Facebook is one of the first social media platforms that still exists today (yeah, we are not counting MySpace), and thus, has come farther than any of its competitors over its long journey. The platform continues to add new features all the time, and with the new shift to audio content, the company is now looking to become the biggest player in the space. Facebook has announced that it will be launching an ‘Audio’ hub for all its audio related offerings in the US, starting today.
This will include podcasts, Live Audio Rooms, and short-form audio. The company had been rolling out this tab for users above the age of 18 for some time now, but starting today, it has been made official.
Facebook has been looking to add more and more audio related features to its platform for quite some time, including podcasts, which have become the crown jewel of companies like Spotify. With more and more users engaging with the content format every day, Facebook has been looking to bring podcasts to its main app, and had rolled out the feature to its US userbase in summer this year. It plans to add more geographies to this list soon.
It is also working on Live Audio Rooms-its Clubhouse like offering. Clubhouse became an overnight sensation in the social media sphere, and has pushed other platforms to adapt as well. Twitter, which is one of Facebook’s biggest rivals, added Spaces to its app earlier this year, and Live Audio Rooms is how Facebook seeks to level the playing field. The company says that it has already been adopted by creators like Lil Huddy, Noah, and Miley Cyrus, quarterback Russell Wilson, singer Becky G, comedian Sherry Cola, Mereba Music, and others. Moreover, it said that it will be rolling out to more public figures and creators outside the U.S. as well as non-U.S.-based Facebook Groups soon.
With so many audio related features, the company wants to give its users a chance to enjoy all of these different content types in a single space. This is where the Audio tab comes in, which will allow creators to engage with their target audience in a better way, and also make it easier for audio related features to be found.
The company says that at rollout, this tab will have content from accounts that users follow. However, over time, you will start seeing personalized content based on your listening habits, as is the case with almost every other Facebook related content type.
