Clubhouse launches Android iphone app as downloads plummet
Live audio app Clubhouse started out introducing a test version of its app to Google's Android users in america on Sunday, the company said, in a potentially big expansion of its market.
The app, which spiked in popularity early this year after celebrity billionaire Elon Musk and others appeared in sound chats, has sparked copy cats from startups and larger rivals including Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc.
It's been available and then users of Apple devices and by invitation. In a few markets such as for example China, invitations were so sought after some were auctioned on online marketplaces.
But downloads of the app, one way of measuring popularity, have drastically fallen.
After peaking in February with 9.6 million downloads, that number fell to 2.7 million in March and 900,000 downloads in April, according to Sensor Tower.
The drop has sparked questions about its permanent viability and whether its success was owed in part to people spending additional time at home through the pandemic.
The long anticipated Android launch is likely to reach more new users globally. The Android version will reach other English-speaking markets and all of those other globe days and weeks after the U.S. market beta launch.
Clubhouse, which created the category, now faces the likes of Facebook, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in April a slew of audio tracks products, including Clubhouse-style live audio tracks rooms and a way for users to find and play podcasts.
In January, Twitter Inc said that it will introduce a fresh feature to let users charge admission with their live audio chat rooms in its "Spaces" feature, as the company seeks to court more content creators. It has been open to Android users since March.
Source: japantoday.com
