Twitter is testing a new clipping tool for Spaces with select iOS hosts

Twitter has started testing a new clipping tool for Spaces, the company announced this week. Select hosts on iOS are now able to clip 30 seconds of audio from recorded Spaces to share them with others on Twitter. All iOS users can now see and listen to the clips on their timelines, while Android and web users will get access soon. The company also plans to roll out the clipping functionality to all users in the future, not just hosts.

“There is no limit to the number of audio clips that can be created, and they will live on the platform for 30 days,” a spokesperson from Twitter told TechCrunch in an email. “Currently, everyone on iOS can see and listen to Spaces clips on their Timeline, and soon people on Android and Twitter.com will receive access too. We will be monitoring feedback and plan to expand Spaces clipping functionality to everyone on Twitter in the near future.”

Hosts will be able to create audio clips from recorded spaces that can be shared via a tweet that will also link back to the whole recording. The new tool is a way for hosts to boost interest in their Spaces while also highlighting specific parts of a broadcast without having to share an entire recording.

Clubhouse, the social audio app that prompted the launch of Twitter Spaces, rolled out its clipping feature last September. The feature allows live listeners in public rooms to snip the most recent 30 seconds of audio and share it anywhere. These can be shared on other social media platforms.

Twitter has been introducing several Spaces features over the past few months to build out the offering. The company has been working on Spaces Recordings, a feature that will let hosts share tweets with audio recordings of past Spaces. Earlier this year, Twitter gave hosts who have shared recorded Spaces the ability to see how many listeners joined live, as well as how many people replayed the recording after the fact.

Live audio grew in popularity amid the pandemic as people around the world were confined to their homes. But, as restrictions have lifted in many countries and in-person events have returned, companies that offer live audio room capabilities like Twitter and Clubhouse are looking to retain users by launching new features.

Update 03/18/2022: Article was updated to include a statement from Twitter.