Here’s a first look at Mark Cuban’s podcast platform Fireside

Last month, The edge the news of Mark Cuban and Falon Fatemi’s new app Fireside, which promises to deliver a “next generation podcast platform”, and today we can provide a better understanding of the app’s functionality and interface. It’s currently in beta on iOS with a limited number of testers, most of whom apparently work in venture capital or as podcasters. However, their chats are visible to anyone, even non-users, via a browser and from this desktop, as well as screenshots of the app that The edge seen, we can realize what Fireside is trying to achieve.

In general, the app can best be described as a hybrid between Spotify’s Anchor software and Clubhouse. While it gives preference to live conversations, such as Clubhouse, it tries to make conversations outside the arcs sound more professional. Intro music, for example, welcomes people into a room, which is a nice touch, but it does not translate exactly as during an edited podcast. The music sounds unbound and out of place for the time being.

The wide emphasis, at least based on the conversations that take place in the app, seems to be on how Fireside podcasters can help earn their job through exclusive conversations, or in some cases recruit them to Fireside for all their podcasting- attempts. The app encourages audience participation more than Clubhouse, allowing users to respond to conversations without being on stage, and to type in their comments or questions.

Creators of the app say they have heard that the app will allow them to present their apps and distribute them via RSS feeds to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players, which is more in line with Anchor than Clubhouse. One creator in a chat says they plan to use Fireside for hosting instead of their regular service.

If you look at the desktop view, users’ profiles contain a photo, biography and follower / next score. You can also view the rooms offered by the user, as well as the rooms in which they participated. The app originally records conversations so you can listen to previous chats from the desktop. The app apparently assigns an emoji to the archived chats, although it is unclear how it is selected.

After entering into a conversation, you can tap on a conversation. You will probably immediately notice persistent music coming from a Fireside bot called waitBOT. The bot says it “plays soothing music for you while you wait for people to join.” You can also see the description of the event as a chyron at the bottom of the screen, as well as information, such as how many people listened and who hosted it.

With a “jump” button you can switch to marked parts of the conversation that the host chooses. As speakers change throughout the conversation, you see their profile photo and name. Speakers with a hammer are moderators, while speakers with a crown are the hosts. Moderators and hosts can automatically mute people and welcome people to the stage.

Switching on the desktop to a live chat is a little less thorough than the recorded conversations. You can only see icons and names, as well as the number of people listening. If someone’s microphone is on, the photo is opaque and if it’s muted, it’s transparent.

From the app itself, which The edge seen in screenshots, users can “respond” to conversations with emoji and sound effects. For example, people can clap hands that appear in the recorded conversations and provide the solution to a problem that users of the clubhouse have encountered: a quiet room and no way to determine how it goes what they say.

Audience members can also select an emoji and type a comment without jumping directly into a conversation. These comments and emotions will appear over the participants’ heads as a thought bubble. Moderators or hosts can then provide feedback or comment during the chat.

As participants do if they want to join the live chat, they can request to join the stage by tapping on a microphone emoji and submitting a written request.

For now, this is our best view of Fireside. Fatemi did not want to comment on this story, and we have no better idea of ​​when the app may launch publicly. We will update this story as we learn more.