How To Develop a Voice Chat App like Clubhouse?

Updated 10 Oct 2024
Published 25 Aug 2021
Satyam Chaturvedi 4066 Views

How would you feel, if one day you open your social media app, and you find that Elon Musk, the leading face of the technical world is in your feeds?

Yes, social media apps can do anything. Social media is a platform that has been developing since day one. It adapts to the world and keeps on moving forward with it.

Sometimes, one step ahead of the world, and often learning from the world, and then improving itself with it. The platforms may vary but the general idea to connect people from all around through a single online space never varies.

Social media has developed several platforms over the decade with the hope that it would allow people to come together, from different cultures, different beliefs, and different walks of life. The layout varied from developing picture and thought-based platforms to video-sharing platforms, and then to the audio platform. 

And, recently a new audio application gained popularity, which allowed people to talk to different people, discuss ideas and art, and allow themselves to learn new things. The clubhouse mobile app development made its way through, to one of the most popular apps that were developed during the lockdown.

It allowed people to send invitations to their friends, and allow them to join a discussion team.

Future of these Apps

With the coming of age, many new applications were developed starting from web applications in the beginning, to software-based applications.

What started with Orkut and yahoo, is now being reflected on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, people are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of these social media platforms and making the most of them.

To be very honest, yes there are always some disadvantages, but the benefits are bigger are more important. 

However, in recent times when the world was stuck in their home at the time of lockdown, many platforms were developed which made learning and education also convenient through online social media platforms.

What is a Clubhouse App?

The clubhouse is an audio integrated application that works on an invitation basis. Clubhouse ranked among the top 10 % of android apps in the recent list, which was released in April 2021.

It allows the host user to create a chat room that can add thousands of members, by sending them invitation links through emails, text messages, and so on.

The team members can actively participate by asking permission from the host to keep their ideas forward. The clubhouse was developed by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth in March 2020, while working for their firm Alpha Exploration Co. And, then on May 2021, they launched a beta version that worked on many Android devices.

Clubhouse App development

What began as a start-up firm in 2019, went on to be regarded as a podcast platform, and was named Talkshow. Then in 2020, the brand shifted from being known as Talkshow to Clubhouse. And was released for all iOS systems.

Then, in a drifting surge, many venture capitalists started funding Clubhouse, and its value grew to $100 million by the end of March 2020.

How Does Clubhouse App Work?

The clubhouse is a growing social media platform that has earned its name in the audio social network. The application has a very simple user interface and allows one user to join different chat rooms.

The chat rooms are divided by the topics that are being discussed in them by different hosts and team members.

A user can select the topic of their liking and search in the chat rooms and then can join the chat room, as a listener or even a speaker. The host, who is responsible for creating the room has the access to assign your role in the discussion team.

develop voice app like clubhouse
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It has also been called an audio Twitter, but on Clubhouse, not anyone can say anything. There are guidelines for specific chat rooms, and unlike Twitter, if a user goes beyond the line of guidelines, it automatically removes them from the chat room. The host also has the power to remove them anytime they want.

Also, the host can filter the user’s access and allow them to only listen to the discussion, without being involved in it. That is why many a time it has been misinterpreted as a podcast app. Additionally, the clubhouse app development cost is also not too much, which was a relief to the developers.

However, just because Clubhouse is a live audio app, therefore, to stop the interference of the audience, it has a filtering system. It is still in the beta version itself therefore, it only has link invites as an only form of inviting friends.

There are two versions of Clubhouse apps, one is a premium paid version, while is the other is free but allows only two invite links per user.

One of the applications that are similar to the clubhouse is the Discord app. However, it has differentiated servers instead of a chat room. But it was also introduced as an audio communication network.

It also has texting features, but navigating on a discord server is not an easy task, as the application is not very user-friendly. 

Market Size of Clubhouse app

Since the lockdown began, many social media platforms became popular overnight, because when people were trapped inside their homes, they were looking for new things and experiences.

