The Future of Social: Audio and Curation

Glasp

Hatched by Glasp

Sep 28, 2023

4 min read

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The Future of Social: Audio and Curation

In recent years, we have witnessed significant changes in the way we consume content and interact with social platforms. Two emerging trends that are shaping the future of social media are the rise of audio-first platforms and the growing importance of curation. These trends are not only transforming the way we engage with content but also presenting new opportunities for creators and users alike.

The Power of Audio

The appeal of audio apps lies in their ability to provide a hands-free and immersive experience. Unlike visual content, audio content allows users to listen while performing other tasks such as washing dishes, working out, or driving. This personal and uninterrupted experience creates a unique opportunity for platforms to offer a different kind of content that is intellectually stimulating and deeper in nature.

One of the most successful audio apps to date is podcasting. Podcasts have gained mainstream popularity, with over half of the US population having listened to a podcast. Podcasting can be described as a user-generated network, where content creators share their ideas and conversations with a wide audience. This format emphasizes the importance of user-generated content and live conversations, providing a counterpoint to the highly produced and one-way nature of traditional media formats like audiobooks.

Looking ahead, we can expect innovation in the content format, the evolution of the business model, and the growing ubiquity of audio. Both long- and short-form content are likely to thrive on audio-first platforms, opening doors for creators and users to explore new ways of storytelling and engagement. Just as messaging apps have evolved to support audio features, we can anticipate the integration of synchronous and asynchronous audio within various social platforms.

The Rise of Curation

Curation plays a crucial role in shaping the meaning and relevance of content within social media. Curators are individuals who discover, like, organize, and share content that aligns with their interests. By investing in their interest graphs and the relationships they build, curators earn social capital and influence. In the era of information abundance, curation becomes a valuable skill that allows users to filter and refine content, creating a more efficient and connected network.

The transition from social graphs to interest graphs has laid the foundation for a decentralized network that combines context and attention. This shift brings about several advantages, including freedom from central authority, openness for global participation, and the ability to expose users to diverse viewpoints. Companies are slowly realizing that decentralization is key to scaling curation, allowing for the creation of new interfaces that transcend individual platforms and enable seamless interaction across multiple systems.

In this decentralized reality, content moderation and curation can be incentivized through protocols that allow users to monetize their likes, ratings, and reporting. Token-curated registries are one example of curation protocols that incentivize curators by rewarding them with tokens. These protocols enable consensus on which assets or pieces of information should exist in a specific list, providing a transparent and decentralized approach to curation.

Communities also have a natural advantage in curating content, as they can leverage their collective expertise and interests to filter and recommend relevant content. By curating content that aligns with their values, expertise, cultural moment, location, or hobbies, communities can create a self-reinforcing mechanism for community building. Users within a community can also benefit from curated product recommendations, as they trust the choices made by fellow community members.

Actionable Advice:

  • 1. Platforms should explore new ways to incentivize user-generated curation and content moderation. By rewarding users for their active engagement in curating content, platforms can foster a sense of community and empower users to shape their online experiences.
  • 2. Creators should leverage curators to grow their communities. By collaborating with curators who share similar interests or values, creators can tap into existing communities and reach a wider audience. Curators can help amplify the creator's content and serve as trusted sources of recommendations.
  • 3. Users should leverage their online communities to curate around existing consumption. By tapping into the collective knowledge and preferences of their communities, users can discover new products, services, and content that align with their interests. Sharing and exchanging recommendations within a community can enhance the overall user experience.

In conclusion, the future of social media is heading towards an audio-first experience and a decentralized approach to curation. Audio platforms offer a unique and immersive way to consume content, while curation empowers users to filter and refine information in a world of abundance. By embracing these trends, platforms, creators, and users can unlock new opportunities for engagement, community building, and monetization. The next decade of innovation in audio and curation is set to be as transformative as the advancements we have witnessed in messaging, video, and other media formats.

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