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Reddit is expanding its content consumption options by introducing audio and video formats for popular posts across the platform. The company announced it would begin testing this new experience with select communities, allowing users to engage with Reddit content through multiple mediums beyond traditional text-based reading.
The initiative stems from observations that Reddit content has become increasingly popular on other social platforms, where creators narrate stories using text-to-speech features or voiceovers. CEO Steve Huffman noted during the company’s earnings call that podcast-style consumption of Reddit material represents an emerging trend elsewhere on the internet. Reddit’s approach aims to capitalize on this demand while keeping the experience native to the platform.
The pilot program will initially focus on English-language posts available through Reddit’s mobile applications. Users will have the option to select their preferred format—reading the original text or engaging with audio or video versions—without replacing the original post. This flexibility addresses different user contexts, such as listening while exercising or watching while multitasking.
Reddit notes these early tests are limited experiments designed to evaluate how these formats can authentically serve its community. Original posts and comments remain fully viewable and interactive, ensuring the core Reddit experience remains unchanged. This latest initiative builds on the company’s previous video experiments, including native hosting and recent support for video comments.
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Originally reported by Techcrunch →
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