How to Build a Voice Chat App like Clubhouse

Published: May 2, 2022

15 min read

Clubhouse saw a remarkable increase in its weekly active users, growing from 600,000 to 10,000,000 in just three months. During the same period, searches for the app increased by 3250%.

This success is particularly impressive considering that audio chatting features are not new to the market, with many messaging apps already offering them. Clubhouse's ability to reinvigorate interest in audio chat apps has prompted many companies to reconsider this opportunity.

A voice chat app development can be beneficial since the Clubhouse app spiced up the demand

Considering that the Clubhouse app increased demand, developing a voice chat app might be beneficial. (image by Serj Marco)

Although Clubhouse and its use of audio messaging tools received much attention, there are many more ways that organizations may incorporate this feature into their use cases.

Our team is fully aware of this and is committed to assisting businesses as they develop apps with more engaged and unified communities.

Our way of life has become much more digital, particularly since the COVID-19 epidemic. For instance, there's likely never been a greater need for practical, cutting-edge communication solutions, whether it's through applications designed particularly for communication (like Clubhouse) or any other use case.

So, if you are willing to build an audio chat app, integrate such functionality into an existing solution, or have any other amazing use case that we’ll gladly get to know — welcome!

💧 Why Clubhouse is Only a Drop in the Ocean

As we stated before, there are several ways to utilize the audio messaging feature – Clubhouse is just one of them. The success of Clubhouse, however, is a completely singular instance that may never occur again.

This implies you shouldn't strive to mimic this app's design by using it as a flawless model. But this story has a lot to teach other companies, including how to avoid certain common blunders and share effective marketing techniques.

This section will examine Clubhouse's unique selling points and how their expertise might benefit your company.

A voice chat app is normally considered a Clubhouse like app, however, its use case is just one of many options

Although voice chat apps are typically compared to Clubhouse apps, there are numerous other uses for them. (image by Valera Pevnev)

Let's start by breaking down the key success factors of Clubhouse:

  1. First of its kind in the market;
  2. Flawless marketing strategy (the app was promoted by many influential people, celebrities, and others);
  3. A sense of "exclusivity" due to invitation-only entry;
  4. The app's release during the COVID-19 pandemic, which also influenced its popularity.

At the same time, platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype became commonplace for users. They are just a way to communicate with friends or colleagues. Meanwhile, Clubhouse has more of a "social" aspect in its app. Users have the opportunity not just to join a call via an invitation link but to surf and join rooms they like.

Clubhouse offers the opportunity to listen to any user in real-time. If you imagine that instead of "any user" you could follow a conversation with Oprah or a performance by Elon Musk, it becomes clear why Clubhouse gained such popularity.

Another trick was to make the app in demand. Users couldn't just download the app and start using it; they had to receive an invitation from others. This created a sense of specialness, motivating even those who initially did not plan to use it to strive for an invitation and become "chosen."

A voice chat software similar to Clubhouse might utilize the Clubhouse app case study as an example and extract specific lessons.

A voice chat software similar to Clubhouse might utilize the Clubhouse app case study as an example and extract specific lessons. (image by CMC Distribution)

We've previously spoken about the elements that contributed to Clubhouse's success, so let's explore what they represent for your company:

  1. Define your niche. Instead of copying existing services like Skype or Zoom, or typical text applications with the ability to record audio, Clubhouse offered a combination of audio and live streaming, filling a gap in the market.
  2. Think through your marketing strategy. You can attract celebrities to promote your product, as Clubhouse did, or use other advertising methods.
  3. Use exclusivity as a tool. The main thing here is not to overdo it, so as not to scare away potential users.
  4. The timing of the product launch is crucial. Although global pandemics fortunately do not happen often, it is important to choose the optimal time to enter the market.

The success of Clubhouse is due to a combination of innovation, popularity, and favorable launch timing, making their example unique.

Your approach may significantly differ from Clubhouse's approach. Therefore, let's consider different ways of using the functionality of voice messages that may suit your idea.

⚙️ Use Cases of Audio Messaging Functionality

# 1: Internal Communication Software

Such tools can find application in the corporate sphere to facilitate communication between employees, various departments, as well as for communication between managers and their teams and vice versa.

For example, construction companies can implement the use of audio messages to coordinate the work of builders on sites. The advantage of this approach is time-saving, as message exchange is quick and efficient. Moreover, such solutions can be customized according to the specific requirements of each individual case, ensuring a high degree of functionality.

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How to Develop Internal Communication Platform For Your Business

An example of a platform offering such capabilities is Zello . This tool can be used by drivers, construction crews, retail employees, and many others to improve internal communication.

