Reddit Tests Audio and Video Formats to Bring Popular Written Posts to Life
Reddit is launching an initial test of a new multimedia feature that converts written forum discussions into audio and video formats. The company aims to allow users to engage with viral stories hands-free in the background or watch text-based posts come to life with synchronized narration directly within its official mobile applications.
What Happened
According to statements shared with TechCrunch, Reddit is rolling out a limited experiment across select communities on its iOS and Android apps. Starting Monday, the platform will test both video and audio formats on chosen English-language posts to examine which formats best resonate with members and determine their viability for broader scaling.
Under this trial, eligible posts will give users the option to either “read” or “play” the content. The feature is designed to supplement existing interactions rather than replace them. The original written discussions, formatting, and community comments will remain intact and completely accessible for standard viewing and participation.
Key Highlights
- Dual Options: Readers encountering an eligible post will be able to toggle between traditional reading or playing the narrated audio and video version.
- Mobile Testing: The initial rollout focuses specifically on select English-language communities across Reddit’s iOS and Android mobile platforms.
- Hands-Free Consumption: The audio experience is designed so users can listen in the background while participating in other activities, including walking, running errands, or exercising.
- Preserved Text Posts: The experiment does not overwrite or replace traditional text threads; standard post bodies and comments will continue to operate normally.
- Prior Video Growth: Reddit reported that its recent feature enabling video within post comments now accounts for more than 10 percent of all video posts on the platform.
Why This Matters
The move comes after Reddit observed third-party platforms building large audiences around its native forum discussions. On social networks like TikTok and Meta’s Reels, creators frequently publish videos featuring popular Reddit threads read aloud via text-to-speech tools or spoken commentary, frequently overlaid on unrelated footage such as cooking demonstrations or video gameplay.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman addressed this trend during the company’s second-quarter earnings call in July, pointing out that audiences across the internet were already consuming Reddit threads through third-party video feeds and podcast-style formats. Huffman stated that an official spoken or audio-visual version of Reddit discussions could offer an engaging alternative for users directly within the platform’s ecosystem.
What to Watch Next
Reddit described the initial testing phase as early and strictly limited. The platform plans to evaluate how authentic the experience feels to users and measure engagement before deciding whether to expand the feature beyond the initial English-language communities and mobile apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will audio and video replace regular text posts on Reddit?
No. Reddit confirmed that the testing does not replace original text-only posts. Both the original written discussions and their associated comments remain fully available to browse and participate in as usual.
Where will the new feature be available during testing?
The trial is restricted to select English-language posts and communities and can be accessed through Reddit’s official applications for iOS and Android.
How does the feature work for app users?
When encountering an eligible post within the test, users will be presented with a choice to either “read” the traditional post or “play” the accompanying audio or video narration.
Source: TechCrunch reporting on Reddit company statements and executive earnings remarks.