Is Discord Social Media? All You Need to Know

Social media platforms have exploded in popularity over the past decade, with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter leading the way. But what about Discord? Is it just another social media site or is it something different? Well, the answer might surprise you. While many people use Discord primarily for communication purposes, like chatting with friends or participating in gaming communities, it’s actually much more than that.

In this blog post, we’ll find out the answer to the question, ‘is Discord social media?’, exploring its features, functionalities, and the ways in which it differs from traditional social media. So, if you’re curious to learn more about the evolving landscape of online platforms, keep reading!

What is Discord?

The platform is known for being an app for gamers, but is Discord considered social media? Well, it’s also a voice, video, and text chat platform used by over 541 million users worldwide. The platform is known for having communities and invite-only spaces called ‘servers’ where users can talk about anything under the sun.

discord discover page — Source: Discord’s Discover page in desktop app

Discord also allows users to join other more open and larger communities about specific topics. Like in the photo above, there’s a community for users using Midjourney and for gamers of Honkai, Genshin Impact, or Valorant.

Features of Discord

On the question of ‘Is Discord social media?’, we have to look at its features and functionalities. And since it has its own terms, here’s some of the basic vocabulary you need to know about the platform:

Server: Servers are basically the ‘group chat’ in Discord. You can create your own server or join an already existing one.
Channel: Inside a server, there is a text channel (for chatting) and a voice channel (for calls). You can create multiple channels inside a server and it can have different rules for each.
Roles: Roles are like groups assigned to a user inside a server. It also gives users different permissions.

Aside from these three words, Discord has some cool features that other social media platforms may or may not have. These are some of them:

1. Voice and video calls

Like any other social media messaging platform, Discord has voice and video call features. You can call one-on-one or in a group through direct messages or inside a server’s voice channel.

Aside from messaging, the app also allows users to voice and video call each other. But is Discord considered social media? Let’s explore what else Discord has to offer and find out below.

In a Discord call, it’s possible to screen share any app, window, or your entire screen. Discord has a Go Live and Screen Share feature where you can stream or join a stream easily in a call. If you’re playing a game and you want to stream to your friends, you can also do that with the built-in game detection system.

The quality of your stream is also adjustable in the settings. With a free account, you can stream up to 720p/30fps. But with a Nitro subscription, the stream can go up to 4k/60fps.

3. Custom status and emojis

Aside from the basic emojis, Discord lets you add your own as long as you have your own server. With a free account, you can add up to 50 custom emojis that any active user on your server can use. But, your emoji should only be under 256KB in size. Additionally, Discord servers have the option to add a personalized server banner, as long as you have Boosting Level 2.

You can also set up your own status that’s shown to all your Discord friends and servers that you’re in. Discord allows up to 128 characters for your custom status and serves as a ‘playing status’ in your profile. Personalization is all the hype in social networks, so these custom features help answer the central question of ‘is Discord social media?’

If you’re looking for a tool to create your own emoji, you can use Simplified’s free AI Image Generator to generate your own image from a prompt. For the image to work as a custom emoji, use the magic resizer to shrink your image according to Discord’s requirements.

4. Listen along and play music while on a call

Discord allows many third-party app integrations and one of them is Spotify. You can connect your Spotify account and have what you’re listening to displayed on your profile. While listening to music, you can invite your Discord friends to listen along with you as long as both have Spotify Premium.

It’s also possible to play music while on a call with another third-party app. There are a ton of apps or bots you can use for this feature: Kashima, Audicy, FredBot, and more. In general, you just have to add any of these bots to your Discord server, join a voice channel, and then use commands (like ‘/play’ or ‘/queue’) to play music.

5. Discord Nitro

Discord Nitro is the platform’s premium subscription service. It has special features for subscribers like a Nitro Badge, the ability to boost your server, a more HD video stream, and more. There are three tiers:

Nitro Basic: $2.99/month or $29.99/year
Nitro Classic: $4.99/month or $49.99/year
Nitro: $9.99/month or $99.99/year

Considering all of its features and uses, Discord can be seen as a social media but it’s not necessary to have an account or to use it daily (just like other social media platforms). If we look at the dictionary definition of social media, this is what it means:

In Discord, there are various online communities where users can communicate with other users through calls or chat and share videos and photos. Although it’s not like other popular social media platforms that have a feed or disappearing stories, Discord is still an avenue to interact and share things and ideas with other like-minded people.

To answer the question ‘is Discord social media?’, Discord can indeed be considered as one with its wide range of features and community-driven nature. Whether you’re a gamer looking for a platform to connect with like-minded individuals or simply seeking a space to engage in social interactions, Discord is the ideal place for you.

Improve your Discord server by using Simplified, an all-in-one social media management tool. You can create custom emojis using the text-to-image AI generator, decorate your Discord banner, connect your social media accounts, and more.

So why wait? Sign up today, join the lively Discord community, and manage it well with Simplified.