Facebook is introducing a new audio feature to improve the audio quality for its users. Instagram, the world’s largest social network, has released Live Audio Rooms to celebrities, creators, and organizations all over the world.
Users will now be able to have live audio talks on Clubhouse thanks to a new feature introduced in response to growing demand. Prior to the global launch announcement on October 11, Facebook began testing this functionality in the United States and other countries around the world. In the United States, Facebook has recently added the ability to listen to podcasts. Soundbites audio clips are also being tested by the company.
An official from Facebook, Alexandru Voica (@alexvoica), tweeted about the global rollout of the new Live Audio Rooms function. According to the tweet, Live Audio Rooms will be available to all verified public personalities, producers, and groups on Facebook worldwide. It’s also worth noting, according to Voica, that Facebook is giving creators and communities more tools to connect and find fresh voices and ideas.
For Android and desktop, the Live Audio Rooms are now undergoing testing for quality assurance. Voica has confirmed that Facebook is experimenting with the ability to build a Live Audio Room from an Android app and listen from a desktop computer via the app.
Live Audio Rooms were only available in the iOS app when they were first revealed by Facebook in June of this year. Users will be able to build ‘rooms’ in the app’s Android version now, too. Clubhouse-style functionality can be found in the rooms.
Users have the option of listening in or participating in real-time conversations. Public personalities can also invite other speakers, including friends, followers, verified public figures, and anyone in the audience. There is a cap of 50 speakers, but there is no cap on the number of people that can listen.
To join a Live Audio Room, users can look in areas like the News Feed or receive updates about it. When new friends or follows join a chat, users will receive an alert. Other ways to contribute in real-time include turning on live captioning, raising a hand, and using reactions.
Podcast, a new audio feature from Facebook, is now available. Podcasts can be published on Facebook by users so that their shows can be shared with their friends and new people can find them. Listeners have the option of directly distributing episodes using the site.
Listeners in the United States can access podcast features on their mobile devices right now. Facebook plans to add new capabilities, including as captions and the ability to create and share audio snippets, in the near future.
According to Facebook, the US rollout of Live Audio Rooms and podcasts is just the beginning of the company’s foray into audio. Soundbites are unique audio bits that are only a few seconds long, according to the company. Users will be able to post and share altered audio clips throughout the platform with the help of this new feature. Soundbite is projected to be a direct competitor to TikTok.
