Reddit has begun testing a new way to consume its most popular posts, rolling out audio and video versions of select threads across a limited set of communities. As reported by TechCrunch, the company will use the pilot to determine which post formats resonate most with users and which ones show potential to scale platform-wide.

The test builds on plans Reddit outlined during its Q2 earnings call in July. CEO Steve Huffman told analysts at the time that Reddit content was already being consumed in narrated form elsewhere online, pointing to the practice on platforms like TikTok and Meta’s Reels, where popular Reddit stories are frequently read aloud through text-to-speech tools or narrated by creators, often paired with on-screen text or unrelated footage such as gameplay or cooking content.

“There is an emerging content type elsewhere on the internet of, basically, podcasts where people read Reddit content,” Huffman said on the call. “I think this version of, like, listened-to or spoken Reddit can be really engaging, as well.”

Reddit told TechCrunch the initial rollout is an early, limited experiment intended to gauge whether the formats are useful to users and whether they can be executed in a way that feels native to the platform. Where available, users will be able to choose whether to “read” or “play” a given post. The test is restricted to select English-language posts for now, launching first on the web, followed by Reddit’s iOS and Android apps on August 18.

The original text-only post and its comments will remain viewable and fully interactive regardless of format. Reddit has made prior attempts at video, including native video hosting introduced in 2017 and a TikTok-style video feed tested in 2023. The company says video in comments, launched more recently, now accounts for more than 10% of video posts on the platform.

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