Reddit Talk is a new way for redditors to take part in live audio conversations in their favorite communities–they can host AMAs, Q&As, or just hang out and have fun. During the pilot, select communities like r/meditation, r/wallstreetbets, r/relationship_advice, and more will host talks that any redditor can join. For now, only moderators in participating communities can start talks. If you’re interested in hosting a talk in your favorite community, let us know.
If you want to know everything there is to know about Reddit Talk, this article will go through the following:
- How it works
- What communities are hosting talks
- Taking part in a talk as a listener
- Hosting a Reddit Talk
- FAQs
How it works
First, the basics:
- During the pilot, moderators of participating communities can create talks just like they would a post.
- Moderators can invite up to 30 speakers to speak or co-host the talk. And speakers can mute themselves or be muted by the moderators and hosts, as they guide the discussion.
- Up to 100K+ listeners can tune in and react live to the talk with community emojis. Moderators and hosts can also invite listeners to speak or co-host the talk.
There are four types of people in talks, who have different roles and permissions:
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- Listeners can react to what’s being said with emojis, or raise their hand to speak.
- Speakers can speak (duh) and mute/unmute themselves.
- Hosts can invite speakers, mute speakers, remove redditors from the talk, and end the talk.
- Community moderators have all the host controls above in addition to being able to start talks and use their other moderator tools to do things like ban members from the community.
What communities are hosting talks?
A variety of communities have signed up to host talks as part of the pilot. Topics include:
- Support and advice (e.g., r/lgbt, r/relationship_advice)
- Finance and crypto (e.g., r/wallstreetbets, r/dogecoin)
- Sharing stories and knowledge (e.g., r/readwithme, r/unresolvedmysteries)
- Sports, media, and culture (e.g., r/movies, r/kpop)
- Health and fitness (e.g., r/meditation)
Let us know if you want to host talks in your community.
Taking part in a talk as a listener
Discovering Reddit Talk
When a talk goes live, it becomes a post that people can discover in their home and community feeds.
Inviting others to a Reddit Talk
When you’re in a talk, you can invite more people by:
- Tapping the share icon, and copying a direct link to the talk.
- If the people you’re inviting already have the Reddit app, they can tap the link to join the talk right away. Otherwise, they'll see a message asking them to get the app. (Currently, Reddit Talk is only available on the Android or iOS app and will be coming to the web in late August.)
- Anyone you invite, will join the talk as a listener.
Reacting to a Reddit Talk
While in a talk, anyone can tap the reactions button to react to what’s being said with animated emojis. All talks come with the standard six emojis, but communities that have Powerups activated can use all the emojis including any custom emojis they’ve made.
Speaking in a Reddit Talk
Listeners can request to speak by tapping the raise hand icon. Once a host accepts a request, that person will become a speaker.
Speakers will be recorded during talks, and recordings may be available as public posts. Reddit may also review recordings if something is reported as a policy violation and use recordings for marketing, analysis, and promotional purposes.
Hosting a Reddit Talk
Only moderators in participating communities will be able to start talks during the pilot. To start a talk:
- On the Reddit app on iOS or Android, tap the + button like you would for any post.
- Select your community, then tap the Audio button.
- Give your talk a title, choose a background color, then tap Go Live.
After starting a talk, hosts can invite others to co-host by tapping on someone’s profile and selecting Add as Host. Once the person has accepted the invite, they’ll come on stage as a co-host.
Hosts can also invite listeners to speak by tapping on the Raised Hand list or on someone’s profile, then selecting Invite to Speak. Once the person has accepted the invite, they’ll come on stage as a speaker.
Hosts can also visit a speaker’s profile then tap ... to see additional actions they can take, including:
- Muting: This will mute the speaker but later they can unmute themselves to be heard again.
- Remove as speaker: This makes the speaker a listener.
- Remove from talk: This removes the person from the talk altogether. (And they can’t return.)
To end a talk, first tap Leave, then End the Talk. Also, after the last host leaves the talk, it automatically ends.
FAQs
What are some best practices for hosting talks?
Before the talk:
- A few days before, announce the talk in your community through a post.
- Determine which moderator will start the talk.
During the talk
- After starting a talk, share the talk link with any speakers who you want to invite.
- Pin the talk post to the top of your community so more people see it.
- Consider inviting a fellow moderator to co-host the talk so you have help moderating.
Will Reddit Talk be available on all platforms?
Reddit Talk is available on the Reddit app on iOS and Android now, and will be available on the web in late August.
Can mods schedule talks in advance?
Not yet, the ability to schedule a talk ahead of time is still in development. In the meantime, we’re working with mods to promote talks ahead of time through posts they can share with their community and across social media.
Are talks recorded?
Yes, talks are recorded. Talks are public, so don’t forget that folks are listening in when you speak. We may need to review them for possible policy violations, analyze them to help us improve the product, or use them for marketing or promotional purposes. Recordings may also be available as public posts on Reddit once a talk ends.
When are upcoming Reddit Talks?
To check out the full schedule of talks, visit the Upcoming Reddit Talks FAQ.