Facebook Soundbites Will Expand Audio Components Within Platform

Facebook Inc. FB is building a series of audio-focused products that will bring a wider aural component to the social media company's platform.

What Happened: Fidji Simo, head of Facebook App, published an article Monday on the company's website previewing the works-in-progress, which will include audio creation tools that she promised would be "powerful enough for the pros, but intuitive and fun – like having a sound studio in your pocket."

Simo stated the new tools will enable Facebook users to create Soundbites, which she described as "short-form, creative audio clips for capturing anecdotes, jokes, moments of inspiration, poems, and many other things we haven't yet imagined." She also stated the company is planning to allow users to listen to podcasts directly from the Facebook app, and will introduce Live Audio Rooms that will add the spoken word to discussions within Facebook's groups.

The new audio features will also be positioned within a monetizing frame, which Simo said will help "audio creators to build their business while pursuing their passion." Simo did not give a specific timeline on when the expanding audio capacities will be in place.

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Why It's Happening: Simo's article did not mention Facebook's competition for audio-focused users, particularly the privately-held Clubhouse.

"Clubhouse has done something phenomenal," Simo said in an interview with Bloomberg. "I've been working at Facebook for 10 years so I know how hard it is to create a new social format."

This new development marks the second attempt by Facebook to take on Clubhouse. Earlier this month, the company began beta testing Hotline, a new app that emulates Clubhouse's Q&A format while adding video component that the audio-only Clubhouse lacks, along with automatic content recording.

Twitter TWTR has also been cognizant of Clubhouse's popularity – to the point of making a bid to acquire the company for $4 billion. Twitter has been making its own in-roads within audio content via its Twitter Spaces feature, while social media rival LinkedIn is developing an audio-based networking feature for its platform.

(Photo by Shahid Abdullah / Pixabay.)