Therefore, in six months the analyst at Clubhouse reported that it was successful in creating a user count of more than 10 million that actively used the app every week. And, daily, the number of active rooms that were being created was more than 300,000

However, these numbers have been assumed to be drastically increasing day by day. The users are not only limited to a certain country but vary from different parts of the world.

The analysts at Clubhouse estimated that the number will reach 20 million by the end of the year 2021, and will become the third app with the most numbers of active users after Instagram and Twitter, which are first and second respectively. 

The owner of the Clubhouse app is however confident that they are looking to develop the app to make it more interactive, which will increase the number of rooms.

They are also, looking forwards to filtering the app for smaller children so that they attend their classes via the Clubhouse app, which will bring a large increase in the number of daily active users to an estimated 25 million.

Buzz Around the Clubhouse App: Why It Became Popular?

Mobile app development companies have considered clubhouse as an app that is composed of both the combinations of an app that has the properties of a conference application and the benefits of a mobile application, which allows the users to be in a single space with the help of chat rooms.

The active users that weekly use the Clubhouse app have grown to 2 million. The clubhouse application allows the users to check the profiles of the other users that have joined the same chat room.

However, you can only join the conversation after raising your hand, and if the host permits you to speak. The chat rooms are developed based on a particular topic and only those that are interested in the topic join the chat room. Hence, it makes it very informative and productive and reduces any external element that can cause any disturbance. 

The clubhouse has a user-friendly interface and allows the users to easily interact with each other without any disturbance. Therefore, over the small course of time, it has become very popular. Thus, let us look at all the features of the app that has created a trend and become extremely popular.

how to develop app like clubhouse
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User Friendly

One of the major aspects of this app is the easiness with which it can be used and operated. The users can easily move from one chat room to another chat room, without any problems or interference. However, a user must have the invitation link to the group chat he wants to join.

Security and safety

One of the most important factors of Clubhouse is that the discussions that are being conveyed on the app cannot be recorded. Also, the fact that there is no video involved, gives the users and the host a sense of ease and intimacy.

This allows the users to listen to the discussion very conveniently, and not feel anxious in case they are shy of joining any kind of public gathering.

Exclusiveness and Operability

The fact that the Clubhouse app is being used by the leading tech giants of the world, and discusses exclusive ideas over the chat room, makes the users always interested. This gives the users a sense of importance, that they belong to an elite group of people that can listen to and understand the ideas of the tech giants.

Choice of chat rooms

The fact that the user can switch between chat rooms according to their will, without any interference, gives a sense that is in the real world and are not in an online conversation.

The popularity of Clubhouse is also due to the fact that the conversation is not limited to only entertainment, but has broader aspects, which include education and innovations.

Optimize the app to personal preference

The app also allows the users to organize the app in such a way that it has all the chat rooms that they are interested in, as well as arrange them in the order of their likeness. This always keeps their interest at its peak and provides them with a great sense of insight and knowledge.

The clubhouse was initially developed for iOS platforms, but with the new beta version of clubhouse app development, it was also available for android users.

Read Also: – 51 Mobile App Ideas To Generate Revenue For Business In 2022 

7 Steps to Build an App-Like Clubhouse

Step 1 – Conduct Market Research

To develop a successful app, you must work on an idea that should be purposeful and solve a real-life problem. You must always remember that your app must have something that can make your app different from other apps available in the market. Therefore, you must conduct in-depth market research to understand the market and end-user aspirations.

You can avail this opportunity to understand how other applications work and appeal to the audience. It will also help you to understand their limitations and strengths, which helps you to attain a reasonable edge for your app. A thoroughly conducted market research enables you to understand and implement the right set of marketing and sales strategies to ensure success.

Step 2 – Analyse your Target Audience

The success of your application depends on your awareness of your target audience. It is vital to capture information such as demographics, app use cases, potential app users, and their aspirations to develop a complementing app. 

It is always recommended to get on the ground to understand your audience, rather than depending on statistics. You must interview the potential users to gather important about their preferences, as it will enable to you build a successful app.

