We are going to explain what Stereo is and how it works in one of the new social networks that are hitting the hardest. We are experiencing a wave of new social networks that are far away from the classic term of social networks, such as Clubhouse, which is exclusive to iOS, and Stereo, which is multiplatform and merges concepts such as classic radio, podcasts, and content creation.
It is a social network that is very easy to understand and use, almost as easy as listening to the radio, so you will see that everything is very simple. Let’s start by explaining what Stereo is and what are its concept and mechanics, and then we will explain in a very simple way the few steps you need to use it.
What is Stereo?
Stereo is a new social network created for mobile devices, and it is available for both Android and iOS. We could call it a platform for live podcasting, which means that the concept of podcasting embraces the original idea of radio. All with some of the classic social interactions of the other content creation social networks.
We could place Stereo in the new trend of audio social networks, which already has groundbreaking concepts such as Clubhouse, and is causing other classic networks to pivot in that direction. One example is Twitter, which is working on imitating Clubhouse with a new Spaces function, which already allows sending voice notes as an alternative to written tweets.
Stereo’s approach is very simple. You can create a room with another user to talk about a specific topic, and the other users can join your room to listen to you talk. It’s like listening to the radio with a talk show between two people, or a modest podcast completely live.
The application offers a hashtag and topic system for its rooms so that you can browse the conversations according to the topics they deal with using its search engine. You can also set a topic, theme, or name for the room. In the rooms, listeners will see the two people who are talking, and who are talking at each moment because their avatars will move their mouths.
Finally, Stereo also has a mechanism whereby listeners can interact with the people who are speaking by sending short voice messages. Then, those who are talking will be able to listen to the listener and talk to them. Also, as if it were a podcast or radio app, even if you stop watching the room in the foreground and start browsing the app menus or looking for other rooms, the last one you were in will continue to play in the background.
How to Register in Stereo
The first thing you need to do is download the Stereo app, available for both Android and iOS. Your user account is linked to your phone number, so the first step will be to type it in by first entering your country code, which will be automatically detected, and then tap Continue with your phone. Then, when you go to log in on some other device, you will also be asked for your phone number.
After entering your phone number, you will go on to create your user avatar. It’s a two-step process, first, you will choose whether you are male or female, and then you will move on to the tools to shape your face the way you want, with parts you can change, hairstyles to add, and accessories. The gender you have chosen does not influence the hairstyles or accessories you have available.
Next, you have to complete your profile by typing a name, birthday, and username. The name can be your real name or any nickname you want, you will not be forced to use your real data. The full name does not matter if it is also used by other users, but the username must be unique. Type in what you want and click Continue.
And as the last step of the registration, you will be taken to a window where you can add your friends as contacts in Stereo. To do this, the application will ask you for access to your contacts, and at the top, it will show you those who already have an account. At the bottom, you will be able to send invitations to specific contacts or generate a link to share your profile in other messaging applications or social networks.
How Stereo works
When you open Stereo, you will directly start listening to a random broadcast located in your country. Then, you must slide the screen to the left or right to navigate through the different broadcasts that are taking place. When you are on one, you will see its title and underneath you will see the two people broadcasting, and you can click on the Follow button to follow those users and see when they are broadcasting each time.
Below the users, you have the options to interact with the broadcast. The one with the hand is for greeting, and the most important one is the microphone icon that allows you to send messages to those who are broadcasting to interact with them. Then, on the right, you have the third option to open the sharing menu of your cell phone and share the broadcast in other applications.
Sending messages is simple. Simply, you must hold down the microphone button that records while you talk, and then release it so that the message is sent automatically. These voice messages must be at least three seconds long.
At the bottom, you also have a series of icons with different sections. The one with the podium is where you can see the list of most influential users. Stereo is promoting itself by offering financial remuneration to the most popular rebroadcasters, so here you will also see the total amount you have earned.
Then you have the magnifying glass icon, which is used to search for people and broadcasts. At the top, you have a search engine for people, broadcasts, and hashtags, and underneath you have the most popular hashtags to explore the broadcasts that use them. Then, you have the list of upcoming shows scheduled to annotate them and receive notifications when they start, and the list of the most popular ones.
And in the last two icons, the one with the bell is to see your notifications, and the last one is your profile. In the profile, you will be able to see your avatar or change it, start the verification process, and see the list of people you follow and who follow you. You will also be able to schedule your upcoming shows so followers can sign up for them and be notified when you start.
At the top, you will always see the broadcast you are listening to, with a mute button. On the main screen, there is also a Go LIVE button, which will serve to initiate the process of starting a broadcast. Here, you can invite your contacts, join a random one where people are waiting for a partner to talk to, or be the one to open a room and wait for someone else. Once you start the live broadcast, all you have to do is talk.
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