Video asset management 101: Defined, benefits, and top platforms
Key highlights
- Video asset management (VAM) streamlines how organizations store, organize, find, and distribute video content
- A video asset management system enhances video production, brand consistency, and creative workflows
- Top use cases include digital asset management for video production, creative workflows, marketing campaigns, and multi-channel distribution
- With video digital asset management software, video teams future-proof their libraries against growing demand for video content
What is video asset management?
Video asset management (VAM) is the process of storing, organizing, searching, accessing, and delivering video content in a centralized system. Platforms like digital asset management and media asset management are explicitly built for video — equipped to handle massive file sizes, diverse file types, and metadata-rich media.
For example, different video file formats (like MP4, MOV, or FLV) require specialized handling. A VAM system keeps digital media searchable and shareable in one library.
Why do video teams need a dedicated VAM system?
1. Speed up video production
Without the right software, video teams must use manual processes to organize, find, edit, and deliver video files. Unlike static images or documents, video files are:
- Large in size, requiring scalable video cloud storage
- Complex to organize due to video metadata, which includes details like frame rate, resolution, and codecs
- Layered with text, graphics, and brand files, and require specialized creative software to produce them
- Perplexing to deliver in all the right channel sizes and ratios each team needs
A VAM system includes everything modern video teams need to manage and deliver videos quickly.
2. Scale collaboration and workflows
Video teams have complex approval processes to produce top-notch videos for their brands. Usually, video approval workflows involve several team members across functions.
A VAM streamlines workflows and collaboration, reducing back-and-forth between creative directors, video editors, and other stakeholders.
3. Centralize brand management
A VAM system gives video teams one source of truth for brand management, bringing teams together around approved files for their campaigns, channels, and product launches.
4. Reduce video requests
VAM tools can provide non-creatives with self-service tools for finding, trimming, and downloading video content, reducing video requests, and speeding up marketing campaigns.
What are the benefits of a video asset management system?
- Centralized video library: A centralized video library ensures every team member can discover and access approved videos and clips
- Efficiency in video production: By integrating digital asset management for video production, teams reduce editing bottlenecks and duplication
- Improved distribution: Whether embedding videos in emails, uploading to YouTube, or sharing videos on Dropbox, a VAM system supports streamlined multi-channel publishing
- Stronger brand consistency: Empowering teams to access approved cuts across platforms maintains brand consistency across channels
- Future-proof storage: As video quality evolves to 4K, 8K, and beyond, robust systems scale with your needs
What features should I look for in video digital asset management software?
Most video teams will want the following VAM software features:
- Scalable platform storage for massive video files
- Intuitive, visual interface made for video teams
- Support for multiple video file types and YouTube metadata
- AI-powered search, video tagging software, and facial recognition are ideal
- Collaboration tools like approval workflows and creative tool integration
- Digital Rights Management to protect branded, licensed, or copyrighted videos
- Version control to track and manage video versions easily
- Workflow automation and CDN delivery automation to manage and deliver files quickly
- On-demand video trimming for non-creatives to search and access video clips
- Content analytics and insights for performance tracking
How do I choose the right video asset management platform?
There’s no one-size-fits-all when choosing the right video asset management system for your team. Here are the VAM platform types that many teams will consider:
Digital asset management (DAM) system
A digital asset management (DAM) system is a centralized platform for searching, accessing, and distributing all types of digital content — images, documents, design files, and video.
For video teams, it provides a single source of truth across media formats, ensuring brand consistency and easy access. It allows closer coordination between designers, video editors, and marketing teams during video production.
Top features for video teams:
- Centralized library for virtually every file type, including video
- Simplified metadata management using AI and automation, such as auto-tagging and auto-sorting
- Search through vast video libraries using AI face recognition and advanced metadata filtering
- Bring your entire video production workflow into one place using DAM workflows, digital workspaces, and Adobe CC integrations
- Manage content from one place with version control, approvals, and Digital Rights Management tools
Media asset management (MAM) system
A media asset management (MAM) system can manage rich media — video, audio, and broadcast files — at scale. It’s especially valuable in media and entertainment, broadcasting, and corporate video production.
