Clubhouse Expands Clips Access to All Users on iOS, Adds New Link-Sharing Option for Rooms

After launching its new ‘Clips’ option in beta last week, which enables users to share 30-second audio clips from public rooms, Clubhouse has now expanded the option to all users on iOS, while it’s also launching another new sharing feature, in the form of room links for re-distribution outside of the app.

First off, on Clips – as noted, Clubhouse announced the launch of Clips last week, which provides a new scissor icon that, when tapped, will grab the last 30 seconds of audio from a public room for third-party sharing.

The option must have performed well in early testing, because Clips has now been expanded to all iOS users.

As you can see in this example, the Clips functionality is pretty straightforward – you tap the icon, Clubhouse stitches the audio clip, and you can then share it to other platforms.

The option is not available on Android as yet, but Android broadcasters can enable clips to assist in sharing of their broadcasts.

In addition to this, and as noted by audio social expert Morgan Evetts, Clubhouse is also adding QR codes on shared Clips, which link back to the live room in progress.

It’s a handy option, which will no doubt help to increase awareness of Clubhouse broadcasts – and right now, that’s a key issue, with discovery proving a key challenge for all audio social apps.

Twitter’s still working on its Spaces tab to maximize awareness, and Clubhouse, now that it’s open to all, is working to help users sift through the 700,000 rooms being broadcast in the app every day, and highlight the most relevant discussions for them.

Clips will help in this respect, by enabling users to let their followers on other platforms know about topical discussions that may be of interest.

Which is also where this feature comes in – in addition to clips, Clubhouse has also added a new link-sharing option for private rooms, providing direct connection back to Clubhouse chats.

As you can see here, now, you’ll be able to tap on ‘Share a Room Link’, which you can then use to direct people outside of the app back to live chats.

As explained by Clubhouse:

“Many people have told the team it would be great if you could just grab a private Clubhouse room link and drop it in a calendar invite akin to a phone call or video chat. Now you can — with Clubhouse Links. Users can share this private link out with friends, family, or just about anyone you might want to chat with on a regular basis.”

Clubhouse links will provide an easy way to spark engagement in the app, with the links also being re-usable, meaning that anyone that’s been invited can reactivate the room at any time to strike up a conversation.

“To grab a Clubhouse Link, just tap “+ Room” in the hallway, then tap “Gather a room using a link.” A unique link will get copied to your clipboard so you can text it to a group, drop it in a calendar invite, or add it to an event listing anywhere. The room will be private – open just to the people who have the link – and you’ll get notified when people join.”

That could be another way to spark more engagement in the app, and help Clubhouse carve a niche for itself in the broader social media space.

Because with Facebook and Twitter now also offering audio social tools, Clubhouse is simply not the leader in the space that it was initially, which means that the app has to find its sweet spot in facilitating audio engagement, in compliment to the tools available on the bigger apps.

The sheer scale advantage of those platforms will make it difficult for Clubhouse to become a real competitor. But if it can focus on niche usage, and maximizing community engagement, it can still become a key tool for many, similar to how Snapchat has established its foundations, despite being much smaller than the competition.

And there are good signs for Clubhouse on this front, with usage remaining high, particularly in growth regions like India, where it could serve unique purpose.

It remains a favorite of many, and it still offers plenty of opportunity. And if Clubhouse can continue to add new tools and functionality like this, it could maintain, and grow its relevance, even if it’s no longer the cool new app.