Twitter Spaces was announced in December of 2020 as “a new way to have live audio conversations on Twitter.” It hopes to build community and allow users to come together through the power of audio. The beta version of this feature was launched a month later to select users. Currently, Spaces is only available to anyone with an iOS device.
Spaces are public, which means anyone can join as a Listener. The person who starts the Twitter Space is the host and can allow up to 11 people in the Spaces to be speakers. Hosts can also kick others out of the room if they feel like it.
This new feature is often compared to Clubhouse, a popular social media app that allows people to “gather in audio chat rooms to discuss various topics.” What sets it apart is that Clubhouse is sorted by topic, and you can only join a room if you are invited. This feature has made Clubhouse rooms seem very exclusive, and it can be difficult for new users with no connections to get into the popular rooms.
Audio chat rooms have gained popularity due to the need to connect with people during a time where meeting new people can be very difficult. The beauty of creations like Clubhouse and Spaces is that it allows for people to have fun and interesting conversations with people from all over the world from the safety of your home.
I’ve joined a few Spaces since it was made public, and at first, I saw it only for what it was meant to be – a positive new feature. I joined Spaces where people talked about music and it was great, but when it came to arguments, Spaces made it easier for some people to use it as a way to be negative and target others over opinions.
As a user of stan Twitter, which is the fandom side of Twitter, I had hoped that conversations would be regulated to talking about our favorite songs, albums, and performances, and not a chance for stans to be vicious towards each other on a public platform. Thankfully, this was the minority, and many Spaces have sprung up that overshadow the negativity of a few people.
I can really see Twitter Spaces being used in very cool and innovative ways, like public conferences, radio or podcast-type shows, debates, listening parties for new music releases, and more. I even once joined a Space that mimicked the popular singing competition shows like “The Voice” and “American Idol.” In these rooms, people were given a chance to show off their talents, and judges would decide if they would pick them for their team. It was super positive, and the judges always told the singer that they were brave and talented.