Step 3 – Create a Captivating yet User-Friendly Design

As we have a plethora of similar applications in the market, you must offer a unique design and user experience to engage your target audience. Here it is important to understand that mere visual appeal is not enough to lure and retain application users, you must understand users’ needs and serve them just right.

At the same time, you should incorporate the features and capabilities which can engage all kinds of app users. It is crucial to maintain a perfect balance between visual appeal and functionality to develop an app that can attract all targeted audiences.

Step 4 – Choose a Monetization Method

One develops an application to earn some revenue, thus it is important to select an appropriate monetization method for your application. If you are aware of your users’ requirements, then you can certainly predict why and how they will pay for app usage.

Here we have 3 primary monetization methods to select from:

  • Freemium – In this method, the end-users can download and use your application for free. They can upgrade their account by making a payment if they want to utilize premium app features.
  • Paid or Premium – It is a basic monetization method, where users pay monthly or annual charges for accessing your app.
  • Advertising – In this method, you can place your advertisements of your inside your app, and earn revenue if app users click or watch those advertisements.

Step 5 – Develop An MVP

When you are developing an app from scratch, it is not suitable to incorporate all the features at one go, as you can offer an app with some basic functionalities to gather user feedback. You can build an MVP version of your app, that will help you to offer a working model of your app to your audience without spending too much cost and time.

MVPs contain crucial app features to enhance the user experience, whereas unimportant features could be excluded initially. An MVP enables your development team to understand any issue beforehand, which ultimately helps you improve your marketing strategy and app performance.

Step 6 – Launch Marketing Campaign

Your app development efforts will be futile if you don’t market it. You must devise a robust marketing strategy to create a word about your app in the market. You can engage influential personalities to check out your app and share the experience with their fans and followers. You can get your app featured in renowned publications to attract new users.

You can develop a dedicated website or blog, which can help the audience to explore various aspects of your app. You can also integrate an e-mail capture form to collect the contact information of your potential users, this list can be used to inform them with further information and notifications. You need to optimize your app listing on marketplaces such as Google and Apple app stores to enhance the visibility of your app.

Step 7 – Collect Feedback

Once you release the MVP version of your app, it is critical to capture the end user feedback to determine if your app is meeting its objective. It is good to establish a feedback mechanism, that can help you gather various aspects such as app performance, usability, features, and pros & cons. 

You must interact with the end users and ask them to share their experiences with you. It will help you determine areas of improvement and mitigate any app-specific issues before the next release. As social media is an ever-evolving niche, you can utilize it to gather user feedback. The user feedback will help you devise a long-term strategy to maintain and market your app in the future.

Business & Revenue Model of Clubhouse

The company that made the clubhouse the moment does not make any revenue. Various investors have been investing in the app from the beginning. However, the host can earn money by generating a high audience and calling in for sponsors to preside over the discussion. The users too can tip their favorite hosts a small tip. 

The investors, however, are looking for ways to create methods through which the app can create some revenue through the clubhouse app development. The fact that the app is still in the beta version may be the reason why the app hasn’t already been monetized the application.

clubhouse mobile app development
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Recently, the Clubhouse app was valued at $4 million. However, let us look at the ways investors can monetize the application.

Premium Subscription

A monthly or weekly subscription for the app, in which a user has to pay a processing fee that allows them to stay connected to all the premium hosts. This processing fee can either be host-based or application-based, and the app will get an interest on the whole.

Paid Communities

This is also a subscription-based monetization in which the user will have to pay a monthly or a weekly nominal processing fee to join the discussion in a community. This generally happens when the host is either a celebrity or a tech person, that wants to impart knowledge to people on a pay-rate basis. A small amount of interest will go to Clubhouse. 

Live one on one interactions

One-on-one interactions between the host and the user can benefit in creating revenue for the Clubhouse app. Let us assume that the host is someone, who has created a lot of buzz on social platforms. And these personalities have a huge amount of following behind them, and all they ever dream of is getting to talk to that person individually.

