The feature is currently limited to Community servers.
What you need to know
- Discord has rolled out Stage Channels, a new feature inspired by Clubhouse.
- Discord says Stage channels can be used to run AMAs, townhalls, reading groups, and more.
- The feature is now live on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web.
Discord, which is one of the best Android messaging apps, is rolling out a new Clubhouse-like feature called Stage Channels. Discord says Stage Channels are a “special type of voice channel you can create in your Community server.”
new type of voice channel just dropped.stage channels gives community servers better controls for audio-only events where some people can talk and others can listen as the audience. pic.twitter.com/NWUApOruxr
— Discord (@discord) March 31, 2021
The feature could be useful if you’re running an event that requires only a few participants to be speaking at one time with others listening as the audience. Speakers will be displayed at the top within each Stage channel, while the audience members are listed below. However, audience members can speak if they choose to by raising their hand and requesting to speak. Unlike Clubhouse, Discord’s new Stage Channels feature is available on nearly all popular platforms — including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web.
Before you can create a stage channel in Discord, you’ll have to make sure you have the “Manage Channels” and “Manage Roles” enabled for you in the server. Next, tap on the “+” button in the sidebar channel list to create a new channel. Choose the “Stage Channel” option as the Channel Type and hit “Next.” You will then have to add roles or members you want to grant Stage moderator permission to.
While Twitter’s Spaces feature is currently the only other alternative to Clubhouse that is available on Android, a number of other companies are expected to introduce their takes on Clubhouse very soon. These include Slack, Spotify, and LinkedIn. Facebook is also reportedly working on a similar live audio feature, which could be introduced sometime later this year.
