LinkedIn will begin rolling out livestream event features this month, starting with a beta release of an audio-only product similar to Clubhouse.
The beta version of the platform will be available to creators who use LinkedIn as hosts and organizers, TechCrunch reported. Following the release of audio-only events, the company will move into testing out live video features in the spring. The platform will be launched as a free service, and won't require the use of any third-party software, including all of the tools needed within its site to run events.
LinkedIn, which has amassed 800 million users, first confirmed plans for a social audio feature in March.
"Our philosophy is to put the organizers in control,” Jake Poses, project manager at LinkedIn, told TechCrunch. “We want to make it easier to host virtual round tables, fireside chats and more."
The platform will allow hosts and attendees to speak to each other during events and will include discussion moderation features. The company already has LinkedIn Live, launched in 2019, a livestreaming feature which Poses said was released to an additional 1.5 million creators in the fall.
Correction:
This story was updated Jan. 6, 2022, to clarify that it was released to an additional 1.5 million people.