A voice chat app like Zello is a great use case of how the audio (and video, maybe) can be used differently from chat app like Clubhouse

An excellent example of how audio (and maybe video) can be handled differently from chat apps like Clubhouse is the voice chat service Zello. (image by Zello)

This app's intriguing feature is that it uses the Push-to-Talk model. In other words, users press the button when necessary and release it when finished, rather than muting and unmuting their microphones while speaking.

Within the driving community, the app gained a lot of traction, particularly with truckers and taxi drivers. As a result, it enables them to seek for assistance in the event of a breakdown or other issues, stay awake at night, and obtain real-time traffic information from their colleagues.

# 2: Audio Messaging Social Media App

To create a voice chat social media like Clubhouse is another use case.

It can take several forms, such as offering a virtual co-working area or a real-time language learning platform with native speakers.

Voice chat app like Clubhouse is a case of social media app with the audio chat feature

Examples of social media apps with audio chat capabilities are voice chat apps like Clubhouse. (image by Afterglow)

Numerous widely used, frequent, or anonymous audio social media chat applications are also regarded as social networks.

# 3: eLearning audio Platforms

A good way to conduct lectures, seminars, webinars, or podcasts is also gained from the audio message functionality.

As such, firms extending educational platforms, membership or loyalty programs, several types of after-school activities, workshops not involving video streaming, and so forth stand to benefit.

For instance, consider the Tandem app, an educational app that lets you practice speaking any language with native speakers, or simply learn from each other. It doesn't concentrate only on audio chatting but handles voice messaging and audio messaging as well.

The functionality found in an app like Clubhouse can be utilized to create a drop-in audio chat for podcasts, eLearning etc.

The functionality found in an app like Clubhouse can be utilized to create a drop-in audio chat for podcasts, eLearning etc. (image by Tandem)

By creating a custom solution, these companies may have a platform that is entirely tailored to their requirements and devoid of extra features, which can speed up development and save expenses.

# 4: Сustomer Support

Some businesses use the functionality of such apps as audio rooms with customer support.

The audio chat can be beneficial for any company with customer support services. Agreeably, using the audio chat function with support specialists is much more convenient than making phone calls or attempting to reach out via email.

# 5: Office hours and counseling

If your business is involved in organizing online appointments or consultations, you may find this feature beneficial.

It’s particularly useful for educational institutions, online/offline courses, or any other business offering similar services. For instance, many teachers and professors regularly conduct office hours, and with the use of this feature, they can provide users with the opportunity to easily join a voice chat and ask their questions.

Another example of its usage could be mentorship within various courses, such as digital marketing courses, for instance. If someone is offering individual consultations with lecturers and experts, this can also be facilitated through the use of the audio messaging feature.

🎧 Top Features of an Audio Messaging App

In this section, we'll go over the features you might wish to include into an already-existing solution or add to your app in this part.

# 1: Sign Up & Profiles 🔐

First and foremost, the information required throughout the sign-up procedure shouldn't be excessively demanding. You may either allow users to access it without providing any personal information or request some basic data, such as an email address and phone number, in order to set a password.

Among other features, the sign-up in a app like Clubhouse is really important since it’s the first time when users experience using an app

In addition to other features, the first sign-up process in an app such as Clubhouse is crucial since it represents the user's first app experience. (image by Anna Paraniak)

Offering Social Sign-Up is a great idea as it provides users with an easy and quick way to join your platform. This approach also provides your business with valuable user profile details that can be used for more targeted audience engagement.

# 2: Feed 📃

The Feed is a screen where users can view new announcements, upcoming events, presentations, or recent posts.

To make an app like other apps with audio chat rooms, feed can be a part of your app development

The feed may be used in app development to create an application that seems like other applications that include audio chat rooms. (image by Gareth Johnson)

Personalized content offerings are possible if your use case involves providing material based on an individual's interests.

But, as we've already covered, audio messaging is significantly more adaptable than social networking, which makes it suitable for a variety of use cases.

# 3: Rooms 💻

Rooms are the settings for audio conversations. Two primary categories of rooms exist:

  • Public: Open to everyone who is eager to participate.
  • Private: Only those with a code, password, invitation, unique link, or consent from the room's speaker or moderator may enter.
An app development team can fully tailor the rooms to your use case by using different APIs and coding

A development team for the app may utilize various APIs and coding to completely customize the rooms to your use case. (image by Pieter-Pleun Korevaar)

Typically, there are three main roles with varying levels of access in a chat or discussion platform:

  • Listeners;
  • Speakers;
  • Moderators.

