Reddit Tests New Narrated Audio and Video Posts, Echoing TikTok-Style Clips

Reddit is rolling out a trial of audio and video versions of popular posts, allowing users to listen to or watch written conversations brought to life. The company said the initial experiment will begin Monday in a handful of English-language communities on the web, with iPhone and Android access following on Tuesday, as it gauges what formats resonate and can be broadened.

The pilot will let users switch between reading the original post and playing a narrated version when that option is available. Reddit emphasized the original text and comment threads will remain intact and fully interactive, rather than being replaced by the new multimedia renditions. The company framed the feature as an alternate way to consume content — useful for people who want to hear stories while they commute or do chores.

Reddit executives signaled the move at the company’s second-quarter earnings call, noting that clips built from Reddit material have been gaining traction on other services. Creators on short-form video platforms commonly repurpose forum threads into spoken or text-to-speech segments, often pairing them with on-screen captions or unrelated footage pulled from other sources. Reddit’s test appears aimed at bringing similar experiences into its own apps under the company’s control.

This is another step in Reddit’s long-running push into video. The site added native video years ago, experimented with a vertically scrolling, short-form feed, and more recently introduced the ability to post video in replies — a feature that now makes up more than one in ten video uploads on the platform. The new narrated-post test is narrower in scope, limited to English posts for now and confined to select communities.

Industry observers say the move could help Reddit capture time that users currently spend on rival apps, while offering new inventory for advertisers. “Turning text threads into listenable or watchable clips could broaden who engages with Reddit content, especially people who prefer audio,” said media analyst Sarah Malik in a recent interview. She added that the company will need clear attribution and moderation tools to avoid disputes over credit and context as the feature rolls out.

Reddit described the trial as an early, small-scale experiment designed to inform product decisions rather than a full launch. If user feedback and engagement metrics look promising, the company may expand formats, languages and the range of communities that get access.