DAM Knowledge The Best DAM Canto Alternatives Finding the right DAM for your organization doesn't need to be complicated. We've broken down the best DAM Canto alternatives to help you navigate the market. April 10, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 6 min read Are you exploring options for a digital asset management system? Deciding on the right DAM solution can be overwhelming with the growing market offering numerous options. DAM systems equipped with auto tagging, machine learning, and video and audio intelligence can enable organizations to gain real competitive advantage. But which one is right for your business? Let’s explore some of the best DAM solutions on the market, and compare Canto alternatives. We’ll cover: MediaValet vs Canto Canto’s Pros and Cons The Top Canto Alternatives How to Choose the Right DAM MediaValet vs. Canto G2, the largest and most trusted third-party software and professional services review site, ranks MediaValet as a “Market Leader” in the DAM space, driven by high customer satisfaction ratings and a significant market presence. “Market Leader” represents the top level in G2’s ranking system, indicating products that are highly rated by users and have substantial market presence. Who is MediaValet? Voted as a leader in the Enterprise Digital Asset Management 2025 space by G2 Crowd, MediaValet makes assets instantly more searchable, discoverable and sharable. With a roster of customers across numerous industries like higher education, nonprofit, manufacturing and countless other industries, MediaValet stands at the forefront of the enterprise, cloud-native, software-as-a-service digital asset management and creative operations industries. Built exclusively on Microsoft Azure and available across 61 Microsoft data center regions in 140 countries around the world, MediaValet delivers unparalleled enterprise-class security, reliability, redundancy, compliance, and scalability; while offering the largest global footprint of any cloud DAM solution. MediaValet is the #1 DAM on the market for security. SecurityScorecard rates MediaValet 98/100. Based on the 2025 DAM Trends Report, MediaValet customers report incredible achievements with their DAM: 82% achieve ROI in just 1 year save an average of 13.5 hours per week on asset-related tasks 89% are highly satisfied with their DAM The MediaValet Difference: Lightening Fast ROI Based on G2 data, MediaValet customers achieve ROI 5 months faster than Canto users. These time savings contribute to significant business benefits, including enhanced brand consistency, increased productivity, and improved team collaboration, with 76% of our customers reporting cost savings in asset creation. Check out MediaValet in action with our free, self-guided DAM tour! Take a tour of MediaValet How does MediaValet compare to Canto? MediaValet vs. Canto: Support MediaValet provides dedicated onboarding and customer success managers for each client, ensuring a seamless transition and ongoing support. Our 24/7 support system is a major benefit for global teams that need constant access. According the to 2025 DAM Trends Report, MediaValet customers are highly satisfied with the DAM. In fact, we score a 4.3 out of 5 stars! “As an administrator I enjoy the fact that customer support is excellent!” MidMarket Director of Marketing and Sales, G2 MediaValet vs. Canto: Brand Guidelines A DAM system is critical in maintaining brand guidelines across an organization, aligning all marketing and communication efforts with the brand’s core values. G2 recognizes MediaValet as the leading DAM for managing enterprise-level brand guidelines. MediaValet helps you to both connect and protect your brand with Branded Portals, CDN Linking, and Lightboxes as well as clear and comprehensive asset rights labels. It enables organizations to ensure brand consistency and compliancy. “We have found great value in the branded portal functionality!” Mid Market user, G2 MediaValet vs. Canto: Product Direction At MediaValet, the primary goal is to ensure each new feature or update addresses customer challenges. Our proactive approach to product development, which incorporates customer feedback into our roadmap, is reflected in our latest innovation, MediaValet Templating powered by Marq. Customers are invited to frequent product update webinars and have access to the product roadmap for full transparency on what’s coming. “It’s great to have a DAM that is constantly evolving into a better platform and to know the software is not intended to be a one size fits all for every company.” User in higher education, G2 MediaValet vs. Canto: Video Did you know that 93% of marketers are embracing video content to accomplish higher engagement and ROI. Video content needs a secure, functional repository. And based on the DAM Trends Report, more than half of MediaValet customers are storing video files in their DAM system. MediaValet is a pioneer in Audio/ Visual intelligence (AVI), enabling automatic generation of transcripts and translations in over 60 languages. Our AI-enhanced auto-tagging and time-stamped metadata make locating specific frames or videos effortless. “MediaValet has [made] internal communication regarding videos much simpler.” SMB Director of Sports Broadcasting, G2 MediaValet vs. Canto: Analytics MediaValet’s analytics tools offer detailed insights into asset performance and user engagement, aiding businesses in optimizing their content strategies. Our real-time dashboards provide valuable metrics on user, asset, and portal engagement. The reporting functionality within MediaValet helps teams to monitor actions within the DAM to identify power users, schedule training sessions, and maximize its ROI. Canto Pros and Cons Canto, with over 30 years in the industry, is a well-known DAM solution, especially for smaller organizations seeking a cost-effective option. Here’s a more detailed look at the advantages and challenges of opting for Canto as a DAM provider: Pro – Ease of Use Canto has a straightforward interface and user-centric design, making it accessible for those with minimal technical expertise. This ease of use can be beneficial for smaller teams that may not have dedicated IT support and need a DAM system they can operate independently. Con – Scalability and Features While Canto provides essential DAM functionalities effectively, it may encounter limitations when scaling to meet the demands of larger enterprises or more complex use cases. When compared to more robust systems like MediaValet, Canto might lack some of the advanced features needed for extensive enterprise use. For instance, more sophisticated analytics tools, integration capabilities, or customization options that go beyond the basic offerings of Canto. “What do you dislike about Canto? Feature Scalability. . . it also lacks some extra features that make the other offers so enticing.” SMB E-Learning User, G2 Explore More Canto Alternatives Brandfolder When considering Canto alternatives, Brandfolder will always show up as a solid DAM competitor. Boasting an incredible strong market presence, and massive client logos, Brandfolder is usually better suited to larger organizations. Where do they win against Canto? According to Gartner, Brandfolder wins when it comes to scalability and pricing flexibility. Interested in more information on Brandfolder alternatives? Check out this post. Acquia DAM (Widen) Another strong Canto alternative is Acquia DAM (widen) which has been available for more than 2 decades on the market. When compared by Gartner reviews, Acquia comes out on top with better service and support, scalability, and pricing. Bynder When considering Canto alternatives, Bynder will always show up as a competitor. One of the most recognizable DAMs in the industry, Bynder client list includes some huge brands and organizations. Where do they win against Canto? According to Gartner, Bynder is a better choice for organizations that need to scale, need significant product training, and more comprehensive integration options. Interested in more information on Bynder alternatives? Check out this post. What Should you Look for in a Digital Asset Management System? When choosing a digital asset management solution, it’s crucial to consider your organization’s unique needs. How much content will the DAM need to store? Are there systems that will become redundant when we implement a DAM? We have multiple internal and external users – how will we support and manage them all? Your buying team needs to define your requirements and identify non-negotiable features. But as a rule of thumb, there are several key factors that will ensure a DAM can meet your more general organizational needs effectively: Security Features: Protecting your digital assets from unauthorized access and data breaches is paramount. Look for a system that offers strong security measures such as encrypted data transfer, secure access controls, and regular backups. These features help safeguard your assets and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. Ease of Use: The DAM system should have an intuitive interface that allows users of all technical levels to access and manage assets efficiently. This includes easy navigation, quick access to files, and simple tools for uploading, tagging, and organizing content. A user-friendly interface reduces the learning curve and helps in achieving higher adoption rates across the organization. Advanced Search Capabilities: With the vast amount of digital assets that organizations accumulate, the ability to quickly find an exact file is crucial. Look for a DAM system that offers robust search functions including metadata tagging, keyword searches, and advanced filtering options. This ensures that users can retrieve assets efficiently without having to sift through irrelevant files. Integration Capabilities: The DAM system should seamlessly integrate with other tools and systems used by your organization, such as content management systems (CMS), marketing automation tools, and creative software. Integration facilitates a more streamlined workflow and ensures that assets are easily accessible across different platforms and departments. Scalability: As your organization grows, so will your digital asset needs. A good DAM system should be scalable, accommodating increased storage needs and additional users without performance issues. This includes having flexible cloud storage options and the ability to handle various file types and sizes. Support and Maintenance: Reliable technical support and regular updates are vital to maintaining a DAM system’s efficiency and security. Choose a provider that offers excellent customer support, training resources, and proactive maintenance to ensure that the system continues to meet your needs over time. Related Articles DAM Knowledge DAM vs CMS: How Are They Different? Read more DAM Knowledge The Essential Guide to Digital Asset Management Workflows Read more DAM Knowledge The Beginners Guide to Building a DAM Taxonomy Read more DAM Knowledge Understanding DAM User Roles Read more Ready to see what the DAM hype’s about? Meet with one of our product experts Book a demo
