Clubhouse has announced its first slate of original programming that will air exclusively on the popular audio app. After becoming one of the go-to destinations for casual and semi-formal chats, Clubhouse is going a step further by paying creators to create all-new shows that can only be found on the app.
The story of Clubhouse so far has been fascinating to watch. The app launched in April 2020, and since then, it's become astonishingly popular. Clubhouse reported 2 million users in January 2021, and just a few months later in April, it was up to 10 million. It's spawned a slew of competing services trying to mimic its success, including the likes of Twitter Spaces, Facebook Live Audio Rooms, the Spotify-owned Locker Room, and plenty more. All of these apps do essentially the same thing, with it now being a battle of seeing which company can attract the most ears. Clubhouse is still generally seen as the market leader in the space, but with monthly downloads already on the decline, the company is getting ready to make big moves that'll help it stand apart from its many copycats.
In March of this year, Clubhouse announced the 'Clubhouse Creator First' program. The purpose was to find budding creators and give them the tools to produce high-quality shows for the Clubhouse platform. On May 5, Clubhouse unveiled the first 50 shows that'll be launching as part of it. The Pilot Season of the Creator First program launches on May 10, with all of the shows being aired on the Clubhouse HQ account within the app. Clubhouse selected creators from all around the world to be a part of the Pilot Season, including ones from the U.S., the UK, Canada, Japan, Columbia, Argentina, and Indonesia.
These Are The Most Interesting Shows Coming To Clubhouse
While it's unlikely that all 50 of the new shows will become instant hits, there are a few among the list that look especially interesting — one of which is called The Lobby. Hosted by Adrian Grant, Clubhouse describes The Lobby as "a pop-up internet scavenger hunt game hosted by AI." People will be able to compete live during the show by submitting answers with their Clubhouse avatar. It sounds like an extremely unique concept, and it should play well to the live, interactive nature of Clubhouse. Another show that looks to take advantage of this is Facial Recognition Comedy. Hosted by Fizaa Dosani, the stand-up comedy show will "highlight a lineup of comedians from underrepresented demographics" and allow comedians to "bring the audience members on stage, creating an immersive and uniquely hilarious experience."
For people that would rather just listen to a show and not worry about having to participate, there are plenty of other options. The Global Lowdown, hosted by Alissa Miky and Michael Rosenzweig, will see the two talking about everything from global news, politics, AI, and more. The catch is that the show is presented equally in English and Japanese, providing "an opportunity for listeners learning Japanese and English to practice their skills." Henry Kaiser is behind NNPR: Not National Public Radio, which is a parody of public radio that'll feature "a dynamic roster of characters, hosts, and guests." Clubhouse is also looking to tackle hard topics with shows like Loss and Gain. Host Arden Cartrette will invite guest speakers and experts to normalize "speaking about miscarriage" and "bond the room through loss, grief, reproductive health struggles, and educational information."
While it remains to be seen how these shows pan out for Clubhouse, it sounds like an interesting next step for the app to take. While plenty of apps now allow for live audio chatting, this is an opportunity for Clubhouse to make itself unique again. There's a huge variety of shows included in the Pilot Season, they're available for free to all Clubhouse users, and the interactivity gives the shows a unique edge over more traditional podcasts.
Source: Clubhouse