It's possible for one person to have different roles at different times, depending on the situation.

However, the need for these roles and the separation of public and private rooms can vary depending on your specific use case.

# 4: Voice Chats 📣

The voice chat feature itself ought to be thoughtful and practical.

To build an app like Clubhouse, voice chat for members might be the core feature, so you should make its functioning seamless (*image by [Antilustrations](https://dribbble.com/Antilustrations){ rel="nofollow" target="_blank" .default-md}*)

If you're creating an app similar to Clubhouse, member voice chat may be the main feature, thus you need to make sure it runs well. (image by Antilustrations)

Aside from enabling communication through APIs and microphone use, this feature includes:

  • Muting and unmuting audio.
  • Muting other participants to control what users hear.
  • Adjusting volume levels.
  • Changing playback speed for pre-recorded audio.
  • Adding reactions.
  • Removing echo.
  • Automatically transcribing conversations into a document.

Depending on the use case, some functions may not be necessary. For example, in a building company scenario, participants might not need the ability to use their microphone.

# 5: Calendar 📅

Develop an in-app calendar to enhance the user experience. A tool like this might be useful for helping people schedule their time and visualize events that are coming up.

Some use cases may require these characteristics more than others. For instance, a schedule isn't very helpful if you use a social media app like Clubhouse for voice discussion. But with a feature like that, an app for internal meetings would be more useful.

Calendar feature in app like Clubhouse

The features of the Clubhouse app might not be sufficient for the audience in order to create such an app, thus you could want to take the calendar into consideration. (image by Divan Raj)

It could be beneficial to allow users to sync your app's calendar with their phone's calendar, such as Google Calendar or iCloud Calendar, for more convenient use.

This integration could include details like:

  • Room;
  • Date and time;
  • Speakers;
  • Any additional information like registration links or entry codes.

# 6: Uploading & Importing 📥

Will your application have the capability to upload files? For instance, if your application is a platform for audio message exchange, geared towards professional collaboration in a social network setting, you can allow users to upload scans of their diplomas, licenses, certificates, and more.

For an audio chat application complementing a membership program designed for conducting lectures, file upload functionality may be necessary to provide users with PDF files containing checklists or similar materials.

Members of such apps might like such features, so you could develop them as well

These features could be enjoyed by users of such apps, therefore you might create them as well. (image by Ivan Poddubchenko)

You can consider adding the following features for users:

  • Allow users to upload files during a live audio session.
  • Enable file sharing for 1-on-1 chatting.
  • Allow users to upload materials for later reference.
  • Offer the option to import contact lists from their devices if relevant.

# 7: Screen Sharing 📱

If you plan to host a lot of live audio sessions, the screen sharing option might be quite helpful. As a result, material would be simpler to digest if it included some visuals.

Screen sharing is something your audience might need in such apps, so consider adding it during the development

Your audience may require screen sharing in these kinds of apps, so take that into consideration while developing them. (image by Mohamad Rasouli)

It can include:

  • Turn on/off.
  • Choose a specific screen that a user wants to share.
  • Share screen with/without a sound & others.

# 8: Push Notifications 🔔

By creating tailored offers, enhancing brand loyalty, and retargeting consumers, push notifications may help you boost sales. As an example, you could:

  • Inform users about future events to reduce the possibility that they would forget about them.
  • Tell them of any upcoming events, deals, etc.
  • Permit custom notification settings to enhance brand loyalty (e.g., send a reminder at a certain time before an event).

📊 Admin Panel

You, as the company's owner or managers, may require an admin panel with full feature access in order to digitally oversee every operation within the program.

An admin panel is something you’ll need to properly manage your mobile or web app, including improving user experience for your audience

You'll need an admin panel to effectively administer your online or mobile application, which includes enhancing user experience for your users. (image by Dmitriy Groshev)

For an admin dashboard, the following functionalities can be included:

  • Managing users' status (blocking, activating, restricting certain actions, etc.).
  • Managing events and calendars.
  • Starting voice streaming, opening/closing rooms, etc.
  • Accessing all rooms and other features.

Additionally, in some cases, it might be important for the dashboard to provide statistics such as the total number of users, new users, active users, retention rate, average time spent in the app, and stats about each separate event or room.

These metrics would be particularly relevant for an audio chatting social media platform, but may not be necessary for in-company communication tools.

🔝 Top Things Worth Attention to Build an Audio Messaging Application or Integrate it into an Existing Solution

The ways you can implement such functionality vary widely, especially when integrating with your current solution, which differs from building an app from scratch. The pitfalls also differ.

