> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dscout.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dscout.com/media-surveys/what-are-media-surveys-in-dscout.md).

# What are media surveys in Dscout?

Media surveys are the fastest way to gather media-rich feedback across a large n-size. This study type lets you blend quantitative and qualitative research to find the insights you need. Working on a new marketing campaign? Interested in hearing what your customers want from your product lineup? Try a media survey.

In Dscout, some key media survey features include:

* **Card sorting:** Let participants categorize a list of items to help build more intuitive information architectures, navigation, and more. You can provide the categories or let participants create their own, whatever makes sense for your research. For more information, see [Card sort questions](/study-basics/question-types/card-sort-questions.md).
* **Open-ended questions:** Hear from your participants in their own words with typed response questions. Give them a prompt, set a character limit (or don’t!), and see what they have to say. With media surveys, you’re not limited to closed-ended questions (though Dscout has plenty of options for those, too).
* **Multimedia questions:** Have participants take a quick video, record their screen, or upload a photo to give you the ultimate context for their response. You can then analyze these alongside their answers to other questions and even create visual shareouts for your stakeholders.

## Recruitment options

To find participants for a media survey, you can:

* Add participants from an existing Dscout screener.
* Auto-recruit from Dscout’s Scout Panel.
* Auto-recruit from Dscout's Partner Panels.
* Invite your own participants.
* Add participants from Private Panels.

For more information, see [Recruitment options in a media survey](/media-surveys/what-are-media-surveys-in-dscout/recruitment-options-in-a-media-survey.md).

## Usability tests vs. media surveys

Media surveys are ideal when you want to gather quick insights through a blend of text-based questions and multimedia questions (videos, screen recordings, or photos).

However, you might be wondering whether to use a usability test or media survey. To help, here’s a comparison of each study type to help you choose:

| Capability                      | Usability test            | Media survey                                                 |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Participant limit**           | 100 participants          | 1,000 participants                                           |
| **Recommended incentive range** | $1–200                    | $1–100                                                       |
| **Media capture**               | Continuous recording      | Individual photo, video, and screen-recording question types |
| **Heat maps and click data**    | Yes (on Figma prototypes) | No                                                           |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Media surveys are limited to a maximum of three video questions (including screen recording questions).
{% endhint %}

For more information on usability tests, see [What are usability tests in Dscout?](/usability-tests/what-are-usability-tests-in-dscout.md). Or if neither of these seem to be the right fit, read more about our other study types in [Dscout quickstart guide](/getting-started/dscout-quickstart-guide.md).


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