Industry Insights: Clubhouse and the Merging of Tech and Music
Can this tech unicorn become a necessity for independent creators? Or will Clubhouse profit off of artists without helping them?
Industry Insights explores the inner workings of the greater music industry, and what they mean for artists and fans alike.
Written by Srija Reddy
Illustrated by Haley Wood
When I first heard about Clubhouse in November, I didn’t understand the appeal. Like Quavo, I didn’t want to be a part of a 54-person conference call. Cut to six months later, and I listen to strangers on Clubhouse more than my favorite artists on Spotify. Even today, when I open the app, there are 522 people in a room about NFTs in music and art, 72 people in a room discussing the Bill and Melinda Gates’ divorce, and 262 people looking for an afternoon delight in a dating game room.
Launched in March 2020, Clubhouse is an invite-only social media platform in which members can start rooms based on any topics, ranging from tech and music to comedy and politics, just to name a few. Anyone can drop into a room, and moderators can pull you on the virtual stage if you raise your hand to speak. Famous music industry professionals from Drake to Scooter Braun are already on the platform, and the app encourages people to speak freely since conversations are never recorded. This past year, SXSW’s first virtual festival also included a Clubhouse invite so that attendees could connect with each other online.
Besides its ephemeral nature, what has hooked me into the Clubhouse ecosystem is the diversity of content available. When I first downloaded the app, I didn’t expect to get a random notification that 21 Savage and Meek Mill were speaking in a room, or that a club called Pussy Rap and All That was scheduled to begin a conversation later that day. Rap isn’t the only genre represented, with clubs dedicated to EDM, Italian jazz, classical music, and Jamaican beats.
Beyond music appreciation, Clubhouse has also become a place for artists to find a community to network with, get advice from, and receive exposure. One club, called Music Industry Execs, has more than seven thousand members and organizes rooms dedicated to music reviews, competitions, and listening parties. Back in December 2020, famous producers Boi-1da, Cardo, and their manager Simon Gebrelul created a beat battle room for amateur producers to battle each other and receive criticism from stars like Drake, Sonny Digital, and Metro Boomin. And on the fringe, there are even random rooms where you can go on stage to sing and have your voice be autotuned.
With all the hype that has surrounded Clubhouse, it also comes with its own set of controversies. Not only has misinformation started to seep into this new platform, but questions surrounding legal issues have started to come to the surface as the app grows. Additionally, with controversial artists joining Clubhouse (such as Russell Simmons and Chris Brown), the app must figure out how to regulate their platform before they reach greater audiences. Equity has also come to the forefront of the conversation. With a lot of Black creators creating content for the non-Black owned app, many are calling for Clubhouse to reward the communities that are driving its multi-billion dollar valuation. The company has talked about creating a path for creators to be paid directly, as well as funding a grant to support emerging stars, but with this opportunity also comes social responsibility and making sure the values of this startup align with giving back.
Clubhouse has the potential to become one of the next greatest social media apps, in line with Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud. But in this cultural context with questions about technological oversight, Clubhouse could also become the next example of what to do right.
This article was added to Industry Insights after its publication, upon the creation of the Industry Insights series.