Twitter is Giving DMs the Audio Treatment

Listen up–I’ve got yet another Twitter update for you. Audio recording is the current social media craze, thanks to Clubhouse, and the platform has wasted no time getting in on the action. Last year, it launched beta-testing for Twitter Spaces, an audio virtual chatroom feature meant to be “a place to come together, built around the voices of the people using Twitter, your Twitter community.”

Similar to Instagram Stories, these are meant to be temporary. According to Twitter, “Spaces are live for as long as they’re open; once ended, they will no longer be available publicly on Twitter.”

As far as we know, beta-testing continues for Twitter Spaces while another audio feature makes its testing debut. Last week, the Twitter India account announced that users within that region would be able to record and send voice messages in direct messages (or DMs). The feature, also used in Japan and Brazil, is described as an “experiment” that “will be rolled out in phases.” If the experiment is a success, it’s likely that it will be available to Twitter users globally.

🎤test,🎤test: Starting today, you’ll be able to record and send voice messages in DMs 😉 Here’s how👇

PS. The experiment will be rolled out in phases. pic.twitter.com/aqQM6h9sof

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) February 17, 2021

Though audio is hardly a novel concept in the social media space, it is a notable update for Twitter specifically. With audio DMs, it’s no longer all about short text. A lot can be said with 140 seconds of audio versus 140 characters. I love the intimacy of an audio message, which also helps to better gauge the intention and context of a message.

I’d argue this is the mass appeal of an app like Clubhouse. Besides the exclusivity, it also makes you feel as though you’re in a room with someone, developing a more personal connection.

As with all social media updates, only time (and more testing) will tell if this becomes a permanent part of the Twitter experience.

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