Clubhouse Guide: How to Record a Session

Chances are, you have already heard about Clubhouse - the new invite-only, voice-based social networking app that has influencers, Silicon Valley, and celebrities buzzing.

So what is Clubhouse, and how to record a live session in Clubhouse in addition to your Riverside podcast episodes? Read on to find out.

What Is Clubhouse? 

Clubhouse is a voice-based social media platform that allows users to join and listen to live conversations. The app consists of “rooms,” where groups of moderators, speakers, and listeners gather to network, discuss specific topics, or listen to a presentation.

Unlike other social media apps, Clubhouse uses only audio.

How To Create A Clubhouse Session

There are two ways to start your Clubhouse session or “room”: schedule it or spin it up spontaneously.

Scheduling a Room

1. To schedule a room, open the app and click on the “Calendar” icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Enter the event name, select the date and time the room will open, and add co-hosts or guests to your session. In the same window, you will assign the event to a specific club and enter the session description.
3. Click on “Publish,” and the event will be scheduled!
4. You can share the event through the “Share” button by tweeting about it or simply copying the link and sending it to your audience. The good thing about scheduling an event is that all of your existing followers will be automatically notified about it.
5. When the event time comes, all you need to do is to open Clubhouse, click on “Start a Room,” and you will see your scheduled event listed.

Starting a Spontaneous Room

1. Click on the “Start a Room” button from the main home screen.
2. You will be given three choices when starting a room: an Open room, a Social room, and a Closed room. An Open room is just that - open for everyone on the app. A Closed room, on the other hand, is available only for those you choose to invite personally. Finally, a Social room is only open for people that you follow.
3. Click on “+ Add a Topic” above the room type choices and enter your room name.
4. For a Closed room, you would also have to click on the “Add People” button and invite the room participants.
5. Finally, click on the “Let’s Go” button to get started.

When Should You Record Clubhouse Sessions?

While recording Clubhouse conversations isn’t recommended, the app’s Terms of Service state that you can record if you obtain consent from everyone in the room.

Before recording your Clubhouse room conversation, it is essential to remember that Clubhouse wasn’t created for that. Recording a session changes the conversation energy completely.

• Some people don’t want to be recorded. On the Clubhouse app, you must disclose whenever you are going to record the session. This may turn away some potentially interesting speakers who just don’t want to be recorded.
• People will control what they’ll say. The beauty of Clubhouse lies in its naturally-flowing, unedited, and sometimes controversial conversations. As soon as you tell the room members that they are being recorded, they will start controlling what they say, taking that spontaneous magic away from the session.‍
• Clubhouse isn’t for creating evergreen podcasting content. Remember that Clubhouse was built as a live voice chat app rather than recording podcasting content. If you are looking for an easy-to-use online recording platform, try Riverside.fm instead.

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Types of Content You Could Host with Clubhouse

• Live podcasting. You can run live podcast episodes, where listeners can actively participate in the conversation. Recording the session can get tricky, however, so consider using dedicated live podcasting software like Riverside.fm instead.
• Live discussions. You can go live and engage directly with your audience in real-time. You can host special guests and interview them or run a live Q&A session yourself.‍
• Virtual events. The popularity of virtual events soared after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Clubhouse may not be perfect for running full-fledged virtual events, but you can use it to get your guests together and have private conversations before, during, or after the event.

How To Record Your Clubhouse Session

There are several ways to record a Clubhouse session outside of the app.

Important: Ask Consent From Those Recorded

The first step to recording a Clubhouse session is to ask consent from everyone being recorded.

As per Clubhouse Terms of Service, you aren’t allowed to record any portion of a discussion without the express written consent of all the speakers or share information that the speaker stated was to be treated as “off the record.”

While obtaining written consent can get challenging, most Clubhouse room moderators simply disclose that the conversation is recorded in the room description or title.

#1. Use Clubhouse’s Replays Feature

Previously, users had to find various alternative ways to figure out how to record Clubhouse audio. Although, Clubhouse launched the Replays feature to allow users to record rooms easily. 

1. As usual, create a room, except enable the Replay feature when selecting your room type.
2. All users in your room should be able to see a “Replays On” tag to inform them that this Clubhouse room is being recorded.
3. Have your Clubhouse conversation as usual and when you are done, go to the room menu to select the ‘Save Replay’ bookmark.
4. You have now saved your Clubhouse recording, which you can access on your profile, from the bookmark icon on the top-right corner.

