Read on Twitter
I’m bullish. Audio is the 1 traditional content type that has no social antecedent. Clubhouse is a very fun example of what could become a class of new defining products. Over the last 20 years every media type has given rise to social media--except Audio, consider: (Thread) https://twitter.com/alexrkonrad/status/1261326774878814210
Text:
Winner: FB, TWTR
Precursors: Digg, RSS, ICQ, AIM, IRC
Enabling technologies: iPhone, SMS
Cultural Moment: Arab Spring, [need to add one more]
Followers: WhatsApp
Winner: FB, TWTR
Precursors: Digg, RSS, ICQ, AIM, IRC
Enabling technologies: iPhone, SMS
Cultural Moment: Arab Spring, [need to add one more]
Followers: WhatsApp
Video:
Winner: Youtube (v1), SNAP, TikTok
Precursors: iFilm, several pre-broadband failures
Enabling technologies v1-Broadband, Flash, Myspace (the last 2 enabled YouTube); v2: smartphone
Cultural Moment: Lazy Sunday in 2005 + Myspace sharing
Followers: FB,TWTR,SNAP, Vine, Tiktok
Winner: Youtube (v1), SNAP, TikTok
Precursors: iFilm, several pre-broadband failures
Enabling technologies v1-Broadband, Flash, Myspace (the last 2 enabled YouTube); v2: smartphone
Cultural Moment: Lazy Sunday in 2005 + Myspace sharing
Followers: FB,TWTR,SNAP, Vine, Tiktok
Photos:
Winner: Instagram, Snapchat
Precursors: flickr
Enabling technologies: Mobile phones, mobile cameras
Cultural Moment: FB acquiring Instagram
Followers: VSCO
Winner: Instagram, Snapchat
Precursors: flickr
Enabling technologies: Mobile phones, mobile cameras
Cultural Moment: FB acquiring Instagram
Followers: VSCO
Social Audio:
Winner: NONE. Spotify isn’t really social.
Precursors: Spotify (Not social), Podcasts (no real winners), Soundcloud (still subscale)
Enabling technologies: Airpods
Cultural moment: COVID-19! And whenever it became ok to walk around and never take your airpods out
Winner: NONE. Spotify isn’t really social.
Precursors: Spotify (Not social), Podcasts (no real winners), Soundcloud (still subscale)
Enabling technologies: Airpods
Cultural moment: COVID-19! And whenever it became ok to walk around and never take your airpods out
How could an audio platform at scale win?
1) Create a new media type -- the Clubhouse “talkshow” format is a good example. Every social media platform has invented a new modality (while borrowing elements from elsewhere of course).
1) Create a new media type -- the Clubhouse “talkshow” format is a good example. Every social media platform has invented a new modality (while borrowing elements from elsewhere of course).
2) Create shareable, zeitgeist moments. The best live content needs to live on so if you miss it, the world can talk about it later (see: TWTR, all of sports, etc.) Also live is obtrusive so a searchable library is key. Part of why Meerkat and Periscope never broke out.
3) Organize information in useful ways. Podcasts are some of the richest repositories of information about key topics, and users listen intently/intentionally. Topical rooms on Clubhouse could work, citizen “radio” hosts using off the shelf content to create new streams could too
Last point on audio: it’s the precursor step to A/R everywhere. Once always-in airpods are socially acceptable, other devices will be as well over time. Addictive apps are always needed to drive the revolution. We’re on our way. This will start a the next big wave.