Shopping For a DAM Why Digital Asset Management is Crucial in 2025 Digital asset management systems are critical to the modern tech stack; our blog post explains why & how a DAM can positively impact online presence. April 8, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 7 min read Over the last couple of years digital asset management systems, especially those powered by AI, have landed on the radar for many organizations shifting toward a new digital-first, rich content-focused environment. In fact, we’ve seen a growing number of organizations benefiting from DAM systems usage across their entire organizations. DAM is no longer part of the MarTech stack – it’s crucial to an organization’s technological success. As the digital transformation wave continues to change how business is done online, there are several factors worth considering, including why DAM is such an important investment for the coming years. Why Digital Asset Management Is Important in 2025 In today’s dynamic digital landscape, effectively managing and utilizing digital assets has become a critical component of success. As organizations strive to meet rising demands for personalized, high-quality content and seamless collaboration, digital asset management software (DAM) emerges as a pivotal solution. With innovations in AI-driven automation, video optimization, and rich media management, DAM systems like MediaValet are transforming how businesses streamline workflows, enhance brand consistency, and adapt to the challenges of 2025. According to the latest DAM Trends Report, organizations that integrate DAM across their operations report significant improvements in efficiency, collaboration, and return on investment (ROI). By aligning with key digital marketing trends—such as AI adoption, the growth of video content, and hyper-personalization—DAM is becoming an indispensable part of the modern tech stack. In this post, we’ll dive into how DAM helps organizations stay competitive in 2025 while future-proofing their digital strategy. Why are Digital Assets Important? Organizations are feeling the pressure to address the need to create more content for more channels…but with less resources. Specifically, they need to find ways to both produce and disseminate more digital assets than ever before. Maintaining digital presence is one challenge, the next is evolving digital presence to compete! To accomplish an impactful, effective digital transformation, it’s necessary to properly manage massive or growing amounts of digital assets like rich media and video content and enable seamless access across entire organizations. Digital assets are indispensable in the digital marketing ecosystem, serving as the lifeblood of content strategies that engage, inform, and convert audiences. They encompass everything from images and videos to documents and multimedia presentations, each playing a pivotal role in storytelling and brand representation. Digital Assets are Essential to Engaging Audiences Digital assets are the cornerstone of modern marketing, crucial for capturing and maintaining audience engagement in a digital-first landscape. Through compelling visuals, interactive content, and personalized experiences, these assets connect emotionally and intellectually with viewers and drive conversions. Rich media ads deliver engagement rates of 16.54%, compared to 2.14% with standard ads, so as organizations undergo a pivotal shift to more dynamic visuals, and we see videos become central to engaging audiences, there is a higher demand for more sophisticated management and distribution tools. It’s critical to enhance both effectiveness of and visibility to campaigns with the right digital assets. Digital Assets Showcase Brand Values Beyond their practical utility, digital assets carry the essence of a brand’s culture and values. They are not just tools for communication but are embodiments of the brand’s identity, enabling organizations to connect with their audiences on a more personal and emotional level. Through careful curation and management, these assets become the voice of the brand, conveying messages that resonate with values, aspirations, and the unique character that distinguishes one brand from another. As we see organizations struggle to produce and manage the sheer number of assets required to simply maintain their online presence, it’s important to look to AI as a method to improve productivity. The Challenges of Modern Marketers and How DAM Can Solve Them According to Forbes Business Council, in 2025, most organizations will face four common challenges when it comes to managing digital assets and digital presence. 1. AI-Powered Automation: Working Smarter, Not Harder AI continues to transform how organizations manage tasks, freeing teams to focus on creative and strategic work. DAM systems like MediaValet leverage AI for: Auto-tagging and search: Automatically tag and organize assets upon upload, reducing manual effort and increasing discoverability. Content personalization: AI-driven tools enable hyper-targeted campaigns by analyzing user behavior and segmenting audiences effectively. By integrating AI into DAM, businesses can streamline workflows, reduce bottlenecks, and deliver personalized customer experiences at scale. 2. Video Content Dominance: Winning Engagement in the Digital Era Video remains one of the most effective tools for capturing audience attention, and platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are leading the charge. DAM systems empower teams to manage the complexities of video production and distribution by: Optimizing storage and access: Centralizing high-quality video content ensures seamless collaboration across teams. Facilitating multi-platform sharing: DAM tools simplify the distribution of video content optimized for different platforms, increasing reach and engagement. Enhancing production workflows: Features like automated transcription and version control ensure content is delivered quickly and accurately. Organizations using DAM systems report faster project deployment and improved campaign performance, underscoring the value of investing in video asset management. 3. Personalization at Scale: Elevating Customer Experiences In 2025, consumers expect brands to know their preferences and deliver hyper-relevant content. DAM systems support personalization by: Creating dynamic user journeys: Use AI to map customer behavior and predict needs, tailoring content accordingly. Ensuring consistency: Maintain brand integrity by managing all assets from a single, unified platform. With DAM, marketing teams can create campaigns that resonate with audiences at every stage of their journey, improving conversion rates and customer loyalty. 4. Shopable Content and Influencers: Bridging Social Media and E-commerce The line between social media and shopping has blurred, with platforms like Instagram and Pinterest introducing in-app shopping features. DAM systems help brands stay ahead of this trend by: Organizing influencer content: Centralize user-generated and influencer-created content for easy reuse across campaigns. Streamlining approvals: Integrated proofing tools like MediaValet Proofing ensure assets are on-brand and ready for publication. Driving engagement: Enable quick access to shoppable content that aligns with campaign goals. By simplifying how assets are managed and shared, DAM enhances the impact of shoppable content and influencer marketing campaigns. Why a Digital Asset Management System is so Important As businesses adapt to the sweeping changes brought about by digital transformation trends, Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems like MediaValet provide critical solutions. MediaValet, with its robust features, is uniquely positioned to help organizations navigate these trends efficiently, enhancing their digital asset ROI, reach, and distribution. Let’s explore how MediaValet addresses these key digital transformation challenges. 1. Leveraging AI for Enhanced Asset Organization and Discovery The evolution of AI is a significant trend in digital transformation, offering smarter ways to handle vast amounts of digital content. MediaValet’s AI-driven approach reduces manual tagging and searching time, ensuring that teams can focus on high-value creative and analytical tasks. By streamlining the discovery process, MediaValet enhances operational efficiency and accelerates project timelines. Auto-tagging and Advanced Search Ensure Accurate Asset Usage Auto-tagging abilities in a MediaValet DAM automate the most tedious, human-error-prone tasks like meta tagging assets. On upload, the DAM automatically tags content with relevant keywords to significantly boost the discoverability of assets. Advanced Search optimizes how teams search for assets and uses object, color, and text recognition to ensure the right content is found and meets audience and campaign needs effectively. Face Recognition Streamlines Campaign Creation MediaValet’s Face Recognition technology streamlines campaign creation by automatically tagging and organizing photos of people across an entire library. It allows for better image management enabling teams to easily comply with usage rights and model releases and to quickly identify and compile all images featuring a specific person for a targeted campaign, reducing manual search time and enhancing campaign relevance. 2. Supporting Rich Media to Meet Market Demands As the demand for rich media content grows, organizations face the challenge of managing and storing diverse and sizeable digital files. MediaValet addresses this need by offering high-capacity storage solutions that support a wide range of file types, including high-resolution images, 3D models, and interactive content. This capability ensures that organizations can store and access all their rich media assets in one place, maintaining brand consistency across all digital touchpoints and meeting the market’s demand for engaging content. 