What Is EMMA Multi Media?

Every EMMA competitor I talk to knows Sound Quality, knows SPL, and most have heard of Tuning by now. Almost nobody asks me about Multi Media — EMMA's fourth judged discipline, and the one most Australian competitors have never seen run at an event. I still get the occasional question about it from builders who've stumbled across it in the global rulebook, so here's what it actually is and why you're unlikely to see it on an Australian scoresheet any time soon.

What EMMA Multi Media actually judges

Where Sound Quality judges a car on audio alone, Multi Media judges the whole in-car entertainment experience — sound and picture together, played back from an official EMMA Multimedia source disc with its own set of test tracks and video sequences. A judge is scoring two systems working as one, not two separate categories added up.

• Sound side — surround integration, 360° level and movement around the cabin, tonal accuracy across the frequency range, and how consistent voices and timbre sound through every channel, not just the fronts.
• Picture side — screen resolution and detail, contrast, brightness, and colour reproduction.
• Integration — whether the audio and video genuinely work together, rather than feeling like a sound system with a screen bolted on.

Points are awarded across each of those areas, with deductions for things like switching noise, system noise, and anything obstructing the screen — the same philosophy as an EMMA Sound Quality scorecard, just extended to cover what you're watching as well as what you're hearing.

What the car needs to run

A Multi Media entry is a bigger build than a standard SQ car. You're typically looking at a proper surround layout — front, centre and surround speakers — a subwoofer carrying the LFE channel, one or more video screens, a DVD or equivalent source unit, and the amplification to drive all of it cleanly. It's closer in spirit to a home theatre installed in a vehicle than it is to a two-channel SQ system, which is a big part of why it's a rare build.

Why you don't see it at Australian rounds

I judge Sound Quality and Install Quality regularly, and I'd be lying if I told you I could point you to an EMMA Multi Media entrant I've personally scored at an Australian event. It's a legitimate class in EMMA's global rulebook and it does get run at some international events, but the surround-and-screen build it demands is a lot more car, time and money than most competitors are willing to put in for a class with a much smaller entry list. If you're genuinely considering building one for an Australian round, the right move is to ask EMMA Australia directly whether a given event is taking Multi Media entries before you start — don't assume it's on offer just because it exists in the rulebook.

Should you build one?

If you already run a factory or aftermarket surround system with video — a family wagon with rear screens, for instance — and you enjoy the technical side of car audio, Multi Media is a genuinely interesting way to get that build judged on something other than resale value. But I wouldn't recommend it as a first EMMA class. Get a feel for how judging works in Sound Quality or SPL first, understand how a scorecard is built, and only look at Multi Media once you know what EMMA judges are actually listening and looking for. It sits alongside Tuning as one of the less common classes beyond the SQ/SPL/Install mainstream — worth knowing about, not necessarily worth chasing for your first build.

If your current system is built around a car audio upgrade rather than a full surround setup, Install Quality or standard Sound Quality is almost certainly the better entry point — see what's involved in how Install Quality is scored before you decide where to put your effort.

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