How to Use Twitter Spaces to Create Your Own Club [Updated]
Twitter loves to innovate by “borrowing” features from its competitors. Last year it was Fleets, its own version of Instagram Stories, and now Twitter is taking over the growing social media app Clubhouse with its new Spaces.
Twitter Spaces are public chats that anyone can join. Hosts control who is allowed to speak – currently up to ten speakers can participate in a conversation – but anyone can connect, and there is no limit to the number of listeners. Twitter automatically transcribes conversations and you can download them for up to 30 days.
So yeah, Twitter Spaces are almost identical to Clubhouse chat rooms in function – but, you know, via Twitter instead.
Clubhouse hit the headlines earlier this year as the next big project (although its rapid growth seems to have stalled ), so it makes sense for Twitter to join the new format. I’m not sure if Twitter is where I’d like to have a public conversation, but Spaces is still in beta and may see a lot of changes prior to its eventual public rollout.
The functionality is limited at this time; additional features such as paid “tickets” spaces, scheduling and reminder tools and accompanying hosting options are planned , but for now the most you can do is host and join spaces inside the mobile app.
As of May 3, accounts with at least 600 subscribers can host Twitter Spaces, but anyone can listen to them if they are using an Android or iOS app. When the feature is fully implemented, all users will be able to host and join Spaces. (One wrinkle: secure accounts can only join spaces, they cannot host their own.)
To open your own Twitter space
- Press and hold Write, and then tap the Spaces icon. (Or go to your Twitter profile, click Fleets, then scroll down and select Spaces. )
- Choose who will be eligible to speak. Possible options: “All”, “People you follow” or “To act only those you invite.”
- If you select Speak Only Those You Invite , tap the people you want to invite. They will receive an invite link in the form of a DM on Twitter.
- Click “Start your Space” to start, then allow access to the Twitter microphone.
While the call is active, hosts can choose whether to share the space’s transcript, and can block, mute, delete, and report other participants.
To join someone else’s Twitter Space
- Find the person’s “Space” at the top of your timeline, or open their Twitter profile.
- In their fleets section, scroll until you see live space.
- Click to join.
While in space, users can view other listeners and respond to the conversation with emoticons. There are also tools for reporting others to the host, if needed. You can share links to Spaces while they are alive, and download transcripts within 30 days of the end of the meeting.
Twitter plans to expand its Spaces joining options in the future, such as joining active spaces hosted by people you follow directly from the main Twitter feed.
This story was originally published in March 2021 and updated on May 5, 2021.