Note that this feature is only available for Open Rooms, and, therefore, those looking to record other rooms may still have to use one of the methods we have outlined for you below.‍

#2. Use Your iPhone’s Screen-Recording Feature

Clubhouse doesn’t offer in-app recording capabilities for all room types, but you can record any conversation on your iPhone.  Follow these simple steps to see how to record Clubhouse with screen recording. 

1. Open the Clubhouse app and join the room of interest.
2. Add “Screen Recording” in the Control Center: go to Control Center, “Customize Controls,” and then click on “Screen Recording.”
3. Slide up to access the Control Center and tap on the “Screen Recording” button.
4. If you don’t want to capture your contributions to a Clubhouse session, hold down the “Screen Recording” button for a couple of seconds to turn the microphone off.
5. After you’re done recording, the file will be saved to your Photos.

#3. Use Voice Memos

Voice Memos is an iPhone screen recorder that can help you record Clubhouse conversations as well. With Voice Memos, the audio will be recorded directly from your microphone so that the sound quality won’t be ideal, and you might get ambient noise.

1. Open Clubhouse and join a conversation.
2. Press the “Home” button to go back to your screen and open the Voice Memos app.
3. Tap the “Record” button at the bottom of the screen to start recording.
4. Once you are done, tap on the “Stop” button.
5. The recorded audio will then be available within the Voice Memos app.

#4 Use a Podcast Production Studio

Alternatively, you can use a professional podcasting studio-like Rodecaster Pro to record a Clubhouse session.

You will need:

• A Rodecaster Pro or a similar podcast production studio
• A 3.5mm TRRS to TRRS cable
• Apple lighting to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter

To set up the studio:

1. Plug one end of the 3.5mm TRRS to TRRS cable into the Apple lighting to a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.
2. Plug the headphone jack adapter into your phone.
3. Plug the other end of the TRRS cable into the Smartphone Jack at the back of your Rodecaster Pro.
4. Turn up the “Smartphone Slider” on the Roadcaster Pro and start recording the discussion.

#5. Use Another Mobile Device To Record Your Clubhouse Session On Loudspeaker

This is an easy and cheap way to record Clubhouse sessions. 

Simply get another device that allows audio recording, find a quiet room, and put your phone on a loudspeaker with the Clubhouse room open. Now, start recording audio with your second device.

While this method will result in far-from-perfect audio quality, it is a sure way to record a session if nothing else works.

Clubhouse Isn’t For Podcasting

With Clubhouse being an excellent social platform for networking and listening to exciting conversations, it is not the first choice for podcasting.

• Limited room capacity. If you aim to have a live podcast audience of over 5,000 people, Clubhouse isn’t for you. 
• Limited in-app recording function. The new Replays feature lets you record only Open Rooms. There are ways to record in other room types on Clubhouse, but they often require additional tools and resources. 
• Moderation is a pain. Let’s face it. Clubhouse is made for those who can be heard the loudest. Without tools for hosting and producing present in podcasting platforms like Riverside, roundtable discussions without a defined process (e.g., speaking in turns, turning on the raised hands feature, etc.) can be a nightmare to moderate. ‍
• Low audio quality. Even if you manage to record a Clubhouse room, the audio quality might suffer considerably. While Clubhouse does have a music feature that lets you record at up to 48kHz, there are no separate tracks, audio editing tools, and the audio is recorded online so the quality heavily depends on internet connection. If you aim for crystal clear audio, consider using dedicated podcast recording platforms like Riverside.fm — you will get locally recorded uncompressed 48kHz WAV audio in separate files for every guest.

Record High-Quality Podcast Sessions with Riverside

The Clubhouse app is definitely worth giving a try, but it is likely not the best choice for recording podcasts. If you want to record high-quality podcast episodes, Riverside.fm would be a much better option. With no additional equipment required, you will be able to record studio-quality audio or video for every guest, ready for post-production and publishing. With Riverside you can expect:

• Studio quality recordings with up to 4K video and 48kHz audio
• Separate audio and video tracks to give you more editing control in post production
• All files record directly on your device so your resolution isn't dependent on your internet connection
• Recordings with up to 10 remote participants and up to 1000 live audience members
• Multistreaming to platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and more
• Built in editor for polishing your podcast or creating short shareable clips
• Text-based editing so you can make precise cuts as easily as editing a text document
• Mobile app for capturing podcasts on the go

Learn more, or start recording professional podcasts effortlessly.