The clubhouse app gives the opportunity to interact with your favorite host in direct one-to-one interaction. This is one such way in which a user can readily pay a larger amount, which will help in creating revenue.

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Top Voice Chat App like Clubhouse in 2023

The clubhouse app is not the only audio-based network or an audio social network. There are few others which I turn of popularity and active users give Clubhouse, tough competition. Therefore, let us look at some of the competitor apps of Clubhouse.

Name of the app Features Play Store Link App Store Link
Discord
  • Voice Chat
  •  Meetings
  • Worldwide Community
android app development  ios app development
Spoon
  • Discover podcasts
  • Live Chat
  • Live Streaming
android app development  ios app development
Spaces
  • Voice Chat
  • Worldwide Community
  • Live audio conversations
android app development  ios app development

1. Discord

In recent times, the gaming industry has bloomed a lot and is creating revenues and such high profits that everyone, wants a piece of it. Discord was a server-based application that was developed in the initial place to provide its users with a high-quality conversation while playing online interactive games.

But, as the mobile app development company developed Discord, people started using it as a communication app. It is also an audio-based platform that allows users to interact directly with each other.

The host creates a server, in which the followers join and interact with each other. Along with the audio feature, the app provides a texting feature as well as you can gift the host with tokens and money in the form of a super chat.

2. Spoon

Spoon is a highly monetized app that just like Clubhouse, allows users to join discussion groups headed by a speaker. However, the host is paid for presiding over a discussion, by the users who want to join into the discussion.

3. Spaces

Spaces work as a second space for all Twitter users. It allows Twitter users to start an audio conversation with their followers. However, only the host is allowed to speak while the followers can only listen, and not actively participate. The users that have joined in the conversation, can only participate by replying through text, that too only if the host user has allowed the user to. 

Basic Features of Voice Chat App like Clubhouse

A clubhouse app is often measured by the features it provides. The features an application provides are what attract new users, and also make the experience of former users better.

The social industry is the land of features, any application that comes forward with a better application is bound to get appreciated and people will highly use it all across the globe with the unique and advanced features the app provides. Therefore, let us look at all the features of the Clubhouse app.

Profile

It allows a user to set up personal profiles, which plays a major role in appealing to the users and allowing them to join a particular chat room. The clubhouse app allows the user to keep a profile picture, along with space for a bio where a user can post information about themselves.

The bio plays an important role in attracting other users to your profile. If you are a poet, and you want people who like poetry to join your chat room, the best thing will be to update the bio which your interest area.

Therefore, when other users will search for a category, your profile will become visible, and if they like your profile and join your chat room, it will increase your audience and room reach.

Rooms

One of the important and defining features of the clubhouse app development is that it allows the user to join a room of their liking. Chat rooms are spaces where different people who have the same likeness get together and share ideas and knowledge.

Therefore, the clubhouse app, allows users to join any chat room they like; however, it solely depends upon the host whether he allows the user to join as a listener or as a speaker.

The basic purpose of defining different chat rooms is to properly organize that is flowing through the apps. With chat rooms, it becomes easier for the user to understand which kind of information, will they get when are in a certain room. 

clubhouse mobile app development
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Moderation

Human interaction can often get out of hand; it can lead to extremes in certain circumstances. This human part of the conversation can never be controlled, however, with the development of advanced AI systems, such inconveniences and nuances can be filtered.

The chat room when not kept in check may lead to conversations and debates that are not suitable for everyone to hear. These social platforms were developed to bring people together, but nowadays some of them use them in a way that exploits humanness. Therefore, Clubhouse has features that moderate any kind of extremes and always maintain the decorum of the discussion.

Invites

The invites feature is like an old bridge made out of ropes and wood. It will allow you to cross, but then it can’t take many people together on it. Therefore, it delays the growth of your chat room.

