How to efficiently manage content distribution in a high-volume environment
20th July 2022
Asset management and distribution are two of the core elements in the new media supply chain., Since there is a non-stop flow of files and data coming from and to different sources, both internal and external users are involved. This can become a security and privacy concern unless there is an integrated, compartmentalied system, which can be more feasible in the cloud.
Productivity is another issue in the spotlight: There is a neverending need to improve efficiency across industries, and media asset management and distribution is not an exception. Raising margins and streamlining workflows are top priorities when evaluating a solution that handles thousands of hours of content. Automation, IA+ML-powered algorithms and a customizable metadata model can be crucial to achieve this, and can be optimized periodically for that matter.
Automation and metadata are also very useful tools for distribution efficiency, since they can be used, for instance, to share files automatically based on preset rules and specific business deals. Let’s take a look at how we make this happen in Knox Media Hub. With the Portals feature our clients can create a customised portal for each of their own clients. These portals are automatically fed screening points where clients can preview, download, and search the assets they have been given access to.
The access to assets is defined by three elements: products, licences, and rightsholders. Rightsholders are the clients who have been authorized to access certain assets. Products are commercial sets of these assets based on a specific combination of metadata fields and values: For instance “all files with Nationality (metadata field) = UK (metadata value) are part of the UK Cinema Product”.
Licenses connect rightsholders and products in the specific timeframe of their business deal, and can also be determined by specific combinations of metadata fields and values. For instance: “client X is granted the right to access all files with Nationality (metadata field) = UK (metadata Value) until a certain date”.
With all this, users can easily create portal templates to display content blocks based on products, or more specific metadata rules. They can also add banners with links for marketing and sales purposes. Thanks to portals, clients can have a completely exclusive user experience, making their interaction within the content delivery workflow, a seamless, enjoyable process.
Despite the potential of portals, we have other distribution and delivery methods to fulfill all possible media needs. Being aware of the current need for speed, accelerated transfers are also available on Knox Media Hub, integrated with leading brands IBM Aspera and Signiant. These can be executed with Share modes, sending an email with a secure link to the files, or with Send modes, copying the assets directly to the partner’s external hosts.
Alternatively, operators may choose to use these same modes with regular transfer protocols such as HTTP or even S3-to-S3 if the delivery is to a client who also has an AWS account. This guarantees total flexibility depending on the volume of the data to be delivered or the urgency to have that content delivered.
Is it time to optimize your media supply chain? If you need to manage and deliver high volumes of content in a fast, easy, and secure manner, take a look at our platform and request a demo if you want to try it out.
