Reddit Tests Audio and Video Versions of Text Posts
Photo Credit: Poetra.RH / Shutterstock.com
Reddit is testing new audio and video features that convert its text posts and comments into formats users can listen to or watch The experiment is rolling out now. Users can hear posts read aloud or view them as shortform videos across the platform's apps and website.
The company describes the rollout as a "limited experiment" affecting "a sample of posts across select communities," according to a Reddit spokesperson. The original text posts and comments will "remain unchanged," the spokesperson said, and the new formats will still link back to those source threads. The framing suggests the alternate formats serve as an additional way to surface existing content rather than a replacement for it.
How the platform selects which posts to convert has not been detailed. It may be targeting threads that frequently appear in search results, where Reddit discussions often rank prominently. In one early example the company shared, an eight-year-old post in r/boardgames asking for road trip game suggestions for adults was turned into a three-minute video. The clip narrates the original poster's question along with some of the top replies, appears to use AI-generated voices, and displays the text of the posts being narrated alongside the audio.
The stated goal is simple. The current experiment is meant to gauge whether users find these formats "helpful," per the company. The test arrives after a broader expansion of video features across the app. In June, video comments arrived, letting users post clips within comment threads that can be viewed in a full-screen player. The new audio and video posts extend that pattern toward making core text content more interactive.
The move is part of a broader effort to draw new users and keep casual lurkers returning. CEO Steve Huffman previewed the change last month during the company's earnings call, pointing to the popularity of accounts elsewhere online that read Reddit threads aloud. "There's an emerging content type elsewhere on the internet of basically podcasts where people read Reddit content, and so I think this version of like listened-to or spoken-Reddit can be really engaging as well," he said.
It marks a notable shift. This is a company known for leaving its core features largely untouched, one that still maintains, for now, a 21-year-old version of its site for longtime users who prefer a consistent look. The audio and video test signals a willingness to explore whether people want to experience posts and comments without reading through long walls of text.
For enthusiasts tracking how major platforms are reshaping content consumption, the format shift reflects a wider industry trend toward turning static text into passive, watch-and-listen media. The approach leans on the same search visibility that already makes Reddit threads a common destination, repackaging that content for users who prefer video or audio. Whether the converted posts prove engaging enough to keep casual visitors returning will determine how far the feature expands beyond its current sample of communities. No timeline has been given for whether the experiment will graduate to a permanent, platform-wide rollout, and we are keeping an eye out for how the test develops.
