Discord is the application that's almost always on the computer and mobile phone of anyone who considers themselves a gamer . In this article, we'll explain what it is, what it's used for, how it's organized, and why more and more users who have nothing to do with the world of video games are turning to this versatile communication platform.
What is Discord?
Although marketed as a chat service for gamers , Discord is now a much larger phenomenon, having moved beyond the world of video games and established itself as another alternative for communicating online.
Discord is a voice chat platform . Or at least, that was its initial concept. A kind of Skype, but focused on online gaming. But Discord isn't just about voice calls. There are also video calls , and you can set up rooms for group text chats , just like in alternatives such as Telegram.
Over time, Discord has started to reach a lot more users. So much so that many of the new users who register every day on this platform do not necessarily do so to play online. Discord has a series of peculiarities that make it the perfect platform for creating communities, as we will see in more detail below.
How does Discord work?
Discord operates with independent groups known as servers . Each server is completely separate from the others. This is key, as each server has its own rules, chat rooms, and community.
As users, we only need to register once on Discord . Once inside, we'll search the internet for different communities and follow the steps they ask us to take to be accepted.
One thing that makes Discord special is its rather unique method of managing users. On Discord, you can choose any name you like. Alongside your nickname will be a four-digit hashtag , which will be your unique identifier . Furthermore, you can change your nickname on each server , provided the administrators allow it. You can also choose different avatars on each server with a Discord Nitro membership.
Why is it so successful?
There are several reasons that justify the success of Discord. These are the most important:
low latency calls
Dropped calls and robotic voices are commonplace on many VoIP platforms. Discord addressed this issue with low-latency calls and optimization . This wasn't done to improve communication, but rather to avoid overloading the internet connection during online gaming sessions for their customers.
During calls, Discord does a very good job of optimizing audio . There's hardly any data usage during silences.
server customization
Discord servers can be customized in incredible ways. All sorts of bots and programs can be integrated into the platform, allowing each server to offer a unique experience.
Despite the fact that many of these bots are paid, some communities choose Discord for the ease it offers server administrators when it comes to managing content, managing users, and even making payment gateways for users with different ranks.
Alternative to traditional forums
The forums of a lifetime were obsolete more than 10 years ago. Very few Internet platforms have been able to adapt to the new times, Reddit being the only example of a community that has done its homework well.
Discord allows you to create single-topic communities and separate them into different subcategories with video, voice, and text channels. In short, Discord combines the best of Skype, Telegram, and Slack so you can create a more instantaneous community than a forum.
What is Discord Nitro?
The premium version of Discord is called Discord Nitro. It's a membership that offers a number of benefits to users. Discord Nitro costs $9,99 per month or $99,99 per year . Its main features are as follows:
- Server improvements: Nitro users can apply two improvements to their servers, as well as have a 30% discount on improvements purchased during the period in which the user has this paid membership active.
- Personal profile: Discord Nitro recipients can customize their avatar on each server, as well as add animated images.
- Best Emojis: Gives you the right to create your own set of custom emojis or use those previously created by other users.
- higher limits: Files uploaded to the platform can reach a capacity of 100 MB, compared to 8 MB for the standard version and 50 MB for the Nitro Classic membership.
- HD video- When sharing your screen on live streams, Discord Nitro users can scale to an upscaled 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second.
- Extra: a special badge that notifies other users of the amount of time you have been subscribed to this premium program.
Get started on Discord
If you don't have a Discord account yet or are thinking of opening one, follow these steps:
Register an account
Signing up for Discord is completely free:
- Go to the website discordapp.com
- Click on the button 'Log In'.
- Tap now on the link 'Register'.
- Fill in the data with an e-mail, a name of username and password.
- Accept the terms, go to your email account and activate the account.
Download the application
Discord is a fully cross-platform service . It doesn't matter what device you have. Currently, you can use Discord on all of these systems:
- Microsoft Windows (Windows 7 or higher)
- MacOS (MacOS 10.11 El Capitan or higher)
- Android (Android 5 or higher)
- iOS (iPhone) / iPadOS (iPad)
- Linux
- Browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Safari.
join a server
To join a Discord community, you need to receive an invitation or follow a public link . You have three options to do this:
By search
- tap on it '+' button in the top left corner of your app.
- Click on the optionJoin a server' ('Join a server' if it comes out in English).
- Type the name of the invitation you received.
Via Link
For us, this is the fastest and most intuitive way. Open communities usually have a public link that you can follow in your browser. Your browser will then prompt you to open the Discord app if you have it installed. If not, simply log in to the web version of Discord. Then, accept the invitation and join.
Once inside, some communities require extra steps to confirm our membership in the group, such as solving a captcha , providing a contact email, or any other type of test.
Through the official list of servers
It's the same case as before, only you'll simply have to look for the server you're interested in within the official Discord server list published on the platform's official website.
Create a server
Do you want to create your own server? Doing it is very simple.
- From any app or web version, tap on the '+' button from the upper left corner. The button will appear much lower if you have previously joined some other server.
- Give now to 'Create a server' ('Create a server' in English).
- put a name, an image and sets the Server region.
- Afterwards, you can generate the link so you can invite the people you want to be part of your community.
Shape your community
The last thing before finishing the basics is to create each room to organize our users.
- Create category: Discord categories are used to group chat, voice or video rooms. You can create new categories by tapping on your server name or by right clicking on the empty space below the channel column.
- create channels: you can create a different channel for each theme and set different limits or add bots to manage your community of users.
How can I take advantage of Discord?
organize your community
Do you already have a Telegram group and find yourself lost in a seemingly endless stream of comments? Do you have a very specific hobby and want to create a community of like-minded people? Do you sell information products or online courses and want to offer extra support in the form of a community? Discord is the ideal tool for all of that.
Add bots and unique features to your server
Each server is unique, so it will require individual solutions . There is a large catalog of programs that can be used on Discord to facilitate organization and communication among users on the same server.
Some of these tools are paid, but if you are going to work with large communities, it will end up being worth it.
Research new servers
Go to Google and search for people who run public servers . There are tons of communities that match your interests. Just join, introduce yourself, and share any information you have about your hobby, whether it's video games or any other interesting topic.