Reddit experiments with audio and video versions of posts

Reddit is testing new ways for users to consume posts and comments without reading lengthy discussions. The company has begun experimenting with audio and short-form video versions of selected text-based content across its website and mobile apps.

The test gives users the option to listen to certain posts or watch a video presentation. Reddit says the experiment is limited and currently applies to a sample of posts in selected communities. The original discussions remain available, with the new formats acting as an additional way to access the same content.

Reddit tests new ways to consume text posts

Under the experiment, some Reddit posts and their comments can be converted into audio or short videos. The company says the test will not alter the original text posts and comments. Instead, the new formats provide an alternative experience for users who may prefer listening or watching rather than reading.

A Reddit spokesperson described the initiative as a “limited experiment” involving “a sample of posts across select communities”. The company has not explained exactly how it is choosing which communities or posts will receive the feature, leaving open questions about how broadly the formats could eventually be introduced.

One example Reddit provided is an eight-year-old discussion from the r/boardgames community. The post asks users for suggestions for road trip games suitable for adults. Under the experiment, the discussion was turned into a video lasting about three minutes.

The video appears to use AI-generated voices to narrate the original question and selected responses from other users. Text from the discussion is also displayed alongside the narration, allowing viewers to follow the source material while watching. The format effectively turns a traditional Reddit thread into a short piece of narrated content.

Reddit said the purpose of the early test is to determine whether users find these versions of posts “helpful”. The company has not indicated whether the feature will eventually become a standard part of the platform or remain limited to specific types of content.

Video features are expanding across Reddit

The experiment comes as Reddit continues to introduce more video-focused features. In June, the platform launched video comments, allowing users to respond to discussions with videos rather than text. Those videos can be viewed in a full-screen player, giving Reddit a format closer to the video-first experiences offered by other social platforms.

Adding narrated posts represents a different approach. Rather than asking users to create new videos, Reddit can potentially transform existing discussions into audio or video content. This could give older posts a new format while keeping the original conversations intact.

The move could also make more of Reddit’s extensive archive accessible to people who discover discussions through search engines. Reddit threads frequently appear in search results because they contain personal experiences, recommendations and answers to specific questions. Turning selected discussions into short videos or audio could give visitors another way to engage with that information.

For Reddit, the approach could also make the platform more appealing to people who are less interested in reading lengthy comment threads. A narrated version of a discussion could summarise the main question and selected responses without requiring users to scroll through dozens or even hundreds of comments.

However, the experiment also raises questions about how Reddit will select comments and represent discussions when converting them into other formats. A video or audio summary cannot necessarily capture the full context of a long thread, particularly when conversations contain competing opinions, follow-up questions or information added later.

Reddit looks to attract more users

The latest experiment fits into a wider effort by Reddit to attract new users and encourage occasional visitors to spend more time on the platform. While Reddit has maintained many of the characteristics that have defined its service for years, the company has increasingly explored formats designed to appeal to changing online habits.

Reddit chief executive Steve Huffman discussed the idea during the company’s recent earnings call. He pointed to the growing popularity of content elsewhere on the internet that reads Reddit discussions aloud, suggesting that an official version could offer a more engaging way to experience the platform.

“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,” Huffman said.

The comments suggest Reddit sees an opportunity in the popularity of third-party programmes and creators that turn Reddit stories and discussions into spoken content. By offering similar functionality directly, the platform could potentially keep more users within Reddit rather than allowing them to consume its content elsewhere.

The experiment also reflects a broader shift in how online platforms present text-based information. Social networks and search services are increasingly combining written content with audio, video and AI-generated narration. Reddit’s approach could allow its large archive of discussions to be repackaged for audiences who prefer more passive forms of consumption.

For now, however, the feature remains an experiment rather than a confirmed replacement for Reddit’s traditional text-based format. The company will use feedback and engagement from the test to determine whether narrated and video versions of posts are useful enough to expand to more communities and users.