Archive — US — techcrunch
Reddit is testing a new way to watch — and listen to — its viral posts
Reddit is developing a new 'video Reddit' feature inspired by TikTok, allowing users to watch and listen to viral posts. CEO Steve Huffman noted the rise of content where users narrate Reddit stories, similar to podcasts. Testing is expected later this year. This move aligns with broader trends as other social apps adopt video content, signifying a shift towards engaging multimedia experiences.
Key points
- Reddit is introducing a video experience that combines watching and listening to posts.
- CEO Steve Huffman pointed out the popularity of Reddit-related content on TikTok, with millions of posts tagged #reddit and #redditstories.
- The new feature may include text-to-speech narration of Reddit stories paired with videos.
- Testing of this feature is scheduled for later this year, indicating rapid development.
- Reddit highlighted that video in comments, a feature launched in June, now constitutes over 10% of its video content, showing early success.
- Many other social and entertainment platforms like Facebook and streaming services are similarly integrating TikTok-like video feeds.
Why it matters
- The trend of shortening attention spans has prompted platforms to create more engaging short video formats.
- The rise of TikTok has influenced many social media strategies, leading to the 'TikTok-ification' of various platforms.
- In 2025, the integration of multimedia content like videos and audio in social platforms is expected to be essential for user engagement.
- The growth of audio content consumption is evident, indicating a merging of visual and auditory storytelling in tech.
Reddit's plan to introduce a video feature mirrors a significant shift in social media towards engaging multimedia content, reflecting ongoing trends that could reshape user interaction by 2025.