Facebook Launches Live Audio Rooms for Podcasts, Live Chats

Facebook just launched its new Live Audio Rooms feature, according to a tweet from Alexandru Voica. the company's technology communications manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Accessible via the mobile app, the feature lets users create live audio chats, listen to podcasts, and a lot more.

Right now, Live Audio Rooms are only rolling out to certain people on the social media platform. Any verified public figure or creator can host one; Facebook Groups can create them as well. Facebook says it's also testing the feature on Android and desktop, though Android users can't create Live Audio Rooms, and desktop users can't listen in at all.

Facebook began testing the Live Audio Rooms feature in June. Hosts can have up to 50 people in a chat session at once, with no limit on how many people can listen in. Facebook Groups can create private rooms available to group members only or they can create public ones anyone can join. Room creators even can connect their chats to a fundraiser or nonprofit, and add a button so participants can leave donations.

Facebook says it eventually wants all public figures, groups, creators, and broader partners to be able to host live audio rooms.

"We’re excited to continue building social experiences to give creators and communities more tools to connect, help people discover new voices they haven’t heard before, and exchange ideas," wrote Voica.

Facebook's Live Audio Rooms feature has potential, but it also faces some stiff competition from similar platforms that have been around longer, like Clubhouse and Spotify’s Greenroom. Then, there are Facebook's issues with rampant misinformation on its platform. According to Engadget, the company claims it's working on ways to combat harmful content in its new audio rooms, like an automatic flagging system and a way to detect content that violates its community standards.