Facebook launches Live Audio Rooms and podcasts in the US

Facebook is officially rolling out Live Audio Rooms and podcasts in the United States on iOS. Live Audio Rooms will initially become available to verified public figures, creators, and selected Facebook groups. They will then be made available to the general public over time.

The host of a Live Audio Room will appear at the top of the screen, while the listener will be displayed on the bottom half of the screen. The active speaker will have as a signal a glowing ring, and assuming the person is verified on the platform, it will also have the checkmark next to their name.

At the same time, obviously, the new service would have identical features to Clubhouse, such as live captions and ''raise hand'' option to request to speak during the event. In addition, users will be able to share the room with others on Facebook by posting it to the News Feed or to Groups.

Finally, hosts will be able to invite other speakers before or during the stream and the number of speakers will be limited to 50, while there are no limits to the number of listeners.