Use Variables in “Play Media” Trigger with Media Library Support

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share an idea and get your thoughts—especially from those of you building more dynamic, scalable, and immersive eLearning experiences in Storyline.

Currently, the “Play Media” trigger only allows us to select a specific media file from a dropdown. But what if we could use a variable instead—one that stores the name of the media file to play based on the learner’s choices and path through the course? Could even use a JavaScript to evaluate other variables to set the media file selection to make it more powerful and dynamic.

Here’s how it could work:

• Variable holds the name of the media file to be played based on user's actions.
• The “Play Media” trigger references that variable.
• The media files would be added to the Media Library to ensure they’re available in the project.

This would allow us to dynamically control which audio or video plays depending on how the learner interacts with the content—making the experience more personalized, responsive, and immersive. Instead of managing dozens of triggers or layers, we could streamline the logic and focus more on the learning journey.

Why this could be a game-changer:

• Reduces the number of triggers and layers needed.
• Makes it easier to scale and maintain branching or scenario-based content.
• Supports more engaging, learner-driven experiences.
• Keeps the course structure cleaner and more efficient.
• Allows the power of JavaScript to determine media and set the variable.

Has anyone else run into this limitation or found creative workarounds? Would love to hear your thoughts—whether you’d find this useful, or if you see any challenges with how it could be implemented.

Thanks!

Mike