The icon for the social media app Clubhouse is seen on a smartphone screen. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
The audio-based social networking app Clubhouse isn't even one year old, but it has become one of the most downloaded apps in Apple's App Store.
The app’s swift rise in popularity could be thanks in part to a wave of celebrities and high-profile venture capitalists joining the platform. Last week, Elon Musk dropped in on "The Good Time Show,” a late-night show hosted on Clubhouse, and said he’d only heard of the app the week prior.
Clubhouse lets users live stream audio and set up interactive chat rooms that can function either as stand-ins for in-person live events or spaces for spontaneous conversations. To join Clubhouse in its beta stage, users need to receive an invitation from someone already on the app.