Facebook has run a beta test of Hotline—a service that capitalizes on the current trend of audio-based social networking apps. Facebook's primary competitor in the space is Clubhouse.
Hotline Is a Mix of Instagram Live and Clubhouse
Hotline works on the premise of Q&A sessions. Creators address an audience who can ask questions and provide inputs.
But unlike Clubhouse, which is an audio-only platform, Hotline allows users to ask questions using text. In addition to this, users can also opt to turn on their video.
Hotline's focus is on people looking to improve their corporate and professional skills. In fact, the public live stream of the app featured Nick Huber, a real estate investor, who shared his knowledge on industrial real estate and how it can be used to generate passive income.
A Facebook spokesperson said:
With Hotline, we're hoping to understand how interactive, live multimedia Q&As can help people learn from experts in areas like professional skills, just as it helps those experts build their businesses.
Hotline's Interface
In terms of user interface, Hotline is clearly inspired by Clubhouse.
The creator's icon is placed right at the top, with the audience listed below. On desktop, the audience icons are placed towards the side.
Questions asked by the audience appear at the top of the stream. These questions can also be upvoted or downvoted by other members of the audience.
Another important feature is that speakers can invite a listener onto the stage area, where they can have a back and forth conversation similar to audio or video conferencing.
Hotline's Development, Launch, and Future
At the helm of Hotline's development team is Eric Hazzard who also created the Q&A app tbh, that Facebook killed off in 2018. Facebook's NPE (New Product Experimentation) Team is also helping develop the Hotline app.
Facebook hasn't provided any information about Hotline's launch date, but looking at the reveal video, it might release sooner than later. The company is probably looking to iron out potential issues and add even more features to dominate the market.
The unexpected success of Clubhouse has encouraged tech companies to create similar apps. In fact, Twitter reportedly considered buying Clubhouse for $4 Billion.
Looking at Hotline's beta, it is trying to be too many things at once—a live video Q&A platform, an audio conferencing app, and a Zoom competitor with its video features. Only time will tell whether all this translates into a Clubhouse-esque global success.