X is getting ready to introduce video to live Spaces chats, with a new feature that will allow Spaces participants to turn on video during a live audio broadcast.
X owner Elon Musk shared details of the upcoming update during a Spaces chat over the weekend, explaining:
“We’re working on adding video to Spaces so that it’ll just be a simple thing where you can turn the video on or off. And then the person who is speaking, the video will switch to them, like a group call or something like that.”
The option is reminiscent of Zoom or Google Meet, where the speaker’s video is highlighted, providing an additional aspect to Spaces chats.
Originally launched in the midst of the live audio trend, Spaces enables large-scale group chats, and Musk has drawn huge crowds to his Spaces chats with celebrities and notable figures. However, Spaces is still a minor element within the platform, and discoverability remains an issue.
Adding video would bring another dimension, although similar experiences can already be had through other group meeting apps or live streaming features on social media platforms like Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and more.
It’s uncertain whether adding video will significantly enhance the value of Spaces, especially considering the system compute required to broadcast live video to potentially millions of viewers. However, it could help X make live Spaces more popular and drive more usage of the option.
Musk says he hopes to have the feature released “before the end of the year, but certainly by early next year.”
