Dropbox has added time-based commenting for audio and video files, the company announced. This new support makes it possible to leave comments at specific times on both types of content, eliminating the need to place comments in a separate email or document. Other Dropbox users who have access to the file can see the comments and leave their own, simplifying the process of collaboration.
While cloud services are a great way to upload and share a video or audio file with others, most of them aren't ideal for actual review and collaboration on work. Annotating specific parts of an audio or video file generally requires that those comments be made with timestamps.
When other users make adjustments based on those initial comments — then leave their own updated comments — the document or email chain can quickly become disorganized, making it difficult to stay organized and ensure all comments have been addressed. That’s where Dropbox’s new commenting system comes in.
Dropbox already offers a commenting system for other file types, which is part of the collaboration system that makes the service useful for projects and offices. The new video and audio-based commenting system is essentially an extension of the existing file feedback system, which covers most documents.
The new annotation feature supports more than 30 audio and video file formats, including the popular MP3 and MP4. Dropbox users can share large files, including those that are multi-gigabyte in size, without compressing them. Other users who have access to the file can tag another user using the classic @mention.
The new support is coming to iOS and desktop. Android will be added soon.
