Clubhouse users can soon make in-app donations to creators

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Posted 6 April, 2021

By Jamie Watts

London, UK

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As the latest part of its monetisation efforts, Clubhouse will allow users to make donations to their favourite creators. The flagship audio app won’t take a cut of payments.

It’s been quite the inaugural year for flagship audio chat app Clubhouse. Already numero uno in the audio chat space, Facebook and Twitter are set to up the competition in 2021 with their own ephemeral updates.

Clubhouse is now being forced to innovate (and quickly) if it’s to keep its biggest creators in-house.

Front and centre of its strategy comes a new host of monetisation features designed to keep its influencers happy and their followers returning in droves.

Though Paul Davison has fast discovered that you can’t patent a USP in the social media arena, he’s propping Clubhouse above its big name challengers with constant improvements focused on creators. The latest of which will see users able to send donations to their favourite channels or profiles much like YouTube’s live super chats.

When it comes to keeping influencers onside and stopping them jumping ship, offering new ways of making bank is the so called ‘tried and true’ method. Shocking revelation: social media influencers by and large are driven by revenue.

Last month Clubhouse rolled out its Creator Accelerator Program, providing 20 applicants with resources, state-of-the-art equipment, and sponsorship opportunities – not to mention an extra $5,000 a month – to make a sizable living within the app.

This week’s payment update arrives as a more comprehensive monetisation opportunity for all creators currently building a following on Clubhouse. Slowly being released in ‘waves,’ and beginning with what admins are calling a ‘small test group,’ you may soon start to see a new option appearing on people’s profiles.

To avoid any confusion, you won’t have to decipher a cryptic new button hidden in the corner or buried in multiple dropdown menus, and instead will see the option to ‘send money’ at the bottom of the profile. Simple.

The "Creator First" Accelerator program application is now closed. Thank you, everyone, for applying & sharing your creativity w/ us. We received over 5000 applications 😍 It's now time to begin the review process. Will keep you posted on next steps.#CHTownhall pic.twitter.com/5Ka3za6BKw

— Clubhouse (@Clubhouse) April 4, 2021

Now a common practice when it comes to live online content, people enjoy contributing towards their favourite online communities and see small donations as a way of boosting their favourite channels whilst showing their gratitude. With this in mind, Clubhouse won’t take a cut of any payments made.

Undoubtedly a smart move on Clubhouse’s part, and speaking to their ethos of monetisation through creators and not advertising, it must be noted that a small processing fee will be paid to an independent payment transaction partner called Stripe.

‘100% of the payment will go to the creator. The person sending the money will also be charged a small card processing fee, which will go directly to our payment processing partner Stripe,’ said Clubhouse in a recent blogpost. ‘Clubhouse will take nothing.’

It seems Clubhouse continues to focus on garnering public favour as the ultimate priority in its infancy. Though relying on venture capital probably isn’t sustainable in the long term, putting creators first has catapulted the platform’s userbase form 600,000 active weekly users in December, to 10 million today.

This is only the beginning! More features allowing creators to get paid coming your way soon😃#ClubhouseNews pic.twitter.com/OClmZtyQTz

— Clubhouse (@Clubhouse) April 5, 2021

Its chiefs are definitely playing the long game when it comes to profitability, but its popularity continues to soar because of this.

The biggest social networking sites will continue gunning for the fresh audio chat market – with Spotify the latest platform to throw its hat in the ring – but Clubhouse might just stay ahead of them all thanks to a burgeoning rep built on content first.

Initially deemed a novel app for blue tick CEOs and influencers to humble brag and promote themselves, Clubhouse is seeming more authentic by the month. It certainly isn’t falling off anytime soon.

Jamie Watts

Tech Editor London, UK

I’m Jamie (He/Him), the Deputy Editor and a Senior Writer at Thred. Keeping up with social media updates and revolutionary technology is my forte, but when away from my keyboard, you’ll probably find me wrapped around a large Tango ice blast at the latest mediocre horror flick. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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