How do I open audio on Reddit?
Reddit is a wildly popular social media platform with over 300 million monthly active users worldwide in 2023. [1] The site allows users to create communities centered around specific topics and interests, where they can share links, photos, GIFs, videos, and text posts with other Redditors.
One popular feature of Reddit is the ability to post audio clips in subreddits and comments. Audio can add an extra dimension to Reddit discussions and content. Users have shared everything from podcast snippets to music samples on the platform.
This guide will walk through how to enable audio playback on Reddit and open audio posts across platforms and devices.
Enabling Audio Playback
To enable audio playback on Reddit, you first need to find the audio playback toggle. This can be found in the app settings on mobile or at the top right of the website on desktop.
On the Reddit mobile app, tap the profile icon in the top left corner to open the side menu. Scroll down and select “Settings”. Then choose “Media Autoplay” and toggle on “Autoplay GIFs, videos, and audio”.
On the desktop site, click your profile icon in the top right corner and choose “User Settings”. Go to “Feed Settings” and check the box next to “Autoplay media”.
Enabling these settings allows audio and video to automatically play as you scroll through posts on Reddit. Once enabled, you will be able to listen to audio posts without manually starting them.
Opening Audio Posts
To identify posts with audio on Reddit, look for a small speaker icon next to the post title. This indicates that the post contains an audio file. When you tap on a post with the speaker icon, the audio player will open directly within the app.
Reddit’s built-in audio player allows you to listen to audio content without leaving the app. The audio player appears at the top of the post when you tap on a post containing audio. The player features playback controls like play/pause, a timeline scrubber, and volume controls. You can scroll through the comments while listening to the audio using the minimized player.
If you want to open the audio file source itself, tap the “Open” button on the top right of the player. This will take you to the original audio file source so you can listen to it directly or save/share the file if desired.
Overall, finding and opening audio posts is quick and seamless directly within the Reddit app. Just look for the speaker icon and tap to begin playback using the built-in audio player.
Playing/Pausing Audio
Reddit’s built-in audio player allows you to easily play and pause any audio content directly within the app or website. To play audio, simply tap the play button icon which looks like a rightward pointing triangle. The audio will begin playing immediately. To pause the audio, tap the pause button icon which looks like two vertical lines. The audio playback will be paused at the current position.
You can resume playback by tapping the play button again. The audio will pick up right where you left off. Note that on the iOS and Android apps, the play/pause button icons will change to reflect the current state (play vs pause). On desktop sites like old.reddit.com, the icon stays the same but will shift between gray and color to indicate if audio is paused or playing.
To restart the audio from the beginning, you can tap the seek bar which shows the time progression. This bar allows you to skip to any point in the audio clip. Tapping it will make the playhead jump to that timecode.
Overall, Reddit’s audio player provides familiar and intuitive controls to play, pause, and seek audio content within the platform’s various interfaces. With handy buttons and a progress bar, it’s easy to control playback and listen to audio posts.
Adjusting Volume
To adjust the volume when listening to audio on Reddit, first locate the volume slider. On desktop, this slider is at the bottom right of the screen when you open an audio post. On mobile, tap the audio post to open it, then tap the volume icon in the bottom left to access a volume slider.
You can drag the volume slider left or right to decrease or increase volume as needed. According to industry experts, aim for a volume level between -25dB to -28dB for background audio and between 0dB and -6dB for foreground audio like voiceovers. This provides a good cushion to avoid distortion while keeping audio sufficiently audible.
In your Reddit account settings under “Feed Settings,” you can also set volume preferences that will be applied by default when you open audio posts. Consider reducing the default if you frequently listen via headphones or in quiet spaces.
Enabling Sound
Reddit gives users the option to enable or disable sound to play automatically on the platform. By default, sound is typically disabled, meaning users need to click on audio posts to play each time. However, enabling sound allows audio on Reddit posts, comments, and ads to play automatically as you scroll through content.
To enable automatic sound playback on Reddit’s website, you can go to your account settings and turn on the “autoplay media” option. On mobile apps, there is usually a similar setting under settings or notifications. Enabling this means videos and GIFs will play automatically, often with sound enabled by default unless otherwise muted.
According to this Reddit help thread, many users actually prefer having sound disabled by default to prevent audio from playing unexpectedly. The ability to click and control playback is seen as favorable. Still, those who wish to enable automatic sound can do so. Just keep in mind it may play media out loud without warning while scrolling.
Using Headphones
One of the most popular ways to listen to audio on Reddit is by using headphones. Headphones allow you to listen privately without disturbing others around you. They can also provide a more immersive listening experience compared to listening through your phone or computer speakers.
To listen to Reddit audio through headphones, first make sure your headphones are plugged into the headphone jack or USB port on your device if you’re using wired headphones. If you’re using wireless Bluetooth headphones, pair them to your device through the Bluetooth settings.
Once your headphones are connected, simply navigate to any Reddit post or comment that contains audio. The audio should automatically play through your headphones rather than the external speakers. You can adjust the volume using your device’s volume buttons or on-screen slider.
Listening with headphones is especially helpful if you want to listen to NSFW audio content or for extended music playlists posted on Reddit. It allows you to keep your listening experience private. High-quality headphones can also enhance the audio quality compared to phone speakers.
Some popular headphones used by Redditors for private listening include models from brands like Sennheiser, Sony, and Bose.
Audio Accessibility
Reddit has made efforts to make its audio content more accessible for visually impaired users. In July 2023, Reddit announced new “accessibility improvements” to its moderation tools, including updates to its API to provide better support for screen readers (1). However, some moderators have expressed concerns that the changes don’t go far enough, and that Reddit needs to do more to accommodate blind and deafblind users.
Specifically, many have called for Reddit to implement a closed-captioning system for videos to allow full access to audio content for deaf and deafblind users. As one Redditor pointed out, “Reddit made it impossible for blind Redditors to moderate their communities” by not having sufficient accessibility features (2). While Reddit’s accessibility improvements are a step in the right direction, additional work clearly needs to be done to make the platform truly inclusive for all users.
Troubleshooting Tips
There are a few common audio issues that can occur when trying to play audio on Reddit. Some troubleshooting tips to try:
- If you hear random pops, clicks, or distortion, this could be caused by CPU/latency issues according to this Reddit thread. Try closing other apps running in the background or upgrading your device if possible.
- For muffled or quiet audio, check your volume levels and make sure sound is enabled on your device. Refer to the sections above on Adjusting Volume and Enabling Sound.
- Intermittent audio cuts could stem from connectivity issues according to this thread. Make sure you have a stable internet connection, or try downloading the audio first before listening.
If issues persist after trying the above tips, search Reddit or post on a relevant subreddit for additional help troubleshooting. Providing device details and a clear description of the problem will help others assist you.
Conclusion
In summary, Reddit’s audio player allows users to easily play audio posts directly within the app or website. To enable audio, go into Settings and toggle on the “Autoplay Media” option. When viewing a post with audio, tap or click the play icon to listen. Use the playback controls to play, pause, adjust volume, and enable sound. For best quality, use headphones. If you have any issues listening to audio, check Settings or troubleshoot your device permissions.
Reddit’s built-in audio player makes enjoying audio posts seamless without needing to leave the app. With the tips above, you can optimize playback and make sure system settings don’t block media loading. If issues persist on mobile, clearing the app cache or reinstalling the app can help. On desktop, allow permissions when prompted and ensure your browser and extensions don’t block media playback.
We hope this guide covered everything you need to successfully play audio in the Reddit apps and website. Listening to audio posts can further enrich the vibrant Reddit community. Enjoy!