It does improve the quality and knowledge of the chat room, but consequently, the chat room is not visible for everyone to join. The mobile app development company is looking to somehow improve the invite process so that it becomes visible to a broader audience. 

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Sharing

One of the basic features of any social media platform is the sharing of content. The Clubhouse app allows the users to share ideas, and often connect themselves through email, which can help them to share content. 

Cost to Develop a Mobile App like Clubhouse?

In the past ongoing month, over 700,000 people have downloaded clubhouses, which do not belong to the tech world in the U.S and live in other parts of the world. We have often heard in the physical world that time is considered money. And the fact does not change in the social world as well.

Developing apps that can be used by millions of users at the same time, is not a one-day task, it takes a lot of time and dedication. Additionally, when you are trying to develop an app like clubhouse, it will be very time-consuming because the developer will need to design and develop solutions for social media processing.

The app development process will comprise of the back end, the designing of web pages, and then the front end, along with mobile-based features, which are developed separately. 

Many features need to be inculcated in the app that will have to be developed, and with the increase in features, the time taken to develop the feature will also increase. According to a study, the time that is taken to develop an app like a clubhouse that will have basic features of the Clubhouse app varies from 1400 hours to 2000 hours.

This includes the optimistic time, as well as the completion time, and also includes processes such as designing of a user interface, authorization, content moderation, bug reports, review report, as well as a dry run. 

Developers all across the world have different charges by the hour, and some companies work on a contract basis. According to developer analytics, the clubhouse app development cost between $200,000 to $250,000.

Whereas this amount is subjected to change when individual developers will be hired, which charges $50, $100, or $150 by the hour. Whatsoever, the amount will range between, $50,000 to $150,000, which is consequently less but will take more time, when relating to days.

However, the charges will increase if you would want the developer to add some new features as well as use specific best development tools to develop an app like a clubhouse.

A process that tends to rule the development world nowadays, is the creation of a test-run app that only carries the most vital feature of the app. This is possibly done, to check the market response of the app, and then the better version can be updated if the app performs well in the social sector.

How Long Will It Take to Build an Application Like Clubhouse

Numerous factors influence the development cost of an App like Clubhouse. Factors such as project complexity, features required, efforts needed, and software development methodology can decide the time taken in building an app for your business. Sometimes incorporation of advanced features and security capabilities can exceed the app development time. 

For instance, it may take more than 500 hours to develop just the back end for an encrypted messaging application app. Smartphone apps with a basic level of features and complicacy may take up to 3 months to develop. To develop a medium complicacy level app, it may take around 4-5 months. Whereas building a complex application like Clubhouse, may take almost 6 months.

Which Industries Are Benefiting from Social Networking Apps?

The benefits of social networking apps have become immense over time and with the diversity of their use many businesses are being benefitted. Many sectors take advantage of social media, which includes expanding business reach by marketing the product or creating better business opportunities by providing them an online platform.

The increase in the demand for social platforms has also provided a boon to a mobile app development company that is always keen to expand its boundaries and attract new customers. Therefore, let us look at some of the industries that are enjoying the advantages of social media networking applications.

E-commerce

One industry that was not affected by the ongoing pandemic was the e-commerce sector. Not only did it maintain its stature, but experienced a great surge, as the citizens shifted from offline vendors and shops to e-commerce apps and websites. The link between social media apps and e-commerce trends increased the visibility of the online business sectors.

The e-commerce websites when integrated with the social network created a smooth marketing system, which allowed the users to explore the e-commerce sector more effectively and increased their reach.

Finance

The culmination of financial information with social websites, allows everyone to understand the finance sector in a better way. The finance structure does not require much human intervention for its processing, however, it allows customers both regular and potential, to look into the insights and information of the finance sector.

Healthcare

The healthcare industry was tested a lot in the pandemic. But, with need, many applications were developed that allowed easy interaction between doctors and patients. The patients could consult doctors on an online platform and they didn’t need to be physically present. 

