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A new-ish social media app with an unsettling, toothy logo went viral in Silicon Valley earlier this year. Airchat lets users record whatever thoughts they want to share with the world and transcribes them into a rolling feed of text and audio. The cacophony of voices is intended to mimic real-world interactions. But audio-only social platforms have a poor record. And Airchat looks a fad whose days are already numbered.
Airchat’s vertical feed has been compared with X. But its clubby, tech-centric focus and the way in which it allows users to listen to other people talk is reminiscent of audio network Clubhouse. Conversations, which anyone can join, range from the acceptability of wearing shoes indoors to regulatory policy in tech. High-profile account holders include OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Stripe’s Patrick Collison, though neither has posts that can be listened to by the public.
Clubhouse gained attention thanks to well-known users such as Elon Musk. But Airchat investor and co-founder Naval Ravikant, who previously founded start-up fundraising channel AngelList, says his app is designed with friendship in mind, not influencers.
Unfortunately for Airchat, the speed with which US social media giants replicate popular ideas means the lifecycle for new apps is brutally short. Lockdown boredom propelled Clubhouse to 10mn users within a year of its 2020 launch. It reached a $4bn valuation. By late 2021, however, active user numbers were down and monthly downloads had fallen below 1mn. Rival audio-led products had become available on Facebook and Twitter. Early curiosity can dwindle quickly too. Last year, invite codes to new social app Bluesky were in high demand. It is now open to everyone but it does not appear in the top 50 social app chart.
Airchat faces the same problem. The app abandoned its early, invite-only policy in pursuit of growth but has not climbed social media app charts. Abandoning exclusivity too soon may have been a mistake. Early adopters enjoy feeling like VIPs. Like Clubhouse, Airchat also hopes to leave moderation in the hands of users — something that becomes more difficult as a network grows.
It is possible that regulatory concerns about social media giants will help new social media apps. US politicians are pushing a bill that would force TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell the app or see it banned. But network effects, monetisation and copycat moves by rivals are not easily overcome. If X launched an audio feature, it would be difficult to see how Airchat could possibly stand out.
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