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Create a Media Player element

Lisa Wong
Updated

Present a video, audio file, or YouTube video, and some instructional text to participants.

Note: Subtitles and watermarking are supported in modern surveys only.

Before you upload a media file, ensure that the media file meets these requirements.

File type Requirements
Upload audio file

  • Supported formats:

    • m4a
    • mp3
  • Maximum file size: 250 MB
Upload video file

  • Supported formats:

    • 3gp
    • 3g2
    • avi
    • flv
    • mov
    • mp4
    • mpeg
    • ogv
    • webm
    • wmv
  • Maximum file size: 500 MB
  • Uploaded video files are converted to an mp4 file when a participant plays the clip, regardless of the original format.
URL to media file

Supported formats:

  • Audio:

    • mp3

  • Video:

    • mp4
    • YouTube
Subtitle file

  • Supported formats:

    • SRT
    • VTT
  • Maximum file size: 60 MB
Note:
  • The first participant to play your video:
    • May experience a short delay before the clip starts.
    • May notice a difference between the actual clip length and the clip duration in the timer.

Media Player from the participant's perspective

Modern survey (mobile):

Classic survey (desktop):

Classic survey (mobile):

  1. From the Survey Builder Toolbox, under Multimedia Content, do one of the following:
    • Drag the Media Player element to the Table of Contents.
    • Click the Media Player element.
  2. In the Table of Contents, click the Media Player element.
    The Edit Pane appears.
  3. Optional: Edit the Media name.

    Media names:

    • Should be unique.
    • Can contain all alphanumeric characters and all symbols.
    • Are not displayed to participants.
  4. In the Media text field, enter the instruction text.
    Note: The recommended character limit is 2500.
  5. Under Attach media, select an option:
    • Upload audio file
    • Upload video file
    • URL to media file
  6. Add your media.
    Option Description
    Audio file
    1. Under Audio file, click Browse.
    2. In the Upload Audio dialog, click Browse.
    3. Browse for the audio file on your computer and click Open.

      The audio file is uploaded. This may take a few seconds.

    4. Click Add.

      An audio icon and the file name appear.

    Video file
    1. Under Video file, click Browse.
    2. In the Upload Video dialog, click Browse.
    3. Browse for the video file on your computer and click Add.

      The video file is uploaded. This may take a few seconds.

    4. Click Add.

      A video icon and the file name appear.

    URL to media file

    You can use this option for media files hosted on third-party sites (for example, YouTube, Cloudinary, or CloudFront). The media file must be unencrypted and publicly accessible.

    1. Copy the share link from the website on which the media file is hosted.

      The share link is the direct link for the media file.

      For example, for a YouTube video, open the video's web page in your web browser. Under the video, click Share, and then copy the provided share link.

    2. In the Media file URL field, paste the share link for the media file.
    Note:
    • Parameters such as Start at time are stripped from the share link after you paste it into the application.
    • YouTube videos have privacy and security settings that may prevent them from being hosted outside of YouTube. For an optimal survey experience, do not use a video from a YouTube channel other than your own.
  7. Optional: Click Change to replace an audio or video file.
  8. Optional: Click Delete to remove an audio or video file from the page element.
  9. Set the Player size for desktop participants:
    • 560 x 315
    • 640 x 360
    • 853 x 480
    Note:
    • The default player size for desktop participants is 560 x 315.
    • Mobile participants will see a video adapted to mobile screens.
  10. Optional: Set the Player controls.
    The Player controls are enabled by default.
    Option Description
    Show playback bar
    • When selected participants will see the playback bar and will be able to skip backwards and forwards.
    • When deselected participants do not see the playback bar and cannot skip backwards and forwards. Participants will still see the Play and Pause button.
    Show duration Shows the number of minutes and seconds remaining in the clip.
  11. Optional: For video files, add subtitles.
    1. Click Browse.
    2. Select a VTT file, and click Open.
    3. To select a new file, click Change.
    4. To remove the file, click Delete.
  12. Optional: Set the player Behavior.
    These settings appear after you add the media file.
    Option Description
    Disable next button until media is completed Prevents the participant from skipping to the next question until the clip has played.
    Load next question when media is completed Automatically displays the next question after the clip is finished.
  13. Optional: For video files, select or clear Add watermark text.

    Use this setting to deter participants from leaking sensitive video files. When you select this option, a member ID watermark appears on top of the video. The watermark moves around the video as it plays. If the video is leaked, the member ID watermark can help you identify the source of the leak and take further action (for example, removing the member from your community).

    Note:
    • Watermarking videos can help deter leaks, but you should also take your survey distribution methods into consideration. If your survey contains a sensitive video, do not distribute it through anonymous activity links. Distributing the survey through email invitations lets you control the group of viewers from the start and makes it easier to trace leaks.
    • If a mobile participant is using iOS 10 or below and Add watermark text is selected, the survey will not load at all for that mobile participant. Instead, they will be prompted to choose a different browser or upgrade their iOS version.
  14. Optional: Once you have authored the page element, you can also:
  15. Optional: To preview the element in desktop or mobile view, in the Edit Pane, click Preview.
    A preview of your survey appears, starting with the selected element.
    Note:
    • Preview in mobile view only simulates the mobile experience. For best results, preview your survey on a mobile device.
    • In a modern survey, full screen mode is not supported in iOS and in survey preview mode.

Media playback considerations

  • Different codecs may cause playback issues for video and audio files on certain browsers. These are the recommended codec combinations to ensure your media file works across Chrome, Safari, and Firefox:
    Video Audio
    • Codec: Windows Media Video 8 (WWV2)
    • Video resolution: 1920x1080
    • Codec: Windows Media Audio 2 (WMA2)
    • Sample rate: 44100 Hz
  • Some older Apple devices (such as iPhone 4S and iPads) may have trouble playing certain types of mp4 videos. If you want to ensure the video will play on Apple devices, follow these recommendations for the source video:
    MPEG-4 video
    • Bitrate of the video is up to 2.5 Mbps
    • Maximum 640 x 480 pixels
    • Maximum 30 frames per second
    • Simple Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps
    • 48kHz, stereo audio in m4v, mp4, and mov file formats
Parent topic: Multimedia content

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