Technology

The technological industry has grasped the technique to use social media for its benefit. The integration of social media with technological industries has made the business sector bloom as it eases the flow of information between the customer and the business. With a social network, the business connects to the customers, giving them insights into new technologies and advancements on a real-time basis.

Media

One of the most essential aspects of the media industry is the flow of information and the easy communication between its customers. From creative agencies to podcast promotion companies, all media businesses need a social media app to make the information flow through to the customers very easily and stay portable. A social media account for any of the media sectors helps them a lot, and allows them to have better customer relations.

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Factors that affect the Clubhouse App Development Cost

The cost to develop an app like a clubhouse has many integrated factors. The cost can vary from professional to professional, and also be subjugated by environments and programming languages. Therefore, let us look at some of the factors that affect the cost of developing such an app.

Hire a freelancer

Hiring a freelancer to develop an app like a clubhouse can be very interesting. It will allow you to be the monitor of every step, and understand things in a better way. A freelancer charges by the hour the time which is consumed in the making of the development will determine the cost of your app.

Additionally, according to the analysis, it will take 1600 hours to 2000 hours to develop an application like the Clubhouse. A freelancer generally charges between $50 per hour to $150 per hour. However, the time that will be consumed in making the application will increase, if you would add more features to your software.

Hire a local IT company

One of the convenient and easy ways is to hire a local IT company. Therefore, with the IT company, the clubhouse app development cost will be based on the project completion basis, which will range from $150,000 to $250,000, according to the reputation and quality of the IT company.

However, the time taken will be drastically reduced, as the firm will deploy multiple teams to develop the application, inherently reducing the time taken. 

Outsource software development

Hiring an external software development company to work for the development of an application similar to the Clubhouse is one of the easiest and time-efficient ways. However, the charges could be more than an IT company or a freelancer would take.

Why choose Arka Softwares for Developing an App like Clubhouse?

We aim to provide our customers with the best service possible. The applications that are developed will be of the highest quality and also cost-efficient. Our experts are always dedicated to providing you with the best quality finished work, allowing you to have a test run of the application before the finished product is submitted.

Our developers understand the importance of time, therefore, they always stay dedicated to the timeline, and always look to provide a better and user-friendly application, before the deadline. There when you want to develop an app like clubhouse, feel free to avail our service.

Conclusion

Voice chat applications have captured the imagination of the audience, especially during the recent pandemic. Businesses across the world are utilizing the potential of voice chat applications to offer a niche experience to their customers. 

However, merely building a voice chat app will not guarantee you success. To make a successful application, you must incorporate exciting features, follow modern methodologies and frameworks, and hire an expert app development company that can deliver a successful Clubhouse-like app for your business.

If you are planning to build a popular voice chat app, then please get in touch with our seasoned experts for consultation. We are a reliable chat app development company with decade-long expertise in leading the digital transformation journeys of our clients. Our app development team can transform your unique idea into a revolutionary app in no time.

Frequently Asked Questions about Clubhouse App 

  • How to create an app like Clubhouse?

    The best way to develop an app like clubhouse is to hire professionals that know and required a skill set in application development. The developers will always keep you involved in the development process and always work upon the feedback you provide, to enhance the quality of your application.

  • How much will it take to develop an app like Clubhouse?

    A basic application with features similar to that of the Clubhouse will cost anything in between, $150,000 to $250,000.

  • What are the features of the Clubhouse app?

    The features of the Clubhouse app include audio-based interaction of users, a simple user interface, easy filtering of the audience, removal of any unnecessary audience. It allows the user to join chat rooms that are arranged on the topic and interest base of the user.

  • Why not create a Clubhouse app clone?

    A clone of anything will always remain the second choice of the users. While the originals always leave an exquisite impact on the minds of the users. Therefore, when you develop an app like clubhouse, always be sure to enhance its features which will add originality and authenticity.

Satyam Chaturvedi

Satyam Chaturvedi is a Digital Marketing Manager at Arka Softwares, a leading app development company dealing in modern and futuristic solutions. He loves to spend his time studying the latest market insights.

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