By Rajwa Quasim
Reddit has begun testing a new audio and video experience that will allow users to watch or listen to posts instead of relying solely on text-based discussions. The feature could help users multitask while using Reddit in the background. The company began testing it Monday.
The rollout follows through on plans Reddit CEO Steve Huffman first outlined during the company’s second-quarter earnings call, when he described it as a new “video Reddit” experience. Huffman said the company was exploring ways to bring viral Reddit stories to life through video.
Huffman noted that Reddit stories are already being shared on other social media platforms through text-to-speech features or read aloud by creators. On TikTok, for example, there are 19.6 million posts labeled with the hashtag #reddit and another 9.9 million labeled #redditstories.
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“There is an emerging content type elsewhere on the internet of, basically, podcasts where people read Reddit content. I think this version of, like, listened-to or spoken Reddit can be really engaging, as well,” Huffman said.
Currently, the company is using tests to determine which kind of content users may respond to and whether the new feature will have enough potential to be expanded. The company also wants to provide users with content in a new format without removing the platform’s traditional discussion format. This will give users the options to “read” or “play” a post.
The pilot covers only select English-language posts and is accessible through Reddit’s iOS and Android apps.
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Reddit has experimented with video before, rolling out native video hosting and trying various iterations of a TikTok-style video feed.
The move reflects a broader industry trend of adopting TikTok-style video feeds. Earlier, Walt Disney and TikTok announced a partnership that allows TikTok creators to use characters and scenes from Disney movies and TV shows in short-form videos.
In another deal, Disney and OpenAI partnered on a similar initiative. In addition to a $1 billion investment in OpenAI, the deal would have allowed users to create AI-generated videos using Disney content through OpenAI’s Sora platform. However, the project was dropped after Sora was shut down following backlash over artists’ compensation, transparency and creative rights.