Reddit Begins Testing Video and Audio Versions of Posts to Compete With TikTok-Style Content
Reddit has long been defined by its text-heavy discussions, lengthy comment threads, and community-driven conversations. That core identity is now being tested in a new way. The company has started rolling out a limited experiment that turns select posts into video and audio formats, allowing users to watch narrated versions of discussions or listen to them in the background rather than reading walls of text.
The test, which began around August 17, 2026, is available on Reddit’s iOS and Android apps. It currently covers a sample of English-language posts across select communities. When the feature is available on a given post, users see an option to either “read” the original text or “play” it as audio or short-form video. Critically, the original post and its full comment section remain unchanged and fully accessible. The new formats simply offer an alternative way to consume the same content.
This move was first previewed by CEO Steve Huffman during Reddit’s second-quarter earnings call in July 2026. Huffman pointed out that Reddit content was already thriving in a different form on other platforms. “There is an emerging content type elsewhere on the internet of, basically, podcasts where people read Reddit content,” he said. “I think this version of, like, listened-to or spoken Reddit can be really engaging, as well.” He described it as potentially becoming “almost a different format entirely.”
The phenomenon Huffman referenced is easy to observe. On TikTok, posts tagged #reddit number in the tens of millions, with additional millions under #redditstories. A common format pairs text-to-speech narration or a human voice reading a viral Reddit post—often from relationship advice, personal drama, or “Am I the Asshole” communities—with unrelated background footage such as video game clips, cooking videos, or simple animations. Meta’s Reels and other short-video platforms have similar content. Reddit essentially watched its own stories become popular entertainment on rival apps and decided to bring a version of that experience in-house.
The current experiment is deliberately cautious. Reddit has described it as an early, limited test designed to understand which formats resonate with users and whether they can scale while still feeling authentic to the platform. The company wants to learn whether people prefer pure audio for background listening—while walking, exercising, commuting, or doing chores—or whether they engage more with video versions that combine narration and visuals. Both options keep the original text conversation as the foundation.
This is not Reddit’s first foray into video. The platform introduced native video hosting years ago. In 2023 it tested a TikTok-style vertical video feed. More recently, in June 2026, it launched video comments, allowing users to post short video replies in threads that play in a full-screen player. Those video comments have already grown to represent more than 10 percent of Reddit’s video posts, showing that users are willing to engage with richer media when it is available. The new audio and video post formats build on that momentum.
For Reddit, the strategic goal is clear. The company wants to attract new users who may prefer watching or listening over reading, and it wants to give casual lurkers more reasons to stay and return. Many people discover Reddit stories through TikTok or YouTube narrations without ever visiting the original threads. By offering its own spoken and visual versions, Reddit hopes to capture more of that engagement directly on its own platform, where it can better control the experience and potentially monetize it more effectively.
There are practical advantages for users as well. Long Reddit threads can be time-consuming to read carefully, especially on mobile. Audio versions open the door to multitasking. Someone can listen to a detailed discussion while driving, cooking, or working out. Video versions may make complex or emotional stories more accessible to people who prefer visual storytelling. In both cases, the ability to switch back to the original text and participate in the comments preserves the interactive, community-driven nature that defines Reddit.
Questions remain about exactly how the narrated content is produced. Public details are limited. It is not yet clear whether Reddit is primarily using AI text-to-speech, human voice actors, a hybrid approach, or some other method. The company has also not fully outlined rules around original poster consent, attribution, or the ability for authors to opt out of having their posts converted into audio or video formats. These issues could become important as the experiment expands. Reddit has stressed that the test is intended to feel authentic to the platform rather than a pure imitation of TikTok, but achieving that balance will require careful design and moderation.
The experiment also fits into a larger industry shift. Major platforms have been adding short-form video and audio features for years. Streaming services have introduced TikTok-style vertical feeds. Professional networks have added video options. Audio platforms continue to grow. Reddit’s move is both a response to competitive pressure and an acknowledgment that consumption habits are changing. People increasingly want content they can absorb while doing other things or in formats that require less sustained attention than traditional long-form text.
At the same time, Reddit’s strength has always been the depth and authenticity of its discussions. Many longtime users value the platform precisely because it is not optimized for rapid, algorithm-driven video scrolling. A poorly executed video or audio layer could risk alienating the core community that generates the high-quality posts in the first place. That is likely why the company is starting small, limiting the test to select posts and communities, and emphasizing that the original text experience remains untouched.
If the experiment succeeds, it could open new possibilities. Viral threads might gain a second life as audio episodes or short videos that drive users back into deeper conversations. Communities focused on storytelling, advice, or personal experiences might see increased engagement. The feature could also improve accessibility for users who prefer listening or who find dense text difficult. Over time, Reddit might develop more sophisticated tools that allow original posters or moderators to influence how their content is presented in these formats.
For now, the test remains limited. Only a portion of posts in chosen communities offer the “play” option, and it is restricted to mobile apps. Reddit will gather data on which posts perform well, how long users listen or watch, whether they then engage with the comments, and whether the overall experience feels natural. Those results will determine whether the feature expands more widely later in 2026 or beyond.
The broader significance is that Reddit is no longer content to let its best material be repackaged elsewhere. By offering its own spoken and visual versions of posts, the company is attempting to reclaim attention that has been flowing to TikTok, Reels, and YouTube narrators. Whether users embrace the new formats or stick primarily to traditional reading will reveal a lot about the future of discussion-based platforms in an increasingly multimedia world.
Reddit’s experiment is still in its earliest stages, but it signals a willingness to evolve while trying to protect what makes the site distinctive. The coming months will show whether “spoken Reddit” can become a meaningful complement to the text-based conversations that built the platform, or whether the classic walls of text will remain the primary way most people experience its communities.
About The Author