Let's briefly discuss a few aspects of this development that could save you time and reduce costs if planned in advance.

New Flow or Addition to a Current One?

Incorporating audio messaging functionality into your app can be approached in two ways: as a standalone feature, creating a new user flow, or as an enhancement to an existing feature.

For example:

  • you might introduce Audio Chat Rooms as a completely new communication
  • option
  • you could add audio messaging to existing text chats, enriching the user experience.
Before the development, you should decide, whether the mobile or web app will be a separate or a new flow - it’ll influence development cost, features a user will need, etc.

Whether the mobile or web app will be a new or distinct flow should be decided before development begins. This will affect development costs and the functionality that users will require, among other things. (image by Valera Pevnev)

For the audio feedback implementation in a marketplace app, there are two approaches:

  • Separate flow: Users have to navigate to a distinct screen to leave or read audio feedback.
  • Complementary flow: Text and audio feedback features are integrated into one screen, making them accessible within the same place in the app.

Understanding these two approaches is crucial for explaining them to your development team, as it will influence the coding approach they need to take.

Audio Files Storing

Audio Storing may have a significant impact on the complexity and expense of development. This will specify the characteristics of the program and which Cloud Storage best suits your needs.

Your development cost include budget on the storage, so you should be clear about how you’ll store the files

You should be clear about how you'll keep the files because your development costs include a budget for storage. (image by Marcus Gellermark)

Thus, there are a couple of important questions to ask yourself:

- Will users have access to recordings after the live session, or will it be real-time only?

Clubhouse operates on a model where you can only listen to conversations in real-time, and recordings are not available. This might not be suitable for everyone who prefers flexibility in when they listen.

- How will you store audio files and for how long?

Either local or external cloud storage is an option. You can have both. For example, after three weeks in internal storage, data that is no longer relevant will be stored in an external one. It actually relies on the particular circumstances surrounding you.

- Do you need additional features like local storage, audio conversion, or manual deletion of files?

To give an example, you might want to consider implementing features like using local storage to access audio messages offline, the ability to convert and download messages as audio files, manually deleting audios from the storage, and other similar functionalities.

SDKs for an Audio Feature

To enable audio chatting in an app, you’ll need to use a third-party SDK. Some of the most popular options are Twilio or Agora. By the way, Clubhouse uses Agora API for back-end infrastructure. When ensuring data security, Clubhouse made a mistake, and this is an important lesson for other businesses.

The specific error lies in the encryption of data. Joining a room involved the creation of an open-text metadata file containing user and room identification numbers. These data were then directly transmitted to the Agora server. Such an approach openly exposed the possibility for any third party with access to the user network to collect this information.

This situation led to a tarnished reputation for Clubhouse and raised doubts among users about the integrity of Agora, despite their lack of culpability in this context.

The moral of the story is: pay extra attention to security. Especially if you have data of many people in your hands. To enable high-level security, you can:

  1. Employ end-to-end encryption, or E2EE. It's an approach of communication and data transactions in which neither side has access to the specifics of an action or its content. Essentially, no one would be able to access the audios if Clubhouse sent their data over E2EE.

You can watch this explanatory video for deeper understanding:

  1. Observe security regulations such as GDPR. If you'd want more information, we have a whole essay on how to deal with GDPR (and more):

Read Also

How to Make Sure Your App or Website is HIPAA, PIPEDA, GDPR Compliant

💰 What Affects Voice Chat App Development Cost

Making a cost estimate is crucial to ensuring that there aren't too many charges that you can't afford. Yes, since every situation is different, it is difficult to predict every move or potential hazard.

To get the answer to the question, "How much does it cost to create an audio chat social media app?" there are a few factors that you may consider:

  1. Number & complexity of features.
  2. UI/UX Design.
  3. Chosen technology.
  4. Third-party integrations.
  5. Your development team hourly rate.

💡 Takeaways

To sum up, an audio messaging app or feature can be beneficial for various use cases, and its implementation can vary depending on the business. While each case is unique, there are some general tips that can be helpful for everyone:

  • Ensure a user-friendly UI/UX design.
  • Maintain consistency with your brand's style and mood.
  • Provide excellent support service to address technical issues promptly and maintain a positive user experience.

What we’d like to point out is that such functionality can be tailored to almost any use case, so if you’re not sure how to enable it in your solution, need help with the development, or just have some questions left, feel free to reach out to us. We’ll find a way to help you!

Contact Us to Build an Optimal Solution!

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