How to Access Twitter Spaces

Live audio conversations are one of the most direct ways to connect with your audience on social media, and Twitter is a fantastic place to host them. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find, join, and even host your own Twitter Spaces, whether you're building a brand, launching a product, or just want to chat with like-minded people.

What Are Twitter Spaces, Anyway?

Think of Twitter Spaces as live, interactive audio conference rooms right inside the app. Unlike a pre-recorded podcast, everything happens in real-time. A host starts a Space, and anyone can join to listen. Listeners can react with emojis, request to speak, and engage with the conversation as it unfolds. It’s a dynamic and personal way to communicate, shifting engagement from typed replies to genuine human voices.

For brands and creators, this opens up a whole new world of content possibilities:

• Live Q&,A Sessions: Let your audience ask you anything about your products, your industry, or your expertise.
• Expert Panels: Host discussions with industry leaders, giving your audience incredible value.
• Community Hangouts: Create a casual, unscripted space for your followers to connect with you and each other.
• Product Launches &, Announcements: Build hype and answer questions in real-time as you unveil something new.

The beauty of Spaces is its raw, unpolished feel. It feels more like an authentic conversation and less like a slick marketing broadcast, which is exactly why it resonates so well with audiences today.

How to Find and Access Twitter Spaces

Finding a live Space used to involve a dedicated tab, but X is always evolving. Fortunately, there are still several straightforward ways to discover and join these live audio conversations on both mobile and desktop.

On Your Mobile Device (iOS and Android)

Your mobile phone is the best place to experience Spaces. Here’s where to look:

1. The Top of Your Timeline: The most common way to spot a live Space is by the pulsating purple bubble that appears at the top of your home timeline (often where Stories or Fleets used to be). If someone you follow is hosting or speaking in a live Space, their profile picture will appear in this area with a purple glow. Just tap it to join.
2. Directly from a Tweet: Hosts and listeners often share a direct link to a Space in a Tweet. This link will look different from a standard URL - it’s usually an embedded card with a purple "Listen live" button. Tapping this link will take you directly into the Space.
3. Profile Pages: If you navigate to the profile of a user who is currently hosting a Space, you'll often see a notification or a special highlight on their profile indicating that they're live. Tapping this will also grant you access.
4. Using the Search Function: The search feature on X is more powerful than people give it credit for. By typing "Twitter Spaces" or keywords related to a topic you're interested in (e.g., "social media marketing space"), you can filter results to find tweets linking to live or scheduled Spaces.

Once you tap to join, you'll enter the Space as a listener. The audio will begin playing automatically, and you'll see the host, co-hosts, and other speakers at the top of the screen, with the rest of the listeners below.

On Your Desktop (Web Browser)

Listening to Spaces on your computer is just as easy, though the interface is slightly different. While you lose the convenience of the top-of-timeline bubbles, all link-based methods work perfectly.

• The primary way to join on a desktop is by clicking a direct link shared in a Tweet. When you see a post promoting a Space, clicking the link within the tweet will open the Space interface in a pop-up window or a new panel on your screen.
• You can also use the search bar on the Twitter website. Search for a topic-specific broadcast just as you would on mobile to find relevant links shared by other users.

While the listening experience is solid on desktop, keep in mind that many hosting and moderation features are built with a mobile-first experience in mind. For the full feature set, especially if you plan to host, it's best to stick with your phone.

Listener Controls: What to Do Once You’re in a Space

So, you’ve joined a Space. What now? As a listener, you have several ways to interact without needing to speak.

• React with Emojis: See that little heart icon with a plus sign at the bottom? Tap it to send an emoji reaction that will briefly appear over your profile picture for everyone in the Space to see. It’s a great way to show support or agreement with the speaker.
• Turn On Captions: To follow along without sound, tap the three-dot menu (...) in the Space and select "Turn on captions." This is also an amazing accessibility feature.
• Request to Speak: This is the main event! If you want to contribute to the conversation, tap the "Request" button (it usually looks like a microphone icon). The host will get a notification that you’d like to speak and can approve your request, bringing you "on stage." Pro-tip: Wait for a natural pause in the conversation before making your request.
• Share the Space: If you're enjoying the conversation, you can share it with your own followers. Use the share button within the Space to tweet the link out or send it as a Direct Message.
• View Pinned Tweets: The host can pin specific Tweets to the top of the Space. This is often used to provide context, share links, or post the agenda for the conversation.

Ready to Go Live? How to Start Your Own Space

Once you're comfortable as a listener, the next logical step is to host your own Space. This is where you can truly engage your community and build your brand's voice. Don’t be intimidated, the process is incredibly simple.

Here’s your step-by-step guide to hosting a Space:

1. Open the Composer: On the X mobile app, tap and hold the compose (plus sign) button in the bottom right corner.
2. Select the Spaces Icon: You'll see several options pop up. Tap the purple icon with multiple circles, which represents Spaces.
3. Set Up Your Space:
   • Name your Space: Give it a clear, compelling title that tells people what the conversation is about. Be specific! "Marketing Trends" is okay, but "5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid in 2024" is much better.
   • Add Topics: Select up to three relevant topics (e.g., Marketing, Business, Technology). This helps X show your Space to users who are interested in those subjects, increasing your potential reach.
   • Decide to Record: You can choose to record the Space. If you do, it will be publicly available for replay after it ends. This is highly recommended for repurposing content!
4. Schedule or Start Now:
   • Start now: If you're ready to go live immediately, just hit the "Start your Space" button.
   • Schedule for later: If you tap the calendar icon, you can schedule your Space for a future date and time (up to 30 days in advance). This is the best option for building anticipation. Once scheduled, you can tweet out the link so people can set reminders to join.

Once you're live, you'll have access to moderator tools. You can invite specific users to be speakers, approve requests from listeners, mute people who are causing disruption, and manage the overall flow of the conversation. Start with a clear introduction, guide the discussion, and don't forget to interact with your audience's requests and reactions.

Final Thoughts

Twitter Spaces gives you a powerful platform to build community, share expertise, and have authentic, real-time conversations with your audience. By knowing how to find, participate in, and host sessions, you can easily add this engaging format to your social media strategy and connect with followers on a much deeper level.

Integrating a new content format like Spaces is exciting, but it also adds another piece to your overall content calendar. From scheduling the promotional Tweets for your Space to planning video clips from the recording, managing everything can be a lot to juggle. We built Postbase to streamline exactly that. Our visual calendar makes it easy to see your entire content plan across all platforms in one view, so you can focus on creating great conversations, not fighting with spreadsheets.

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