Reddit Tests AI-Powered Audio and Video Experience for Viral Posts
The platform recently announced a new “video experience” designed to bring popular stories to life through audio and video formats. Additionally, users will soon be able to listen to posts in the background while completing other activities.
On Monday, the platform began testing an early version of this feature across selected communities. Meanwhile, the experiment includes both video and audio posts to identify which formats attract the most interest and could expand further.
Previously, short-form video services often featured popular community stories with narration created through text-to-speech tools or human voices. Furthermore, some videos displayed captions as creators read the stories aloud or paired them with unrelated footage, such as gameplay or cooking clips.
Early testing and user choices
However, the initial trials remain limited as the platform studies how users respond to these formats. Additionally, the team wants to understand whether audio and video versions can provide value while still maintaining the original community experience.
Users will have the option to choose between reading or playing a post when the feature appears. For now, the test will focus on selected English-language posts and will appear through mobile applications on iOS and Android devices.
Moreover, the new formats will not replace traditional text posts. Instead, users can continue viewing and interacting with original posts and comments as they do today.
Therefore, some people may prefer listening to discussions while exercising, walking, or completing errands. Meanwhile, others may enjoy seeing written conversations transformed into combined audio and visual experiences.
Continued exploration of video formats
Previously, the platform experimented with video features through native video uploads and different versions of a short-form video feed. More recently, it introduced video replies in comments, which now represent more than 10% of video posts.
Consequently, the latest experiment continues a broader effort to explore how communities can share stories through different media formats. Additionally, the platform aims to create experiences that feel natural while giving users more ways to engage with content.
