Multi Media is the class most EMMA competitors have heard of but never actually sat through as a judge. It's the car-audio-video combination class, and it gets judged on its own scorecard — not a bolt-on to Sound Quality. If you're thinking about building toward it, here's what's actually on that sheet and what I'm looking for when I sit in your car.
The pre-judging checks come first
Before any scoring starts, I'm checking the basics: battery charger disconnected, every screen and media component securely mounted (nothing on a suction mount or balanced on a seat), and I'm noting the state of your speaker grilles. None of this is glamorous, but a loose screen or an unsecured player can cost you points before a single track plays — see the key EMMA install rules if you haven't locked this down yet.
System handling and noise
During judging, only volume up/down, menu navigation and pause/mute get operated — that's it. Run more separate control units than the format expects and you're giving away points for no reason. Then there's system noise: a completely silent system scores cleanest, and anything from "barely audible" through to "disturbingly audible" hum or fan noise gets marked down in steps. If your amp rack or screen driver box is noisy at idle, sort that before competition day, not during it.
Obstructed view matters more than people expect
Multi Media cars often carry extra hardware up front, and EMMA specifically marks down anything that blocks the windscreen or front side windows. A screen, bracket or wiring run that compromises your forward visibility is a safety issue as much as a presentation one, and it's scored that way.
Imaging, bass and immersion
This is where Multi Media starts to diverge from a standard Sound Quality scoresheet. I'm assessing surround and 360°/Atmos-style imaging, how well voices and timbre match as sound moves around the cabin, the quality of the front soundstage, and how your sub bass sits in the mix — present and tactile without turning into a distraction. Flashy lighting or acoustic effects that pull attention away from the actual presentation get noted against you, not for you.
Picture quality and audio-video sync
Yes, the screen gets judged properly: brightness, contrast and colour accuracy on a technical test pattern, then detail and resolution across EMMA's official reference clips. I'm also checking lip sync — whether picture and sound line up — using clips specifically chosen to expose it. Bring a source unit that actually plays EMMA's official Multi Media test material; don't turn up with a mismatched media player and hope it's close enough.
Tonal accuracy, at normal and higher volume
Underneath all the video elements, your system still gets judged as an audio system: dynamics, bass, midrange, high frequency and overall tonal balance, checked both at a normal reference level and again roughly ten decibels higher, since a tune that falls apart under load isn't a good tune. Judges set your volume against a pink-noise reference, generally around 80 dB — see why the judge checks your volume before scoring you for how that reference check works in Sound Quality, since the principle carries across.
If I can describe your car in one line walking up to it, that's usually a good sign for Multi Media: clean mounting, no visible mess of cabling near the screens, and a system that sounds as good with the picture off as it does with it on.
How it differs from a straight Sound Quality build
If you've already built toward the Sound Quality scorecard, you've done most of the hard audio work. Multi Media adds the visual and synchronisation layer on top, plus its own handling and noise checks — it's genuinely a different build brief, not a Sound Quality car with a screen bolted in. If Multi Media isn't on your radar yet, what Multi Media actually is is worth reading first.
Got a Multi Media build in progress and want a second opinion before you enter? Get in touch.
Written by Pete — Integrated Audio
Pete is the founder of Integrated Audio and a Certified International EMMA Head Judge, judging EMMA Sound Quality and Installation competitions in Australia and internationally. He writes from the judging side of the table, drawing on hands-on experience building and installing HELIX, MATCH and BRAX car audio systems.