Reddit tests audio and video versions of posts
Reddit has launched a limited experiment letting users listen to or watch short-video versions of posts and comments instead of reading text. The feature is initially rolling out to a sample of posts in select communities.
Reddit has begun testing a new way to experience its content, allowing users to listen to posts as audio or watch them as shortform videos rather than reading through blocks of text. The company confirmed the test to Engadget, noting it is already starting to roll out on the platform.
Reddit describes the trial as a "limited experiment" affecting only a sample of posts across select communities. According to a company spokesperson, the new audio and video formats will still link back to the original text posts and comments, which will remain unchanged.
It is not yet clear exactly what these new audio and video posts will look like. However, Reddit has recently expanded video features elsewhere on the platform — in June, it introduced video comments, letting users post videos within comment threads that can be viewed in a full-screen player.
Part of a broader push
The new test is part of Reddit's wider effort to attract new users and keep casual visitors returning to the platform. CEO Steve Huffman previewed the change last month during the company's earnings call, pointing to an emerging trend elsewhere online of podcast-style content where people read Reddit posts aloud. He said this kind of "listened-to" or "spoken" version of Reddit could prove just as engaging as text.
Reddit is known for rarely changing its core features — the company still maintains a 21-year-old version of its site for longtime users who prefer everything to look the same as always.
