Several months after joining the Clubhouse bandwagon, Twitter found a way to monetize it.
Twitter confirmed Friday that iOS users would have the option to charge money for audio calls on Spaces. Twitter launched that feature back in May, coinciding with the Clubhouse moment, which now seems like ancient history.
There are Spaces at the top of the timeline, where Fleets used to be before their incredibly horny demise, and there you can listen to live audio broadcasts hosted by people you follow. “Ticketed Spaces” is the paid version of the feature. Hi, monetization.
It’s currently only available for select iOS users, but Twitter’s announcement made it clear Ticketed Spaces will eventually be available to everyone.
we want to help people creating cool Spaces make $$$. today, some Hosts will be able create Ticketed Spaces!
we’re experimenting on iOS only for now but we hope to get it to everyone soon. know it’s taking us a little time, but we want to get this right for you! https://t.co/xc68yWkOim
— Spaces (@XSpaces) August 26, 2021
In June, Twitter opened applications for Ticketed Spaces, announcing a number of ways for users to earn money by posting. It doesn’t seem that the company is placing extreme limitations on what can happen in Ticketed Spaces, but the application page mentions workshops and meet & greets with fans as possible uses for the feature.
Influencers on Twitter may find the opportunity to earn some cash simply by engaging with an audience they have built over the past decade without much monetary return. Even though they would likely face a tough sell in an online space where users often state outright, mock incredulously, “This website is free.”
As someone who has posted incessantly for years purely for the love of the game, I won’t judge anyone who decides to use or ignore this feature.