Recently, audio-only media such as podcasts have had a comeback in popularity, maybe as a result of the flood of video streaming and video conferencing that has occurred in recent years. Spotify, Apple, and even Facebook are all vying to be the next big podcast destination, but Clubhouse and TED are taking a different approach to audio-only programming. In February of this year, TED announced the debut of its Audio Collective, claiming that its shows were downloaded 1.65 million times each day in “nearly every country on Earth.” The agreement allows TED to monetize its talks by selling advertisements and sponsorships. Clubhouse, on the other hand, will not accept a share. It’s unclear whether the talks will be accessible as podcasts or other on-demand recordings. The collaboration makes sense because Clubhouse rooms are sometimes compared to TED presentations, which means people wax on about huge ideas in the style of a conference presentation. Because the business has previously had a lot of success with audio through its podcasting initiatives, it’s likely that a version of these discussions will be disseminated as an RSS feed outside of the app. It’s an exciting new venture for the newly established Clubhouse, and a partnership with TED may be a testimonial to its own brand strength. The rush to sign up major personalities for these networks will be fierce, and it may become the next great social media battleground.
