How to use Twitter Spaces
How to use Twitter Spaces
The force that is social media is strong right now. With Clubhouse storming onto the scene recently, and Instagram upping its game with its new Live Rooms feature, it was only a matter of time before the other industry giants would follow suit. One of those is, of course, Twitter. Hot on the heels of Clubhouse, Twitter has launched its very own audio chat room function: Twitter Spaces .
What is Twitter Spaces?
Twitter Spaces will run in a similar way to Clubhouse, and it’s currently being rolled out to key accounts for testing – so if you don’t have this function yet, don’t worry, it will come soon. Twitter Spaces allows you to create audio chat rooms called ‘Spaces’, allowing users to host or participate in live audio conversations.
Despite the excitement surrounding Clubhouse, it has a few downfalls. For example, you cannot DM people through the app. In Twitter Spaces, you will be able to DM, follow and comment on various Twitter content pieces to help reinforce your relationship with other users without having to leave the app. Therefore it appears slightly more user-friendly, and you could argue that once rolled out, it could have stronger ‘social capital’ than Clubhouse.
How to use Twitter Spaces
How to start a Space on Twitter
Note that at the moment, only approved beta testers can start Spaces. Once the feature has been launched properly, everyone with a public account will be able to use it. To check if you have this functionality, follow these steps:
- On the app, long-hold the ‘compose’ button
- Select the Spaces icon: it’s purple with a diamond symbol made of circles
Image credit: James Futhey
Turn on captions
When you first host or speak in a Space, it will request your consent for the speech to be captioned. This means you will have live subtitles for those listening. As a host you can turn on captions, making your conversations accessible and inclusive for as many individuals as possible.
Add a description
We recommend adding a short explanation about your room, which can be up to 70 characters long. Keep it specific, use keywords and be to-the-point so people know exactly what your Space is about.
How to add speakers to Twitter Spaces
Twitter Spaces allows the host to add up to ten further ‘speakers’ to their Space. Unlike Clubhouse, which only allows you to add speakers who follow you to an event, in Twitter Spaces you can choose from three options:
- Everyone
- People you follow
- Only people you invite
You can always change this later in your Space settings:
Image credit: @wongmjane
In the same manner as Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces lets you approve people from the audience to come up and speak if they have a question, for example.
How to end a Twitter Space
Hosts can end a Space by clicking the ‘leave’ option in the top right corner, which will end the Space for everyone. Afterwards, Twitter will keep a copy of the audio and captions for 30 days – with hosts having the option to download these.
Joining a Space on Twitter
The easiest way to join a Space is through the purple host photo, or directly from within a tweet they have shared of the Space.
Conclusion
We are really excited at the prospect of Twitter Spaces, which will make this new social media functionality available to an even wider range of users. The interactive nature of Twitter Spaces will mean you can connect with people whilst they are talking.