Do you recall when live audio became a sensation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic? This trend gained momentum with the rapid rise of Clubhouse, before eventually being adopted by nearly every online platform.
In hindsight, live audio now seems like a remnant of a peculiar time when we were all confined to our homes, seeking entertainment by tuning into hours of strangers conversing. Recently, LinkedIn, which joined the live audio trend somewhat later in 2022, has announced plans to discontinue its standalone live audio events.
In an update, LinkedIn states that it will cease supporting native audio events starting next month. Users will not be able to create new events starting December 2, and any events scheduled will become non-functional after December 31. Instead, LinkedIn is integrating audio events with its live-streaming service, LinkedIn Live. However, LinkedIn Live requires creators to utilize third-party tools to initiate streams, which means audio-only streams will still be possible with a few additional steps.
LinkedIn is not alone in altering its live audio strategy. Companies like Reddit, Facebook, Spotify, and Amazon have all shut down their live audio features introduced during the pandemic. Even Clubhouse, which still exists, shifted its focus from live audio to group messaging last year. Despite this, the format remains vibrant on X, although it has encountered some technical issues.