3. Optimizing Video Content for Greater Engagement With the increase in the use of video content, businesses require sophisticated tools to manage, share, and publish videos effectively. MediaValet offers specialized video management features, AVI includes automated video translation and transcription, version control to keep track of edits, scene, object, person, and text identification and isolation, and rendering to enable easy distribution across various channels. These features enable organizations to leverage video content fully, enhancing audience engagement and maximizing the impact of their digital marketing efforts. AudioVisual Intelligence (AVI) Accelerates Time to Market MediaValet’s AVI is an industry-leading feature that can accelerate campaign time to market for organizations, even those targeting global markets. By automatically searching, discovering, translating, and transcoding an entire video library it enables team to swiftly adapt marketing materials, ensuring consistent messaging while significantly reducing the turnaround time for campaign launches with rich media files. AVI not only propels organizations towards more dynamic and responsive online strategies but also underscores the critical role of DAM in amplifying the value of video assets in an increasingly digital-first world. 4. Maximizing Digital Asset ROI, Reach, and Distribution Understanding the performance of digital assets is crucial for maximizing ROI, reach, and distribution. MediaValet provides detailed analytics and reporting tools that offer insights into how assets are being used and performing across different channels. This data enables organizations to make informed decisions about content strategy, helping them to allocate resources more effectively and tailor their content to meet audience needs better. MediaValet Mobile also enables teams to access the DAM from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection, accelerating content uploads and downloads, sales pitches, and campaign deployments! MediaValet’s DAM system offers powerful solutions to the challenges posed by current digital transformation trends. By leveraging AI for smarter asset management, supporting rich media content, optimizing video content use, and providing insights into asset performance, organizations can maximize their digital asset ROI, reach, and distribution. As businesses continue to navigate the evolving digital landscape, MediaValet stands as a crucial partner in achieving their digital transformation goals. The Benefits of Digital Asset Management for 2025 Organizations that invest in a robust digital asset management strategy see transformative results: 81% improve collaboration across teams. 100% achieve faster project timelines. 80% streamline creative processes. Save an average of 13.5 hours per week on asset-related tasks. The benefits of a digital asset management system extend beyond storage and organization—DAM drives efficiency, boosts ROI, and future-proofs your digital marketing and asset management efforts. Get Ahead with a Digital Asset Management It is evident that organizations are facing new hurdles with the digital transformation wave but it’s also clear that a DAM can help teams mitigate these challenges and enhance online performance. By simplifying processes and centralizing all high-value media into a secure cloud-based library, a DAM will help teams maximize success in 2025. The benefits that a DAM can provide to your team, however, do not end here. Learn more about how a DAM can help your organization by scheduling a demo with us today. Related Articles Shopping For a DAM Why DAM is Crucial During Mergers and Acquisitions Read more Shopping For a DAM PIM vs DAM: Are They Better Together? 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Product 3 Use Cases for Custom Category Permissions In this post, we look at three ways MediaValet customers are using Category Access Management to support their category use cases. April 4, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 3 min read Setting up a digital asset management (DAM) system for your team is the first step to a more organized and efficient workflow—but not all solutions are created equal. Many cloud-based DAM systems aren’t designed to support customized user access needs. This is a major hiccup for the rollout and user adoption of a DAM, as the only way for organizations to secure sensitive documents and other materials is to completely restrict access for many people. When not everyone can access a DAM, users need to constantly submit requests for the latest documents, photos, logos, and more. This presents a huge challenge for many teams because it eats up time and hinders productivity. With MediaValet’s Category Level Permissions (CLP) features, organizations are able to create an unlimited number of user groups and customize their permissions and access levels, including their ability to access, share and download specific sets of assets. This means no interruption to anyone’s workflow due to asset requests, as everyone can access what they need, anytime, from anywhere. In this post, we’ll look at three ways MediaValet customers are using Category Level Permissions (CLP) to support their category use cases: Departmental, Partners, and Retired Assets. Let’s dive into each use case below. 1. Departmental Departmental use of category level permissions across an organization helps to keep the right assets in the right hands, and not to overwhelm any single user with access to too much. User permissions are set up in a way that team members only have access to, or have restricted actions to assets relevant to their department. This gives departments autonomy over their assets, keeping them up-to-date and accurate. Category access can be as nuanced as needed—with subcategories that are only visible to certain people within a department. Category level permissions can be an extremely helpful feature for any of the following departments: Design, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Customer Success, IT, Human Resources, Operations, and more. Example Say the marketing department at your company hired a social media coordinator. This person doesn’t need access to some of the subcategories within the marketing department bucket—like budgets and forecasting. But they do need visual brand assets. The DAM admin limits the social media coordinator’s user permissions to reflect what they need access to in their role. 2. Partners Custom user permissions are extremely convenient when dealing with partners outside of the company who sometimes need access to the DAM. Third-party contractors like graphic designers who need access to core brand assets can easily log in and grab what they need, without having access to anything else. Category level permissions can be extremely helpful when working with any of the following external partners: Photographers, Videographers, Agencies, Suppliers, Distributors, Retailors, Doners, Printers, and more. Example Your advertising agency could have a login with strict user permissions to access only a category where the brand assets like logos and fonts are. They can seamlessly put together campaigns without having to request content from anyone at your company. 3. Retired Assets One of the biggest problems companies without a DAM have is people using out-of-date, non-approved, or off-brand assets. With custom user permissions you no longer have to worry about anyone having access to old, expired content. The DAM admin can restrict access to retired assets, avoiding confusion and improving brand consistency. Category level permissions can be extremely helpful when working with any of the following retired assets: Images, Videos, Logos, Icons, Campaigns, Advertisements, Presentations, Spreadsheets, and more. Example Say your company did a brand refresh and updated your logos. You need to retire every old asset that shows the outdated logo to avoid anyone from accidentally using them. You can simply archive those assets, and because of user permissions, no one will even be able to see them—let alone use them. Ready to Get Started? MediaValet is a cloud-based DAM system designed to support customized user access needs, offering features that improve teams’ workflows by decreasing time spent filling requests for assets. Customized user access ensures better asset security and brand consistency across the organization. Want to learn more about Category Level Permissions and how it can support your use case? Get in touch or ask your MediaValet account manager for more information! 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Shopping For a DAM How to Buy a DAM in 2025 There are 7 essential steps for selecting the right DAM in 2025. Read the comprehensive DAM Buying Guide to make an informed decision. March 31, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 6 min read A digital asset management (DAM) system is a critical aspect of your organization’s tech stack – but when it comes time to buy a DAM, finding the right one can be tricky. So we’ve built out the essential 7 steps you need to follow to determine the scope and objectives of a DAM project and find the right DAM vendor for your organization. Following these 7 steps, you can successfully get your DAM project off the ground, communicate its value across your organization and determine your needs. Learn how to buy a DAM, accelerate your DAM project, and find the right vendor to partner with, long-term. How to Buy a DAM Step 1 Your Objective: Understand your organization’s specific needs and the objectives for implementing a DAM system. Here are some key examples of how a DAM can deliver: Simplified access to on-brand assets for departments (Internal and External) Reduce resources spent on reproducing work Increased creative efficiencies Better brand consistency Streamlined GTM campaigns and faster time-to-market And some other considerations to help understand the scope of your DAM project: How much content will the DAM need to store? Are there systems that will become redundant when we implement a DAM? We have multiple internal and external users – how will we support and manage them all? PS. Reviewing your security requirements is critical! You should have a clear grasp on how vendors comply with regulations, their data breach history, and their data center reliability. Learn more about MediaValet’s security offering here. How to Buy a DAM Step 2 Your Objective: Identify who needs to be involved and gain buy in from all departments and teams that will use the DAM. Cross-functional teams have become integral to the tech acquisition process and so, securing consensus is more complex than ever. It’s crucial to navigate through the complexities of stakeholder approval and achieve unanimous buy-in for your DAM initiative, but first, you need to identify key players in the buying group: CMO Head of IT CFO Head of Sales Enablement How to Buy a DAM Step 3 Your Objective: Discover various DAM solutions available that could meet your needs. It’s time to weigh up your DAM vendor options against each other and find out which digital asset management system fit your organization. There are several ways to dig into research but for unbiased, reliable feedback on a vendor, the best place to start is third party review sites like G2. If a vendor is rated over 4.5 stars – that’s considered a great rating! You can check out the G2 DAM Vendor Comparison guide here. How to Buy a DAM Step 4 Your Objective: Build a short list of roughly 3 to 5 DAM