Task Type: Multimedia (Text, Photos, Videos, Screen Recordings, Audio Recordings, Files)

Multimedia is a Task Type that allows for the collection of text, photos, videos, screen recordings, audio, and files from the participant in a single task response. Any combination of requirements can be configured.

If set as Required, a minimum of one word or one media file must be provided by the participant in order to proceed. However, these minimum requirements can be customized as needed.

During a Multimedia Task setup, simply switch on the desired Response Types (i.e. Text, Photos, Videos, Audio, Screen Recording and Files) based on what your question calls for. You can then customize each selected type based on the presented options and even enforce a total attachment limit.

Text Response Type

Enabling a Text response as part of your Multimedia Task (or selecting Text from the Task Type menu) provides participants with an open ended text box on the Task's page during completion. 

You can add verbiage that will appear directly above the text box (but still separate from your Questions or Instructions) using the Customize prompt option. You can also have the text box Display below attachments if desired - this setting is useful if your question stresses the media upload portion before responding to additional questions. 

You can also choose to Allow text formatting (useful if you want people to be able to use emojis in their response) as well as enforce a minimum and / or maximum word count.  

Media Response Types

Enabling Photos, Videos, or Audio as response types as part of your Multimedia Task (or selecting Photos, Videos, or Audio from the Task Type menu) provides participants with large on-screen Add Photo, Add Video, and/or Record Audio buttons on the Task's page during completion. Participants can drag and drop a photo / video / audio file directly into the collector, upload the file from their device, search and choose from our photo library, submit a screen recording or record video/audio from their webcam or microphone.

If you want to require that participants upload their own photo, you can choose to disable participants access to our photo library by disabling the Allow stock photo search option under Photos. 

Alternatively, if you would like to limit participant responses to stock photos only, you may choose to enable the subsequent Limit to stock photo search only option below the Allow stock photo search setting. When this is configured, participants will not have the option to drop or select a file from their own device.

You can set custom limits in terms of minimum and maximum photos, videos, and/or audio submissions needed using the respective Limit quantity options if the exercise requires a minimum to be met. Whatever limits you set will be shown to participants on the Add Photo, Add Video, and/or Record Audio buttons during Task completion. Audio submissions also provide the option to set minimum and/or maximum duration limits per recording.

You can also choose to Allow photo / video, and/or audio descriptions. If this option is selected, you can make it so that Descriptions are required and even edit the description's prompting verbiage with the Customize prompt option. 

Video response uploads should be filetypes such as .mp4, .mov, .avi etc. Whereas photo response uploads should be .jpg, .png, .gif etc.

The Screen Recording response type is similar to the other media response types in that you can use the custom limits, descriptions and customized prompt options. A warning always appears to highlight the fact that participant must use a supported web browser to create a screen recording. Learn more about screen recordings.

The Files response type option (or selecting File from the Task Type menu) is ideal if you're looking to have people upload media that is not a photo or video. Maybe your project involves building something externally and then uploading it to Recollective (e.g. PowerPoint file). This response type has the same controls as the Photos and Videos options discussed above but also has a setting that allows you to Limit file size if necessary.

Enforcing Overall Limits

If your Multimedia Task provides participants with multiple ways to respond to the question, the Limits section on the setup page offers the ability to enforce a minimum and / or maximum total attachment limit. Imagine a question whereby participants can either respond in a video OR photos (possibly with an additional text component). 

In a case like this, you don't want to have a minimum value set for both photo and video Response Types as participants will then be forced to add both. Instead, you want to use the Enforce total attachment limit to set a response requirement and still offer the choice of attachment type.

For more information on how you can leverage the Multimedia Task type within your research, make sure to check out our Spotlight: Multimedia Task blog article!