Discord

Discord, privately owned American social media platform that provides spaces for online communities. Originally created to provide online voice chat for gamers, Discord offers services such as real-time text, streaming video, and VoIP chat that anyone can set up and use at no initial cost.

Discord was founded by Stanislav Vishnevskiy and Jason Citron. Citron had previously founded the mobile gaming company OpenFeint. Established in 2008, OpenFeint is a social media platform that focuses on integrating social networking features into online games. Citron sold OpenFeint in 2011 for $104 million. Vishnevskiy and Citron eventually began developing a voice-chat app that could be used by online gamers, using Citron’s prior knowledge of mobile gaming applications. The product was Discord, of which a beta version was released publicly in 2015.

Discord’s primary services include real-time text and voice chat in dedicated invitation-only social hubs called servers. Servers can be customized with features that are decided upon by their administrators. Within a server, members can use text and voice channels to collaborate, network with other members, share news and stories, host group video chats, or simply chat. Although these features can be used for free, Discord also offers the option for creators to add subscription charges to their server in exchange for unique roles or benefits, such as early access to merchandise or the ability to create threads that anyone on the server can view. Discord also has built-in encryption for data shared via text, voice, or video channels.

Initially, Discord was very popular only among online gamers. However, the platform’s base expanded immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic because it allowed users to create or retain a sense of community while separated during lockdowns. After lockdowns were lifted, the platform continued to be widely used by artists, content creators, educators, businesses, and other individuals.

By 2023, Discord had more than 140 million active monthly users and an estimated average of 26.5 million users per day. Discord earned $220 million in revenue in 2022; today it is valued at $15 billion. Though the company consistently makes revenue, it has yet to make a profit. In January 2024 Discord laid off almost 20 percent of its employees; company leaders cited that the company had expanded too quickly over the past few years. Discord had long opposed introducing ads to the platform, but in April 2024, in a bid to become a profitable company, it began adding content that differs from traditional advertising. When gamers stream, those watching have the opportunity to complete “sponsored quests.” Game developers aim to attract more players from such ads. Users can opt out of sponsored content, but the ads may soon become unavoidable. Despite offers of acquisition from tech giants such as Microsoft, Discord remains independently owned.