If you want to speak something, put a point forth without interrupting another speaker, Facebook offers a polite way to do it by the “Raise a hand” feature.
- One of the best features of the Live audio room that you must include in your Facebook clone app is “Share room”. This gives the host a wider exposer to audiences. And, people who share common interests can be a part of some exciting rooms by sharing links with their friends.
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Host for a Cause:
In a unique initiative, Live Audio rooms give you the functionality to seamlessly organize fundraisers via hosting a room. They can facilitate a button using which the speakers and listeners can donate while the room is ongoing and as the target is being met, it is shared on the screen.
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Notifications:
Whenever a live audio room is started in a group that a person is a part of, they receive notifications. Users are also informed in the news feed for upcoming rooms that they would like to be a part of based on their interests and reminders set by them.
Key Takeaways:
Facebook has come up with unique ways to mitigate the shortcomings of Clubhouse in its “Live Audio Rooms”. They have yet again proved why the social media giant holds such a prominent position. So, if you are on the path to follow its footsteps and grow your Facebook clone app likewise, exploring the possibilities of audio products is the next big thing for you.
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