vendors worth moving forward to the demo phase with. Each vendor that makes the short list should meet (at the very least) your desired functionalities, integration capabilities with your existing tech stack, and budget constraints. It’s also time to decide on your demo group. Are you going to do one or two rounds of demos, and will there be multiple stakeholders involved or just you? When 2 or more people are involved, it can help to streamline the process. How to Buy a DAM Step 5 Your Objective: Plan for a comprehensive demonstration of the DAM system. Take the time to develop scenarios or use cases that you want the vendor to demonstrate. Your questions should revolve around the system, its features, accessibility, integrations, scalability, security, and support. Ask if there is a DAM Specialist available to help you work through taxonomy and other DAM best practices! And above all, ensure that the vendor can offer your team sufficient support – throughout onboarding and the rest of your lifecycle! Interested in seeing a DAM in action? Check out this self-guided tour of MediaValet: Take a tour of MediaValet How to Buy a DAM Step 6 Your Objective: Consider all cost factors involved in implementing and maintaining the DAM system. Buying a DAM system is a long-term decision. It’s important to choose carefully and ensure that the technology you’re integrating into your operations can enhance collaboration across departments, and safeguard your digital assets against ever-evolving security threats, and ultimately, prove to be a worthwhile investment. You need to build an informed cost analysis to ensure you prove the value of your DAM system and secure appropriate funding. Start with how much the DAM system subscription will cost and ensure you cover everything in between that and the potential costs saved against software you will no longer need or use. How to Buy a DAM Step 7 Your Objective: Work with the vendor to plan for migration, training, and ongoing support. Once you’re sure your vendor can meet your technical requirements, you need to ensure they are experienced in and capable of fostering adoption through effective partnership. Make a detailed plan for: Onboarding Migration Plan Training Support Why is MediaValet the Premier Choice in DAM? Accelerate Impactful ROI 80% of our customers achieve ROI in just 18 months, and according to G2, MediaValet customers achieve ROI 3.2 months faster than our competitors’. How? We implement MediaValet and onboard customers to facilitate a 57% faster go live time than our competitors. This manifests in: Saved money on asset creation for 76% of MediaValet customers and Stronger brand consistency for 100% of enterprise DAM customers. “With MediaValet in place, our team can now better perform. [The DAM] helped improve productivity and the ROI of our assets!” Dennis Washington, TD Industries Rest Assured with Premier Security MediaValet is the #1 DAM Vendor on the market for security as rated by SecurityScorecard. MediaValet is: SOC 2 certified by PwC, GDPR, CCPA and PIPEDA compliant, and can assist customers with DPA (Data Processing Agreement) requirements, HIPAA compliant and able to assist with any BAA (Business Associate Agreement) requirements, and Built on Microsoft Azure, which is compliant and/or certified with more than 90 regulatory standards. “As a massive organization, we have very strict procurement guidelines and security requirements for vendors… MediaValet stood out immediately as a front runner.” James Carter, Experian Achieve More with Top Tier Support Your success is our success. Our customers rate us higher than our competitors for support. In fact, according to G2 reports, we score 95% for support – ahead of the average 91%. We offer unlimited product support, a comprehensive training program, and resident DAM experts to help you achieve your goals. “The quality of support at MediaValet has been game changing . . . small issues we report are addressed by the end of the day!” Emily Hegranes, US Naval Institute Scale, Cost-Effectively,at your Own Pace Our solution meets you where you are today and will be your partner in growth as you progress on your DAM journey. Add unlimited users at no extra cost Build a DAM without restrictions with unlimited categories and tags “MediaValet was an easy sell – it costs way less, does way more, everybody can access it, and it’s easy to use.” Cori Canady, Community Associations Institute (CAI) Are you interested in learning more in-detail steps on how to buy a DAM? You can download the full DAM Buying Guide here to find more in-depth information on each step! Alternatively, reach out to find out how MediaValet can help your organization! Related Articles Shopping For a DAM Why DAM is Crucial During Mergers and Acquisitions Read more Shopping For a DAM PIM vs DAM: Are They Better Together? Read more Shopping For a DAM Building a Business Case for DAM: The 6 Step Guide Read more Shopping For a DAM The Best Digital Asset Management Platform for your Organization Read more Ready to see what the DAM hype’s about? Meet with one of our product experts Book a demo
DAM Knowledge How DAM Supports Consent Management, GDPR Compliance, and Privacy Regulations Learn how a digital asset management system can enable organizations to comply with consent management and privacy regulations. March 27, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 4 min read As data privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and PIPEDA reshape how organizations handle personal data, marketing teams, creative departments, and IT leaders are being asked to do more than just protect digital assets—they need to prove compliance. It’s necessary for organizations to simplify consent management and ensure GDPR and global privacy regulation compliance at scale. Why Data Privacy Can’t Be an Afterthought This is especially complex with rich media or digital assets like photos, videos, and documents that may contain personally identifiable information. Enter: Digital Asset Management (DAM). Modern DAM systems don’t just store content—they enforce privacy governance, streamline consent management, and support compliance with global privacy regulations. What Is Consent Management? Consent management refers to the process of obtaining, storing, and tracking an individual’s permission to collect, use, or distribute their personal data—especially when it appears in media assets. Under laws like GDPR, organizations must: Obtain explicit and informed consent. Provide an option to withdraw consent at any time. Keep proof of consent and audit trails. Failing to do so can result in significant legal and financial consequences. How DAM Systems Assist with GDPR and Privacy Compliance Digital Asset Management platforms offer a centralized, structured way to handle assets while also embedding privacy-by-design principles. 1. Centralized Consent Tracking Link digital consent forms directly to specific assets (e.g., a person in a video). When someone revokes consent, the system can flag or restrict the associated asset automatically. See how University of California, San Francisco does this with MediaValet. 2. Custom Consent Templates Use pre-approved, customizable consent form templates based on geography, use case, or campaign type—ensuring every project starts with compliance in mind. 3. Automated Workflows Trigger alerts when consent expires, assets are used outside of scope, or distribution conditions change—eliminating manual errors. 4. Audit-Ready Reporting DAM platforms record actions like asset uploads, sharing, edits, and consent changes—creating an audit trail critical for compliance reviews. Check out this self-guided tour of MediaValet to see a DAM in action! Take a tour of MediaValet Beyond GDPR: Adapting to Global Privacy Regulations While GDPR (EU/UK) is the most well-known, other privacy laws are gaining traction: Regulation Region Key Features CCPA/CPRA California, USA Opt-out rights, data sale transparency PIPEDA Canada Consent for collection, access to records HIPAA USA (Healthcare) Safeguards for medical data FERPA USA (Education) Protection of student records A modern DAM platform helps teams manage these overlapping requirements—globally and at scale. Industry Spotlight: High-Privacy Sectors 🔒 Higher Education Universities manage vast media libraries—student interviews, event photography, classroom recordings. These often include minors or sensitive information. DAM in Higher Ed helps: Track student consent by academic year. Manage parental consent for minors. Restrict access to research and instructional content. Example: Flagging graduation photos where students didn’t grant external sharing consent before they’re used in marketing materials. 🏛️ Government and Municipalities Public institutions must balance transparency with privacy—especially when media is shared across internal and public channels. DAM in Government helps: Log and restrict sensitive media (e.g., faces in bodycam footage). Store consents in alignment with state/provincial regulations. Create automatic expiration dates for time-limited usage rights. Example: Ensuring that community event footage can only be shared for a defined time and within specified platforms. 🏥 Healthcare and Life Sciences Video, photography, and documentation often involve patients or subjects under strict privacy laws like HIPAA and GDPR. DAM in Healthcare helps: Store media under encrypted access. Link anonymized metadata with original media files. Control who can view or download content based on user roles. Example: Ensuring clinical trial footage can only be accessed by authorized research staff, with full logging of interactions. 