What is the New 'Play' Feature?
Reddit has started rolling out a limited experiment that introduces a new way to consume its content. On selected English-language posts, users will see a toggle with two options: “Read” and “Play”. The “Read” view is the classic Reddit experience everyone
is familiar with—a page of text showing the original post and the threaded comments below. The new “Play” mode, however, launches a portrait-style video, similar in format to a TikTok or Instagram Reel. In this mode, AI-generated voices read the original post and a selection of popular replies aloud. To ensure transparency, a disclaimer at the bottom of the video states, “Real conversation voiced by AI.”
How the AI Video Works
The technology combines several elements to bring the text to life. It uses multi-voice text-to-speech AI, assigning different synthetic voices to the original poster and the various commenters to mimic a conversation. Visually, the videos do not contain AI-generated imagery. Instead, they show screenshots of the Reddit posts themselves, highlighting each word karaoke-style as it is spoken by the AI voice. This ensures the focus remains on the original user-generated conversation. The test, which began on the web on August 17 and followed on iOS and Android, is currently limited to manually curated posts, some of which are years old. One example shared by the company was an eight-year-old thread from the r/boardgames community.
Reclaiming a Viral Content Format
This experiment didn't come out of nowhere. For years, third-party creators on platforms like TikTok and YouTube have built entire channels around narrating interesting Reddit threads. These videos, often paired with unrelated gameplay footage, garner millions of views—engagement and ad revenue that Reddit itself never saw. During a recent earnings call, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman acknowledged this trend, noting that people are already consuming Reddit content in audio and video formats off-platform. By creating a native tool to do the same, Reddit is attempting to bring that audience back into its own ecosystem, effectively cutting out the middleman and capturing the value of its own content.
A Strategic Push into Video and Accessibility
The move is also part of a broader strategy to embrace video and make the platform more accessible. In a statement, the company explained that the feature could appeal to users who want to listen to Reddit while exercising, commuting, or doing chores—moments when reading long threads isn't practical. This follows other recent video-centric updates, including the introduction of video comments in June, which already account for a significant portion of video posts on the platform. By leaning into AI and video, Reddit is hoping to increase overall engagement and adapt to the changing habits of online content consumption, where short-form video has become dominant.
Challenges and What's Next
While the experiment is in its early stages, it faces potential hurdles. The AI narration could struggle with mispronouncing usernames, slang, or community-specific jargon, which could detract from the authenticity of the experience. Furthermore, since Reddit is currently selecting which comments are included in the narration, the video version may not always reflect the most upvoted or representative replies in a thread. The company has stated that the test is limited and its expansion depends on whether users find the format useful and authentic. The key will be striking a balance between innovation and preserving the unique, community-driven culture that has defined Reddit for over a decade.