Top features for video teams:
- Frame-level search and editing capabilities
- Advanced metadata support for video formats and codecs
- Integration with production tools for cohesive editing workflows
Learn more about DAM vs. MAM with this head-on comparison guide.
Video asset management (VAM) software
A video asset management (VAM) system is a specialized type of DAM, like Canto, with specific tools for video teams. It handles large file sizes, version control, and video-centric workflows, making it ideal for in-house video teams.
Top features for video teams:
- Scalable storage for large video libraries
- AI-powered video tagging and auto-captioning
- Robust visual search capabilities to find any video across your library instantly, even by timestamp
- Video workflow enhancements to speed up production
- Align video teams and stakeholders around video projects for faster turnaround with Canto Approval Hub
- Publish media automatically to sites and stores with Canto’s Media Delivery Cloud
- Canto also includes all the other DAM features discussed in the DAM section above
Enterprise video platforms (EVP)
An enterprise video platform offers secure hosting, streaming, and analytics of video for large organizations. While less focused on creative production, EVPs help companies distribute video content for training, marketing, and communications.
Top features for video teams:
- Secure internal and external video streaming
- Audience analytics and engagement tracking
- Integrations with corporate communication tools (e.g., intranets, LMS)
Content management systems (CMS) with video support
A CMS with video support (like WordPress or Drupal) enables organizations to embed, manage, and publish videos on websites. It’s beneficial for teams focused on web distribution, but it lacks many AI, automation, and brand management features of DAM software.
Top features for video teams:
- Simple embedding for YouTube videos
- Basic storage and playback support
- Integration with video platforms like YouTube or Vimeo
Compare CMS vs. DAM further.
What are the top use cases for video asset management?
How in-house video teams use VAM software
In-house video teams must produce content at scale to meet the organization’s marketing strategies. With a DAM platform for video asset management, video teams can:
- Store, tag, and retrieve raw footage, b-roll, or finished clips quickly
- Streamline post-production with integrations to Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects for media encoding
- Share approved edits internally and externally without file size restrictions
- Creative directors can manage and execute YouTube marketing strategy more easily while maintaining campaign consistency across video deliverables
How media and entertainment teams use video asset management
Media and entertainment teams rely on video asset management systems to manage massive video libraries, streamline production workflows, and distribute content quickly across channels. A VAM organizes video assets, keeping them searchable and easy to repurpose for improved content ROI and engagement.
DAM for media and entertainment can:
- Centralize and manage thousands of hours of raw and finished footage in one searchable system
- Use version control and approvals to keep editors and producers aligned
- Deliver consistent video formats and metadata across broadcast, streaming, and social
- Track licensing and video usage to protect compliance and revenue streams
How multimedia and full-service agencies use video asset management
Multimedia and full-service agencies use video asset management systems to juggle diverse client projects, streamline production and collaboration, and maintain client branding and professional experiences. A VAM platform empowers agencies to deliver high-quality video content faster while keeping creative assets organized and secure.
DAM for agencies can:
- Store and catalog assets for multiple clients in one secure system
- Streamline proofing, feedback, and approvals with clients and internal teams
- Maintain approved versions aligned with each client’s guidelines
- Repurpose clips and assets quickly to meet tight deadlines across channels
What does the future of video asset management look like?
The demand for video content, including short-form video, is only accelerating. A video asset management system ensures your team can scale with changing formats and channels.
Looking ahead, integrations with AI will unlock automated clip selection and predictive recommendations — making digital video asset management an essential cornerstone of creative operations.
Why choose Canto for video asset management
Canto is the original DAM pioneer and is still innovating today. Canto DAM allows video teams like yours to accelerate video production in one workflow alongside your brand and digital assets. With Canto, video teams can unlock serious content ROI:
- Improve video usage: With all videos and clips in one approved library, marketers, e-commerce, sales, and more can reuse videos and increase their value
- AI and automation: Canto automates video organization and streamlines discovery
- All-in-one online proofing: Finally, video teams have one place to share, revise, and approve all video projects
- Media delivery: With Canto, you can automatically deliver videos to sites, stores, and platforms hassle-free
- Self-service tools for non-creatives: Canto gives marketers, product, e-commerce, and sales teams tools to download and trim videos on demand