💼 Finance and Professional Services Client meetings, internal training sessions, and product demos may include sensitive financial or personal information. DAM in Finance helps: Assign clearance levels for internal vs. external distribution. Manage media across jurisdictions with different privacy rules. Automate archiving of outdated or high-risk assets. Example: Removing outdated client testimonial videos that no longer have valid consent for public sharing. Best Practices for Privacy-First DAM Usage Building a DAM strategy with privacy at its core isn’t just a technical task—it’s a cross-functional initiative. Here’s how to ensure your DAM system supports ongoing compliance with GDPR and other privacy regulations: ✅ Implement Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC) Not every user needs access to every asset. Use RBAC to: Restrict access to sensitive or personally identifiable media. Create user groups based on function (e.g., marketing, legal, HR). Prevent unauthorized distribution or accidental use of regulated content. Tip: Apply the “least privilege” principle—users should only have access to the assets necessary for their role. ✅ Conduct Regular Audits of Consent and Metadata Even the best consent workflows need periodic reviews. Schedule quarterly or monthly audits to: Confirm consent is up to date and not expired. Remove or archive assets that are no longer compliant. Check metadata for completeness and accuracy (e.g., location, usage rights, subject names). Bonus: Use DAM reporting features to automate these checks. ✅ Integrate with Legal, HR, and Compliance Tools Privacy management doesn’t happen in isolation. Connect your DAM with: HR systems to manage employee consents. Legal tools for contract and release form storage. Compliance dashboards to unify governance workflows. This ensures that any updates or revocations in one system flow directly into your asset library—without manual rework. ✅ Provide Training for Users Handling Personal Data Your compliance is only as strong as your team’s understanding. Make privacy part of onboarding and ongoing training by: Hosting DAM-specific data privacy training sessions. Creating role-based tutorials on consent workflows. Sharing quick guides or checklists for compliant asset use. Pro tip: Encourage employees to flag non-compliant assets during uploads—it’s easier to prevent risk than fix it later. ✅ Stay Informed with Alerts and Smart Features Privacy regulations evolve constantly. Stay ahead with DAM features like: Custom alerts when consent is about to expire or is revoked. AI-driven tagging that automatically identifies faces, logos, or private data in images and videos. Geo-tag filtering to enforce regional compliance (e.g., stricter policies in the EU vs. US). Example: If your DAM detects a face in a photo without attached consent metadata, it can automatically flag it for review before publishing. Privacy Isn’t Optional—It’s Operational Whether you’re in government, education, healthcare, or finance, the stakes around data privacy are only rising. DAM platforms offer a powerful way to manage assets ethically, efficiently, and legally—all while empowering your teams to do their best creative work. Want to see how your organization can automate consent management and boost compliance? Book a personalized demo to explore how MediaValet can help. Related Articles DAM Knowledge DAM vs CMS: How Are They Different? Read more DAM Knowledge The Essential Guide to Digital Asset Management Workflows Read more DAM Knowledge The Beginners Guide to Building a DAM Taxonomy Read more DAM Knowledge Understanding DAM User Roles Read more
DAM Use Cases How to Choose a DAM for Video Distribution Video is everywhere but managing it is tough. Learn why organizations choose DAM for video distribution, and why you should too. March 13, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 7 min read Video is now the most consumed form of content online, whether it’s used for marketing campaigns, educational materials, internal training, or entertainment. But with this increased reliance on video comes an often-overlooked challenge: how to manage and distribute it effectively across channels, platforms, and teams. DAM for video distribution is the ideal solution. Many organizations still rely on makeshift solutions—shared drives, manual processes, and disconnected tools—which slows production, creates confusion, and jeopardizes brand consistency. That’s where Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems come in. When equipped with the right DAM, teams can streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and ensure seamless video distribution across all touchpoints. In this guide, we’ll explore how to choose the right DAM system to manage your video content from upload to distribution—and everything in between. What Is Digital Asset Management Software? Digital Asset Management software (DAM) is a centralized repository for storing, organizing, retrieving, and sharing digital files. While DAMs support all types of media—from images and PDFs to 3D models—they are especially valuable for managing large and complex video files. DAM platforms go beyond traditional storage. They provide intelligent tagging, role-based access, usage tracking, and direct publishing capabilities, making them indispensable for any team producing or distributing a high volume of video content. In the context of video distribution, a DAM acts as the control center. It’s where you upload, organize, review, and then launch your content to various platforms—be it social media, your CMS, or a streaming channel. Without a DAM, organizations risk losing track of content, misusing outdated assets, and overloading creative teams with manual tasks. Why DAM Is Crucial for Video Distribution Managing video without a dedicated system often leads to a long list of pain points. Files get buried in folders, team members waste time trying to find the right clip, and publishing content across channels becomes a disjointed, manual effort. A DAM designed for video distribution solves these problems. It centralizes all your video content in one secure location, complete with metadata, version history, and access controls. This makes it easier to find and reuse assets, collaborate with internal and external teams, and ensure your content is consistently on-brand and up to date. Moreover, the right DAM allows you to push content directly to your distribution channels—automating publishing workflows and eliminating the need to download, re-upload, or reformat assets for each platform. Check out the free, self-guided tour of MediaValet here! Take a tour of MediaValet Key Features to Look for in a DAM for Video Distribution Choosing the right DAM system is about more than just storage space. You need a solution built to handle the specific demands of video—from upload and review to delivery and performance tracking. Below are some of the most critical features to look for when evaluating options: DAM for Video Distribution Feature #1: Scalability Your video library is only going to grow. A scalable DAM can handle increasing file sizes, a growing number of users, and expanding global needs without slowing down. Look for systems built on cloud-native infrastructure, which offer elastic storage and global content delivery networks (CDNs) to ensure fast access from anywhere in the world. Scalability isn’t just about space—it’s also about performance. Your team shouldn’t experience lags when previewing high-res videos or downloading large files. If you’re planning long-term growth or global content campaigns, a scalable DAM is essential. DAM for Video Distribution Feature #2: Advanced Video Management Capabilities A DAM should support more than simple file storage. Look for platforms that allow you to preview video content within the system, without needing to download it. Frame-level commenting and proofing tools are particularly helpful in creative workflows, allowing stakeholders to leave precise feedback on video content. Some DAMs also offer in-platform trimming tools, enabling users to trim or extract key moments from longer videos—perfect for repurposing content for social media or ad campaigns. Multi-format support ensures your DAM can handle everything from MP4s and MOVs to ProRes and 4K UHD files without a hitch. DAM for Video Distribution Feature #3: Distribution & Publishing Integrations One of the biggest advantages of using a DAM for video asset management and distribution is its ability to connect directly to your publishing platforms. Whether you’re pushing content to YouTube, your CMS, social media accounts, or internal portals, seamless integrations save time and reduce human error. Look for DAMs with robust APIs and pre-built integrations that support automated publishing workflows. This ensures your team can go from finalized video to live content with just a few clicks—no downloading or reformatting required. DAM for Video Distribution Feature #4: User Permissions & Security Video content often includes proprietary, sensitive, or embargoed material. Without the right access controls, you risk premature releases or unauthorized use. Choose a DAM that lets you set detailed user roles and permissions, down to the folder or file level. Features like password-protected links, view-only permissions, expiration dates on shared content, and detailed audit logs are critical for maintaining control. If you work in a regulated industry, make sure your DAM meets compliance standards like SOC 2, GDPR, or HIPAA. DAM for Video Distribution Feature #5: Collaboration & Workflow Automation From script to screen, video production involves multiple stakeholders—from creatives and editors to marketers and legal teams. A good DAM simplifies collaboration with built-in creative workflow tools. These might include task assignment, automated review stages, version tracking, and notifications when approvals are needed. Even better if your DAM integrates with project management tools like Wrike, Trello, or Monday.com, allowing teams to move seamlessly between planning and execution without hopping between platforms. DAM for Video Distribution Feature #6: AI-Powered Tagging and Search One of the biggest frustrations with managing video is poor searchability. Manually tagging assets is time-consuming and error-prone. That’s why leading DAM systems use AI and machine learning to auto-tag video content based on visual recognition, object detection, speech-to-text transcription, and facial recognition. With these features, users can find relevant content faster by searching for keywords, spoken phrases, or even specific people within a video—making content discovery fast, accurate, and intuitive. How to Evaluate a DAM for Your Organization Now that you know what features to look for, how do you choose the right system? Start by identifying your specific video distribution needs—consider the types of content you produce, how many people are involved in creating and approving it, and which platforms you publish to. From there, create a feature comparison matrix. Evaluate each DAM option based on: Must-have features (like video preview, permissions, and integrations) Ease of use and onboarding time Pricing model (flat rate, per user, or storage-based). Learn more about DAM pricing here. Scalability for future growth Security and compliance Customer support and training resources Case Studies: How Organizations Use DAM for Video Distribution 🎬 Fred Rogers Productions: Unlocking Decades of Video Archives with AI With over 50 years of content creation and 1,150 full-length TV episodes, Fred Rogers Productions needed a better way to access, manage, and distribute its growing library of video assets. Their legacy on-premise system was slow, unreliable, and nearly impossible for staff to use efficiently. It lacked robust search capabilities, required users to be physically onsite, and couldn’t support modern video workflows. That changed when the team implemented MediaValet’s cloud-based DAM. With powerful audio/video intelligence (AVI) features—such as auto-tagging, AI-powered transcription, and facial recognition—they were able to instantly search across decades of footage and find specific scenes, characters, and spoken lines within seconds. The impact was transformative. Every department—from social media to licensing—gained the ability to access and distribute assets faster and more effectively. Marketing teams now use branded portals to share HD clips with public television partners. Legal teams use AVI to quickly locate content requested by external stakeholders. And licensing reps use the DAM on the road to showcase curated, on-brand assets and style guides at events. As Jack Rowley, Digital Asset Manager, shared: “Using our DAM, I was able to quickly search ‘trolley’ plus that character and find all the moments across our entire library of 1,150 episodes where they’re both present.” What began as a content management solution evolved into a powerful storytelling tool—one that connects every team to the legacy, values, and creative potential of Fred Rogers’ work. 