Twitter is reportedly set to roll out Ticketed Spaces that will allow creators to sell tickets for events they are hosting in its Spaces audio rooms. Twitter will apparently take a 20 percent cut of ticket sales, which will come on top of the in-app fees charged by Apple and Google via the App Store and Play Store, respectively. Twitter's rapid development of its Spaces feature has accelerated well past the Clubhouse concept it was initially based on as it seeks to consolidate a strong position in the curated audio chat market.
Clubhouse shot to prominence last year with its app based around curated audio spaces. Such was the positive response to the app that other social media platforms began adapting the idea, with the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, LinkedIn, and Reddit all getting in on the act. Twitter, though, is the service that has most taken the concept and run with it. Having launched Spaces on iOS in December last year — only eight months after Clubhouse launched on iOS — it went on to launch on Android before Clubhouse did and is set to hit desktop before too long as well. That, in particular, could take the feature to the next level if Twitter's host of professional and company accounts begin using it.
Now, The Verge has reported that Ticketed Spaces begin rolling out today for Twitter users in the US first. It says those who wish to host a Ticket Space will initially need to have at least 1,000 followers, have hosted at least three Spaces in the past month, and be at least 18 years old. Payments — said to be handled by Stripe — could see creators on mobile devices taking away only $5.60 from a $10 ticket once Apple or Google and Twitter have taken their cut. That should not be the case when Ticketed Spaces launch on desktop, of course, with no app marketplaces to pay meaning users should take home a much more reasonable $8 of a $10 ticket price.
The Future Of Twitter & Spaces
Spaces is one of a host of new features that Twitter is introducing to monetize its platform. It has never been as given to advertising as the likes of Facebook and Instagram, so diversifying its revenue streams seems a sensible idea — as long as it doesn't alienate users in the process. The rumored Twitter Blue subscription service, Super Follow functionality, and TweetDeck advanced options, however, all appear to be aimed at power users, professionals, and companies. This suggests that Twitter is indeed trying to avoid upsetting typical individual users by introducing paid features they may feel they are missing out on.
As for Spaces, it looks as though Twitter is taking the audio concept very seriously. It has perhaps seen an opportunity to create a feature that can leverage its huge existing audience, is both valuable to individual users and creators, and, of course, can be monetized. Don't be surprised to see features added to Twitter Spaces rapidly, such as new ways to discover content and maybe even video eventually, which could replace or tie in with Twitter's existing live video functionality.
Source: The Verge