Clubhouse is all the rage these days. Since Elon Musk’s decision to join the audio-based social networking app, many entrepreneurs, activists, and content creators have hopped on to Clubhouse to spread their ideas and build a supporter base.

However, Clubhouse is an invite-only platform, meaning you can only join the app or a chat room if your friend sends you a link. This exclusivity means that there is a limit to how fast you can grow your audience.

But this doesn’t mean that it's impossible to make a living off Clubhouse. So, how do people on the app make money?

1. Sponsorships

A young woman with a mask on looking at the Clubhouse app on a smartphone
Image Credit: Marco Verch/Flickr

A widely-used business model in the social media age, sponsorships are one of the main ways to earn money on Clubhouse as a content creator. Corporations that are trying to sell a product will seek out influencers on Instagram, so it is natural that they will do the same on Clubhouse.

Like YouTubers, Clubhouse creators who get sponsored are paid a certain amount to mention a company’s product or service.

Brands are also doing more than just paying for shoutouts. Many are starting to pay creators and entrepreneurs to create whole new chat rooms on the app, with the chat rooms’ titles and descriptions dedicated to the brand. Affiliate links are also included.

Affiliate marketing benefits both the brand and the person working with said brand. Here, you'll find our guide to the best social media affiliate marketing practices. The article focuses on Instagram, but most of the principles can be applied to any platform.

Clubhouse app open on a smartphone
Image Credit: Marco Verch/Flickr

People on Clubhouse with a steadily growing listener base will sometimes create Closed Clubhouse chat rooms and monetize them.

For example, an entrepreneur who wishes to start a Closed Clubhouse chat room will inform their listeners about it and get them to RSVP beforehand.

Confirmed participants will then make payment before the event date. After that, they will be able to join in to listen on the day the Closed chat room goes live.

For extra exposure, some creators or influencers even get high-profile speakers to make guest appearances or serve as moderators. Many CEOs and big-name celebrities have been on Clubhouse to talk about a range of topics.

3. Direct Contributions From Listeners

Some people on Clubhouse prefer to just receive funds directly from their listeners. In the user bio, many will include links to their Venmo or CashApp, or links to crowdfunding sites such as Patreon.

Speaking of crowdfunding sites, Patreon is a popular third-party service that many creators turn to. However, there are several alternatives to the site.

Related: The Best Patreon Alternatives

However, this way of receiving funds may not be necessary soon. Clubhouse introduced a brand new function in April 2021, which will allow people on the app to monetize their content.

Clubhouse now has what is called Payments, a new feature where users are able to send money directly to their favourite content creators without relying on third party crowdfunding sites.

To support a creator, you just need to click on their profile, tap Send Money, and enter the amount you'd like to contribute. 100% of the amount will go to the creator and Clubhouse will not take any cuts.

As of now, Payments is still in its preliminary rollout phase. But Clubhouse hopes to officially launch the feature soon to users all around the world.

Making Money On Clubhouse

Unlike many social media platforms, Clubhouse’s audio-only nature means that it is ad-free, but this has not stopped people on the app from generating income for their work.

The app has also started to step up and lend support to newcomers with its first-ever Clubhouse Creator First accelerator program.

If you have a novel idea that you’d like to broadcast to the world, hop onto Clubhouse. Because who knows? You may be the next big thing on the app.