🎞️ The Chosen: Delivering a Global Video Experience at Scale The Chosen, the first-ever multi-season series about the life of Jesus, has experienced unprecedented global success—amassing over 110 million viewers across 175 countries. But delivering a world-class video experience at that scale came with complex distribution challenges. The production team needed to manage large video files, localize content for global audiences, and collaborate with distributors and translators in real-time. By implementing MediaValet, The Chosen’s team gained a single source of truth for all their digital assets, from raw footage to final edits, promotional trailers, and subtitled versions. The DAM supports their end-to-end video production and distribution workflows, making it easier to: Store and organize massive high-resolution video files Quickly locate and share approved content Collaborate across internal teams and external vendors Maintain consistent brand standards across all versions The result? A streamlined operation that’s equipped to scale globally—without compromising quality or speed. The Chosen’s marketing and distribution teams now work in sync, ensuring that every scene, trailer, and asset is easily accessible and distributed with precision. Read the full story on The Chosen here. DAM for Video Distribution: Choose Smart, Distribute Smarter Video content is more than just a trend—it’s an essential part of how modern organizations communicate, market, and educate. But without the right tools, managing and distributing video at scale can quickly become a burden. By choosing a DAM system built for video distribution, your team can streamline workflows, reduce friction in the review and publishing process, and make better use of your content across all channels. Take the time to evaluate your needs, compare options, and invest in a solution that will grow with you. Related Articles DAM Use Cases DAM vs. Video Hosting: Which Is Better? Read more DAM Use Cases How DAM for Manufacturing Organizations Enables Global Content Distribution Read more DAM Use Cases Video Asset Management with DAM: Optimize Your Video Content Strategy Read more DAM Use Cases DAM for Mobile: 4 Use Cases for Accessing Your Assets On the Go Read more Join our family of happy customers Book a demo with one of our product experts. Book a demo
DAM Knowledge The Top 5 Benefits of DAM for Higher Education Schools need to maximize their ROI and increase productivity: Here are 5 ways to utilize DAM for higher education. March 12, 2025 Carlie Mason Director of Growth Marketing 4 min read Implementing a DAM enables unlimited school departments and stakeholders to streamline their digital asset storage and distribution methods without compromising on security. Uncover the benefits of a DAM for higher education. From Ivy League schools to community colleges, the education sector is becoming more competitive than ever, constantly battling for funding and new students. As competition increases, having a significant digital presence can be key in driving recruitment, engaging students, and attracting donors. But, the larger your digital presence, the more content you need to be creating, which often leads to an overflow of digital assets and no scalable way to manage them. This is where a DAM comes in. We’ll cover how DAM benefits higher education institutions by: Removing bottlenecks, Providing secure access, Enabling access to branded content, Tracking asset rights, and Preserving history We’ll also explain how MediaValet has helped countless higher education customers. DAM for Higher Education: What are the Benefits? A digital asset management system (DAM) helps universities and colleges to better manage their content and establish a solid foundation for their long-term digital strategy, acting as a central library for all of their visual assets such as photos, videos, graphics, logos, and more. Here are 5 benefits of a DAM system that are allowing leading universities and colleges to maximize the ROI of their content and increase the overall productivity of their departments. Removing Bottlenecks With asset requests constantly coming in from the marketing department, the alumni association, and other departments, there are frequent bottlenecks for IT departments and digital teams, as they try to track down the correct assets in the formats requested. Many universities today, including the University of Windsor, are using a DAM to remove these bottlenecks by empowering departments and individual users to access a single media library, where they can easily search for and share approved photos, videos, and more, without having to contact the IT department. Some DAM systems have AI capabilities that allow you to optimize discoverability by automatically tagging assets with relevant keywords. Providing Secure Access Universities and colleges can have thousands of faculty members, staff, students, and partners, all based in different locations. Therefore, in most schools, there are countless different priorities and needs for the files and brand assets to keep up with. A DAM system allows administrators to set custom permission settings, ensuring that specific departments, seniorities, and other stakeholders will only have access to the assets that are relevant to them. You can manually set permissions or enable single-sign-on with Azure Active Directory or Okta. Giving Immediate Access to Branded Content Distribution can be a major challenge for universities, especially when they’re working across multiple locations and in different languages. Whenever a brochure or piece of content is updated, the marketing team needs to ensure the change is communicated to the necessary departments. A DAM allows universities, like the University of Wollongong, to make their content widely available while complying with security requirements, ensuring users can access the most up-to-date brochures, newsletters, reports, and recruitment material 24/7. Tracking Individual Asset Rights Each year, leading universities collect a flurry of photos and videos from fundraisers, speaker conferences, and commencement ceremonies. With so many digital assets being collected, it can be hard to keep track of what rights are attached to which photos or videos. With a DAM in place, schools are able to attach the photographer, expiration date, and usage rights directly to each asset, while also linking it to the appropriate model release form, ensuring that there’s no illegal use of assets. Preserving History Throughout a post-secondary’s lifespan, there are countless assets that have derived from different marketing channels, events, and faculties that all contribute to an extensive media library. While a DAM system can be primarily used to organize a current or growing library, it’s also a great tool to help preserve and archive assets. With DAM, universities can easily archive and store photos and videos from each year and event, all the while ensuring they are secure and in turn preserving the school’s legacy for years to come. Why Choose a MediaValet DAM for Higher Education According to the 2024 DAM Trends Report, MediaValet’s higher education customers are incredibly happy with their DAM. 92% of our higher education customers have achieved ROI in just 28 months! 80% of higher education customers at MediaValet save money on their asset creation! MediaValet’s higher education customers experience weekly time savings of 67%! But sometimes numbers aren’t the most important thing to know about a platform. Do customers enjoy working with MediaValet? In short, yes! Emory University discussed how much they’ve enjoyed using MediaValet. “MediaValet is working really well for us and I’m excited to just continue to grow with it and take advantage of new features as they are introduced.” UCSF told us that their DAM has massively impacted their organization. “The DAM has become more than a central repository, it’s become like a brain for the neurosurgery department serving us in so many ways!” We’ve helped dozens of universities streamline and improve their digital asset management, and bolster their online presence. Some of our partners include Saint Leo University, The University of Windsor, and Emory University. These are only a few examples of the benefits of DAM for higher education institutions. If you’re ready to take a deeper look at digital asset management best practices and evaluate if you’re ready for a DAM, here’s how MediaValet enables schools to better manage their content: Digital Asset Management for Higher Education. 