Twitter is already building a rival to the hot social audio app Clubhouse, but it is apparently also being discussed to acquire the company. Bloomberg reported today that Twitter has been in talks with Clubhouse about purchasing the app for about $ 4 billion.
These talks have reportedly stalled, and it is unclear why. It’s also unclear whether Twitter or Clubhouse first approached the other, which could talk about how any platform feels about the competition in the social sound space. Bloomberg also reported yesterday that Clubhouse now wants to raise money at a valuation of $ 4 billion; it is possible that the number came from these Twitter discussions, or that the clubhouse bought the amount.
Clubhouse was launched last year and made the idea of live audio conversations popular. Celebrities, technology executives and ordinary people have meanwhile set up and presented rooms. It is estimated that more than ten million people have downloaded the app, which is currently available for invitations only and iOS only.
The app also faces many competitors, including Facebook, Twitter, Discord, LinkedIn and Slack. These other platforms already have a built-in user base of millions of people, as well as fully embedded web, iOS and Android applications. Still, Clubhouse is trying to innovate fast. In recent months, it has been manned and hired an engineer to build its Android app. It also launched a fee in the app this week as a creator to make money. (It says it will not take a cut in revenue.)
In turn, Twitter Spaces has already been launched on both iOS and Android. The company also plans to launch a web version and to open hosting capabilities to all users this month. Why Twitter wants to acquire Clubhouse does not make much sense unless it simply wants to wipe out the competition and gain its dedicated user base and buzzing name. Either way, Clubhouse and Twitter will now both face each other in the journey of dominating social sound.