Digital Asset Management

Digital Asset Management or DAM (so many acronyms...) is useful for agencies and photographers alike. DAM is a way of storing, accessing and distributing all of your content assets. It allows the user to manage their digital and media material collection/s.

Ad agencies are hiring digital asset managers to organize and act as a digital librarian for all the agency assets as well as the client assets which include images, videos, contracts, and presentations. It is equally important that photographers, illustrators and artist reps have their own system of asset management with the image information but also including the usage license, talent, location, agency and client information in metadata.

The digital media life cycle goes from raw images and capture to post production and retouching to printing and mass market production to archiving and reuse. How can you keep up with all these versions of your imagery and assets yet maintain some sense of order.... enter digital asset management. It's all about syncing your workflow.

There are external software service hosts that can be hired to manage and maintain your assets. BUT I'm sure most of you are aware this can cost a bundle and for those of you familiar with Lightroom, Photoshop and Bridge (my personal favorite!) these software programs have management functionalities that includes metadata and keyword writing as well as organizing.

I have also read that the following software resources are available for photographers/illustrators:
iView MediaPro
MetaSync
Extensis Portfolio 8
MediaDex
idImager
iMatch
DAMuseful

Manage and protect your creative.