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Design What is a Rendition? Want to learn more about renditions? Here are some explanations, best practices and examples to get you started. March 12, 2025 Jeffrey Bates Creative Director 3 min read Rendition is a term that carries multiple meanings and interpretations, depending on the context in which it is used. At its core, rendition refers to the act or result of rendering something, whether it be a performance, interpretation, or translation. Overall, the term “rendition” is complex and multifaceted, with its meaning varying widely depending on the context. A rendition involves the act of rendering something in a particular way, highlighting the diverse applications of this versatile term. But let’s cover the meaning of rendition in terms of DAM and MediaValet. Rendition Meaning and Definition Within MediaValet, you can give users the permission to download a rendition of your original files – no matter if it’s a document, video, or image. Meaning, if you upload a PNG, your user can download that as a JPG, TIFF, EPS and more on-the-fly. Beyond customizing the file type, your user can also download the file in a custom size and in their preferred resolution. You may be wondering, what’s the value in this capability? Why Do Renditions Matter? The answer is two-fold. First, you’re saving storage space. Rather than uploading the same video as an MP4 and an MOV or as the original sized image, as well as a cropped one, you’re only uploading your file once. Second, you’re allowing your user – should you give them the permission to do so – to take control of the download process. Meaning, they no longer have to use a secondary system or tool to crop or convert the file. That also means you’re eliminating the backlog of resizing and reformatting requests for your graphic team because each individual user can take ownership of on-the-fly rendering. Rendition Best Practices When uploading to the DAM with the rendition capabilities in mind, it’s best practice to upload the most flexible file type in the highest resolution. That way, your user can adjust the file type, as needed, and scale down the resolution or file size if they wish. Another best practice to keep in mind is that your team should upload files without reformatting. This is especially relevant in situations where you have photographers in the field taking photos – rather than having them convert the files to a certain format or creating different file type or sized versions, have them upload as is, and have your users download the customized version they want in-app, on-the-fly. Real-World Rendition Examples Here are some ways that MediaValet customers are already using renditions to drive efficiencies: Rendition Example #1: Photographer Collaboration A contract photographer for a local university attends an on-campus event to take photos that the marketing team will use for social media posts and recruitment brochures. The photographer uploads the photos to MediaValet in their standard format, JPEG. Then, the Marketing team uses on-the-fly rendering capabilities to download relevant images as PNGs to use in the brochures and use in-app cropping to resize some images to fit the social media post dimensions. Rendition Example #2: Client Relations In-app cropping has an internal rule to always upload and use PNG graphics, as it’s most flexible with a transparent background. Using MediaValet’s in-app capabilities, the agency can then share out the files as whatever file type their client requests – whether that’s as EPS, JPEG, TIFF or other file types. Rendition Example #3: Media Relations A municipality uploads the highest resolution version of their brand videos to their MediaValet DAM. Often, they get requests from local press and media sources for video content. Using MediaValet’s rendering and sharing abilities, they’re able to share video options in low-resolution for these third-parties to view. Then, the third-parties indicate which videos they’d like to use and the municipality will re-send the selected video in high-definition. Rendition Example #4: Sales Enablement A marketing team at a manufacturing company uploads PPTs to MediaValet with graphics and slides they’ve built for their sales teams’ use. The sales team then self-serves the content straight from the DAM. If they’re happy with the PPT as it is, they can download it as a PDF. However, if the user needs to adjust any content on the slide, they can download the document as an editable PPT so they can make the changes. With MediaValet’s rendering capabilities, your users will instantly be able to download the file they need, when they need it and how they need it – increasing productivity and making their workflow more efficient. And to top that, it ensures your library stays clean and easy-to-use, with a single version of every asset. Contact the MediaValet team today to get started with asset renditions. Want to learn more about MediaValet? Take the self-guided tour here: Take a tour of MediaValet MediaValet is a leader in cloud-based digital asset management that helps organizations manage, organize and share their digital assets, improving productivity and increasing ROI. 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DAM Use Cases Video Asset Management with DAM: Optimize Your Video Content Strategy Learn how a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system enhances and optimizes video asset management for organizations. March 5, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 4 min read As video content continues to dominate marketing, training, and communications, organizations are faced with a growing challenge: how to efficiently store, manage, and distribute their video assets. Without a structured approach, video files become scattered, difficult to find, and hard to manage across teams. Efficient video asset management is critical. This is where Digital Asset Management (DAM) emerges as the ideal solution for Video Asset Management (VAM). Unlike standalone video cms, a DAM platform provides a comprehensive approach to managing video alongside all other digital content, offering better organization, accessibility, security, and scalability. In this article, we’ll explore why organizations choose DAM for video distribution and management, its benefits, key features, and how to implement it effectively. What is Video Asset Management? Video asset management (VAM) refers to the process of organizing, storing, retrieving, and distributing video content efficiently. While standalone VAM systems exist, they often lack the flexibility and integration capabilities of a full-featured DAM solution. A Digital Asset Management (DAM) system enhances video asset management by allowing organizations to: Store videos alongside other assets (images, documents, etc.) in a singular digital asset library Use AI-powered metadata tagging for easier search and retrieval Ensure secure sharing and access control across different teams and stakeholders Integrate with content creation, marketing, and distribution platforms By implementing a DAM for video asset management, businesses centralize all their digital assets in one place, streamlining video workflows and making collaboration more efficient. Interested in a self-directed tour of the MediaValet platform? Check it out here! Take a tour of MediaValet Benefits of Implementing DAM for Video Asset Management 1. Centralized Storage for All Digital Assets A major issue with standalone video cms is that they only manage videos, leaving other creative assets scattered across different platforms. With a DAM system, all assets—videos, images, documents, graphics, and more—are stored in a single, searchable repository. This eliminates confusion, prevents file duplication, and ensures that everyone on the team has access to the latest approved versions of assets, including video content. 2. Enhanced Searchability with AI and Metadata Tagging Searching for video files by filename alone is inefficient, especially in large organizations with extensive media libraries. A DAM system enhances video asset management with advanced metadata and AI-powered tagging. With a DAM, users can search for videos by keywords, tags, facial recognition, object detection, and even speech-to-text transcripts. This significantly reduces the time spent looking for the right video and allows teams to work more efficiently. 3. Secure Access and Permissions Control Many businesses handle sensitive video content, such as internal training materials, product demos, and confidential corporate footage. A DAM provides advanced security features, including: Role-based access controls (limit who can view, edit, or download video files) Watermarking and encryption to protect against unauthorized use Audit logs to track access history and compliance with company policies These security measures ensure that only the right people have access to critical video assets, reducing risks of leaks or misuse. 4. Seamless Collaboration and Workflow Automation Managing video projects involves multiple stakeholders, from content creators and editors to marketing teams and legal reviewers. A DAM enables efficient collaboration by: Automating proofing and approval processes to speed up content reviews Providing version control to avoid confusion over the latest edits Integrating with video editing tools like Adobe Premiere Pro With built-in workflow automation, teams can move projects forward faster, ensuring deadlines are met without compromising quality. 5. Effortless Distribution and Publishing Once a video is finalized, it needs to be shared across various platforms. A DAM simplifies video distribution by allowing teams to publish directly to: Websites and blogs Social media (YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) Learning Management Systems (LMS) for training purposes Email campaigns and marketing automation platforms By managing all video distribution channels from one platform, DAM helps teams maintain brand consistency, optimize video formats, and track engagement metrics, performance analytics, optimize formats for different platforms, and ensure content consistency across multiple channels. Key Features to Look for in a DAM System for Video Asset Management When evaluating a DAM solution for managing video assets, it’s essential to ensure it aligns with your organization’s needs. Here are the most important features to consider: Step 1: Assess Your Needs Identify the challenges your organization faces in managing video assets, such as disorganized storage, slow retrieval times, or compliance issues. Step 2: Choose the Right DAM Solution Select a DAM system that offers video-specific features, AI tagging, security measures, and integration capabilities that align with your business needs. Step 3: Develop Metadata and Tagging Standards Establish consistent metadata rules for categorizing and tagging videos, ensuring that all assets remain easily searchable over time. Step 4: Train Your Team Provide training on best practices for uploading, tagging, retrieving, and distributing video content within the DAM to maximize efficiency. Step 5: Monitor and Optimize Regularly analyze system performance, user adoption, and video engagement metrics to improve workflows and ensure your DAM strategy remains effective. While standalone video content management systems offer some benefits, a DAM platform is the superior solution for managing video content at scale. A DAM provides centralized storage, advanced search capabilities, secure access control, seamless collaboration, and effortless distribution—all in one system. By implementing a DAM for video asset management, organizations reduce inefficiencies, improve content discoverability, and enhance video workflows. Investing in the right DAM solution ensures your video assets remain organized, secure, and easily accessible for years to come. Want to see how a DAM can transform your video asset management and workflows? Book a demo today! Related Articles DAM Use Cases DAM vs. Video Hosting: Which Is Better? 