VIDEO HOSTING

Media Asset Management (MAM): everything you need to know

Whether you're a community manager, marketing manager or in charge of corporate communications, you know just how essential video has become. But managing a multitude of video files can quickly become a headache: where can you store your videos safely? How do you find specific content quickly? How do you facilitate collaborative work on these files? That's where Media Asset Management (MAM) comes in, and we explain it all in this article.

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What is Media Asset Management (MAM)?

A Media Asset Management (MAM) solution is a management system designed to organize, store, index and share multimedia files such as videos, images and audio files. It enables professionals to centralize content and improve team productivity by accessing content quickly, modifying it if necessary and distributing it efficiently.

A MAM is particularly useful for companies producing or managing large quantities of video, such as communications agencies, media companies, brands and institutions with a digital content strategy.

MAM vs. VAM vs. DAM: what's the difference?

While MAM is a global solution for managing "rich" media (photos, videos, animations), Video Asset Management (VAM ) is a specific sub-category, dedicated solely to video files. A VAM generally integrates advanced video-related functionalities, such as encoding, subtitling and version management.

Digital Asset Management (DAM), on the other hand, encompasses the broader management of all types of digital content, including images, documents, audio and video files. It aims to organize, store and distribute all types of digital assets within an organization. As such, MAM is often used in the creative and audiovisual industries, while DAM is aimed at a wider range of companies needing a centralized repository for their digital files.

MAM's essential features for video and audio management

If you manage video content, here are the main features that a media asset management solution should offer:

1. Advanced storage and organization

A good MAM must enable centralized storage with intuitive organization. This requires :

  • Metadata and tags to classify videos by theme, date, project or user.
  • A powerful search engine to quickly find a specific file.
  • Unlimited storage capacity to host all your content without blocking. 

2. Security and backup

Video files often represent a substantial investment. An effective MAM must guarantee :

  • Protection against data loss with automatic backups.
  • Cloud storage with double authentication access.
  • Authorization management to prevent unauthorized access.

3. Simplified collaboration and sharing

The media asset management solution facilitates teamwork thanks to :

  • Collaboration tools that enable several people to work together on a project, as well as annotating videos or giving them a validation status.
  • Easy sharing with secure links or specific access.
  • Compatibility with other software such as Adobe Premiere Pro.

Best practices for optimal video management with a MAM

Adopting a media asset management solution isn't enough: you have to use it effectively. And the best advice we can give you is to structure and organize your files right from the start.

Why is this so? A MAM is powerful, but its effectiveness depends on how it's used. Poor organization can quickly make finding and managing videos as chaotic as a simple shared folder.

Here are our 5 tips:

1. Define a clear filing structure

Organize your videos with precise categories, a tree structure of logical folders and sub-folders (by project, customer, campaign, event, etc.), and standardized naming conventions to avoid chaos (e.g. ProjectName_Date_Version).

2. Use metadata intelligently

Use tags, titles and descriptions to make your videos easy to find.

3. Encourage collaborative working

Encourage your teams to use the sharing, validation and commenting features to streamline content production.

4. Make sure you have a good backup system

Don't risk losing your precious videos! Choose a MAM with automatic backup. 

However, remember to delete obsolete files to avoid clutter (1 to 2x a year, depending on your usage).

5. Regularly update your MAM and train your teams

As needs and use cases evolve, make sure that your MAM is being used by your teams, and that they are following the same processes. 

Check for new features on a regular basis, and offer quarterly training sessions to keep your staff up to date on the use of the solution.

Yuzzit: an alternative to conventional VAMs

Although Yuzzit is not strictly speaking a media asset management solution, it does offer several key video asset management features that meet the needs of video professionals. 

Thanks to its storage, hosting, collaboration and secure sharing tools, Yuzzit enables teams to better organize and distribute their content. 

What's more, its video editing, live video editing and quick publishing features make it easy to manage videos on different platforms, without the need for complex MAM software. Manage your videos from A to Z with a single online platform!

Video management, a strategic challenge for professionals

Today, video is a powerful communication tool that is widely used, and therefore requires the right management tools. 

Companies that invest in a MAM or VAM benefit from optimized content management, enabling them to : 

  • to store their content in a single solution,
  • secure access,
  • to save time and increase efficiency,
  • work in teams and remotely, 
  • and optimize distribution of final videos to social networks.

By integrating a MAM into their workflow, professionals reinforce their entire digital strategy.

Conclusion: Why invest in a MAM for your videos?

Adopting media asset management is much more than just using a simple storage tool: it's a strategic solution for managing your videos. It means greater efficiency, security and peace of mind. Whether you're a community manager, communications or marketing manager, a MAM enables you to meet the demands of video production while streamlining collaborative working and improving your productivity. 

FAQ

What is a Media Asset Management (MAM) solution?

A MAM is a system for managing, storing, organizing and sharing multimedia files, such as videos, to improve business productivity and security.

What are the advantages of MAM for teams?

It enables fast video storage and access, simplified collaboration and secure content management, all of which optimize team efficiency.

Are there any alternatives to traditional MAM solutions?

Yes, tools like Yuzzit offer similar video management features, with storage, collaboration and rapid publishing, while also offering a suite of video and audio editing tools.

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