Reddit is sunsetting its Clubhouse clone

Reddit is shutting down its live audio conversation feature, Reddit Talk, on March 21st. The company cites the significant resources required to support Talk as the reason for shutting it down. Reddit also plans to shut down its “Happening Now” page, which provides users access to active talks and live chats. Users will be able to download archive of Talks hosted after September 1st, 2022, up until June 1st.

Talk was launched in April 2021, during a period where audio-chatroom app, Clubhouse, was popular. However, the third-party audio vendor used by Reddit for Talk is also shutting down, and the company does not want to deal with that while trying to simplify its core platform.

Reddit currently has no timeline for when audio features or Talk itself will reappear. However, the company does acknowledge that audio has a place in its vision of being the “de facto home for communities.”

In the meantime, Reddit is focusing on competing with video platforms like TikTok. The company is developing separate video and text feeds, which will allow users to focus on one form of content.

In summary, Reddit is shutting down its live audio conversation feature, Talk, and “Happening Now” page on March 21st due to the significant resources required to support it. Users will be able to download archives of Talks until June 1st. The company has no timeline for when audio features or Talk itself will make a reappearance, but acknowledges that audio has a place in its vision of becoming the “de facto home for communities.” Instead, Reddit is focusing on competing with video platforms like TikTok by developing separate video and text feeds.



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