Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE) are described. A user equipment (UE) may receive a downlink control information scheduling transmission of periodic multimedia traffic bursts to the UE with a first periodic cadence. The UE may receive control signaling from the UE indicating that the UE is to periodically transmit sounding reference signals to the base station according to a second cadence, which may be a multiple of the first periodic cadence. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may receive control signaling indicating that the UE is to transmit a sounding reference signal at a time associated with a beginning of at least one of the periodic multimedia traffic bursts. The UE may transmit one or more sounding reference signals to the base station in accordance with the control signaling.