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Marketing Top Challenges in Marketing Operations & How to Overcome Them Struggling with marketing operations? Discover top challenges and the solutions you need to optimize your strategy. February 28, 2025 Nuala Cronin Content Manager 5 min read Marketing operations have become the backbone of modern marketing strategies. As businesses scale, marketing teams must navigate an increasingly complex landscape of technology, data, and cross-functional collaboration to drive successful campaigns. However, managing marketing operations comes with its fair share of challenges. From digital transformation to budget constraints, marketing professionals must find innovative ways to streamline processes and maximize efficiency. In this article, we explore the top challenges in marketing operations and provide actionable solutions to help marketing teams overcome them effectively. What Are Marketing Operations? Marketing operations refer to the people, processes, and technology that support an organization’s marketing function. It involves planning, executing, measuring, and optimizing marketing activities to ensure efficiency and alignment with business objectives. A well-organized marketing operations strategy enables teams to stay focused on long-term goals, maintain consistency across campaigns, and improve customer engagement by delivering the right content at the right time. Why Are Marketing Operations Important? Effective marketing operations help organizations function smoothly by improving collaboration between teams and ensuring efficient workflow management. By leveraging the right tools and technology, marketing teams can optimize their efforts and drive measurable results. A strong marketing operations framework also enhances data-driven decision-making, allowing businesses to understand customer behavior and tailor their strategies accordingly. Additionally, well-structured operations lead to better resource allocation, ensuring that marketing budgets are utilized effectively to maximize return on investment (ROI). How to Overcome Challenges in Marketing Operations Marketing Operations Challenge #1: Digital Transformation and Integration The Challenge: As the marketing landscape evolves, the need for digital transformation becomes more apparent. Many organizations struggle to integrate new technologies into their existing workflows, leading to inefficiencies and data silos. Marketing teams often find themselves juggling multiple tools for CRM, content management, email marketing, and social media, making it difficult to gain a unified view of marketing performance. How to Overcome It: To successfully navigate digital transformation, organizations should invest in a robust digital asset management (DAM) system that centralizes content storage and retrieval. AI-driven marketing automation tools can help streamline tasks such as email campaigns, audience segmentation, and personalized content delivery. Ensuring interoperability between CRM, CMS, and other marketing platforms can create a cohesive tech ecosystem that enhances productivity. Providing continuous training to marketing teams on emerging technologies will also help them stay ahead of industry trends and maximize the benefits of digital transformation. Interested in seeing a DAM in action? Take our guided tour here: Take a tour of MediaValet Marketing Operations Challenge #2: Budget Constraints and Justifying ROI The Challenge: Marketing budgets are often under scrutiny, with leadership teams demanding justification for every expenditure. Many marketers struggle to prove the direct impact of their campaigns on revenue, making it challenging to secure funding for new initiatives. Limited budgets can also restrict the adoption of advanced marketing technologies, hampering efficiency and innovation. How to Overcome It: To address budget constraints, marketing teams should leverage data analytics tools to measure campaign performance accurately and demonstrate ROI. Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer acquisition costs, lead conversion rates, and engagement metrics can provide insights into the effectiveness of marketing efforts. Prioritizing high-ROI marketing channels, such as content marketing and email marketing, can help optimize spending. Implementing marketing mix modeling allows teams to allocate budgets more effectively across different channels. Additionally, automated reporting dashboards provide real-time insights, making it easier to communicate results to stakeholders and justify marketing investments. Marketing Operations Challenge #3: Performance Measurement and Data-Driven Decision Making The Challenge: With the vast amount of data available, marketing teams often struggle to identify the most relevant KPIs and extract actionable insights. Many organizations lack the tools or expertise to analyze data effectively, leading to suboptimal decision-making. Additionally, disconnected data sources can make it difficult to gain a holistic view of marketing performance. How to Overcome It: To improve performance measurement, organizations should define clear KPIs that align with overall business objectives. Metrics such as website traffic, lead generation rates, and customer retention can provide valuable insights into marketing effectiveness. AI-powered analytics platforms can process and interpret large data sets efficiently, uncovering patterns and trends that inform strategic decisions. A/B testing different marketing approaches can help teams refine their strategies based on real-time performance data. Encouraging a data-driven culture within the organization by providing regular training on data literacy will empower marketing teams to make informed decisions and optimize campaigns effectively. Marketing Operations Challenge #4: Cross-Functional Collaboration The Challenge: Marketing operations involve multiple stakeholders, including sales, IT, product teams, and external agencies. A lack of communication and misalignment between departments can lead to inconsistent messaging, delayed campaigns, and missed opportunities. Without clear collaboration strategies, teams may struggle to coordinate efforts effectively, impacting overall marketing performance. How to Overcome It: To foster cross-functional collaboration, organizations should implement collaborative project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Wrike. These platforms improve transparency by enabling teams to track progress, assign tasks, and set deadlines. Regular cross-departmental meetings can help align marketing goals with business objectives and ensure that all teams work cohesively. Clearly defining roles and responsibilities can enhance accountability, while leveraging content proofing tools like MediaValet Proofing can streamline the review and approval process, reducing delays and ensuring consistency across marketing assets. Marketing Operations Challenge #5: Change Management and Adoption of New Processes The Challenge: Introducing new technologies and processes in marketing operations can be met with resistance from team members who are accustomed to traditional methods. Fear of change and lack of proper training can slow down adoption, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for improvement. How to Overcome It: To facilitate smooth change management, organizations should clearly communicate the benefits of new tools and processes to stakeholders. Providing comprehensive training and onboarding programs can help employees feel more confident in adopting new technologies. Appointing change champions within teams to advocate for new initiatives and address concerns can accelerate the transition process. Fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation ensures that teams remain adaptable and open to new opportunities that drive marketing success. Future Trends in Marketing Operations (And How DAM Can Help) 1. AI and Machine Learning in Marketing Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing marketing operations by automating repetitive tasks, optimizing content creation, and predicting customer behavior. AI-driven tools can analyze vast amounts of data to generate personalized marketing strategies, improving engagement and conversion rates. MediaValet’s Artificial Intelligence automatically tags your content with relevant keywords, and Face Recognition simplifies the tagging process and make it easy to find assets featuring specific individuals. According the 2025 DAM Trends Report, 83% of DAM users who implement Face Recognition have saved money. 2. The Rise of Marketing Automation More organizations are adopting marketing automation tools to streamline workflows, enhance lead nurturing, and improve campaign performance. Automation allows marketing teams to focus on strategic initiatives while minimizing manual tasks. Platforms like MediaValet integrate seamlessly with marketing automation tools, ensuring that digital assets are easily accessible and efficiently utilized within automated campaigns. By centralizing assets, marketing teams can reduce redundancies, improve brand consistency, and accelerate content production workflows. 3. Personalization at Scale With increasing access to consumer data, marketing teams are prioritizing personalized experiences across multiple touchpoints. Dynamic content and AI-powered recommendation engines enable businesses to deliver relevant messaging that resonates with their target audience. MediaValet’s AI-powered DAM solutions help organizations manage and retrieve assets more efficiently, ensuring the right content reaches the right audience at the right time. By leveraging DAM alongside personalization strategies, marketers can create engaging and data-driven campaigns that foster deeper customer connections and higher conversion rates. 4. Privacy and Compliance Regulations As data privacy laws continue to evolve, organizations must stay compliant with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. Implementing transparent data collection practices and securing customer information will be crucial for maintaining consumer trust. SecurityScorecard scored MediaValet 99/100, making it the #1 DAM on the market for security. guarantees unmatched protection for your organization’s digital assets. Our platform offers customizable security, control, and insights-based features to address your organization’s needs. Learn more about MediaValet’s security here. Marketing operations are essential for driving business success, but overcoming challenges requires strategic solutions. By embracing technology, fostering collaboration, and prioritizing data-driven decision-making, marketing teams can enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Organizations must continuously adapt, invest in innovative tools, and remain agile in their marketing operations strategies to stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape. 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