For a few months now, I’ve been noticing some friends share stories online of their adventures on Clubhouse and the groups they’ve been joining. It was confusing, to say the least, because it was always the same people talking about it, a few influencers, and some major tech publications on social media. It looked interesting, but it seemed weirdly niche and target-specific—so unlike any social media platform we’ve been introduced to before.

But, upon further research, it seems that that’s exactly the point.

Clubhouse is an invite-only audio-chat social platform. It’s been getting a lot of traction internationally, but given its exclusivity, there’s a lot of confusion about what it actually is. Basically, Clubhouse is a platform where hosts can have a chat or discussion, and people are welcome to drop by, listen in, and get the chance to participate. It’s similar to the concept of panel discussions, or roundtable chats, but converted to the digital space where individuals from all over the world can join in on the conversation.

Groups have used it to open “clubs” on writing, movies, books, video games, and other interest-based communities. It feels like listening to a podcast live with a host of speakers, while also having the chance to possibly be invited to speak your mind and share your own opinions to the discussion. This is completely real-time and live, so unless recorded by the participants, once the discussion is closed, it’s gone forever. This, again, adds to the exclusivity of the whole platform.

This isn’t the only thing that makes it exclusive, though. For a few months since its initial release, the Beta app was originally only available for iOS users, only expanding to the Android world last weekend.

Android is finally here! You can download the Clubhouse beta right now in the US, & around the world in the coming days/weeks. 

Before you ask…yes, still invite-only. We're managing growth so we can build more sustainable infrastructure before the floodgates open. Soon(ish)! pic.twitter.com/EdltTZS0hD

— Clubhouse (@Clubhouse) May 9, 2021

Furthermore, you can only sign up if you’re invited by someone else who already has an account. Every new user gets two invites, thus creating the slowly-but-surely growing community within the platform.

On top of its real-world clubhouse feel where there’s a whiff of exclusivity in the air, a big selling point to the app as well is that it truly is a voice-only platform with no options to open your camera or share any other personal information. It’s great for introverts who’ve always wanted a space to safely speak about their opinions without feeling the eyes of spectators boring into their souls, or people who just can’t be bothered to sit up from the bed and put on a pair of pants to join a conference.

Clubhouse is definitely growing to be one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in terms of funding and valuation, as it now has the value of $1 Billion, and is being considered a Unicorn startup like AirBnb, Uber, and more tech giants.

As of writing, only the Beta app is out for select markets to explore, with the team hoping to launch it officially worldwide in the next few months. As it is quickly promising to take over the world (like it has in the West), it’s definitely something to check out when you get the chance. Or, perhaps the more appropriate thing to say is, when you get that invite.

For Apple users, you can check out Clubhouse at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1503133294