How to manage your digital assets with Drupal
Media companies on a daily basis create, manage and publish huge volumes of digital files or assets. These digital assets which include images, audios, videos, graphics, documentation etc need to be properly managed. Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems are solutions to store, organize, locate, retrieve and share these digital files. The management of these assets include workflows, complex asset access controls, preset standardizations, storage specifications.
The digital files are stored by the DAM system in a centralized digital library or database. The DAM system is easy to use even while providing the stakeholders with controlled access to the digital assets.
The term digital asset management covers a broad spectrum of software solutions, from individual digital libraries for audio/video files to solutions at par with enterprise content management.
Types of DAM Systems
- Video Asset Management (VAM) specializes in handling a large number of videos, variations in video format and codec variations.
- Production asset management (PAM) system focus on managing assets for digital media production. Each project is managed from the workflow to the storage including the revision control of changes in the digital assets.
- Media Asset Management (MAM) systems extend DAM system functionality by providing fast uploads and automatic preview creation of large media files. The preview of the large media files enable users to view them before download.
- Cloud digital asset management (Cloud DAM) provides access to assets in the cloud anytime, anywhere. The cloud storage of digital assets enables easier retrieval of assets and sharing along with the features of project management.
Benefits of a DAM
Along with the intrinsic value of the digital assets, the added benefits are:
- Increases the reusability of the digital assets at hand with organized storage capability.
- Eliminates duplicate content production with easily accessible files.
- Allows teams to share and collaborate.
- Monetization and distribution of digital assets.
DAM enables automation of workflow, archival backups, usage tracking, pattern discovery and more.
Drupal 8 and DAM
Media companies use Drupal along with Digital asset management to create digital solutions (with the help of Drupal service providers) while maintaining and managing media assets along with the usage rights and licenses. Using Drupal 8 with its features and functionalities, the Digital Asset Management solution is enhanced with all that is needed to ensure reusability and real-time tracking of media assets.
The contributed modules along with Drupal core provide most of the basic media management requirements. Special features can be easily be created through new modules.
There are quite a few distributions in Drupal that also offer custom applications specific to media handling requirements. For example, Lightning distribution (Acquia), Thunder ( Hubert Media), NP8 distribution ( MD Systems).1
Zyxware Technologies as a Drupal development company, has experienced first hand the significance of digital assets for enterprises in the web space. Digital asset management applications are quickly becoming essential systems in business (big and small) as digital assets continue to expand. To leverage our expertise in integrating DAM in Drupal websites, get in touch with us.
References
[1].http://buytaert.net/a-plan-for-media-management-in-drupal-8
