DAM vs MAM: Which One Does Your Business Need?

Media asset management (MAM) and digital asset management (DAM) may seem similar, but in fact, they differ significantly in the way they function. They both contribute to the management of digital assets, from the original raw source files through the completed result to the archive. MAMs focus on the management of mainly video and audio files, with tools focused on those media formats. However, DAMs can offer a superior experience when managing multiple types of content such as documents, PDFs, audio, and video. So, regardless of whether your business is looking for a DAM or MAM solution, this guide has everything you need to understand the differences between the two.

1. Digital Asset Management (DAM): Overview
2. How Does a Digital Asset Management Platform Work?
3. Benefits of a Digital Asset Management System
4. Media Asset Management (MAM): Overview
5. How Does a Media Asset Management Platform Work?
6. Benefits of Media Asset Management
7. DAM vs MAM: Use Cases
8. Which One Is the Best for You?

Digital Asset Management (DAM): Overview

A digital asset management (DAM) system is used to organize, store, share, find, and retrieve images, videos, audio files, branding material, presentations, and proposals from an organization's ever-growing library. In other words, digital asset management involves gathering, managing, utilizing, and distributing digital assets for growing a brand, empowering sales teams, improving brand consistency, and disseminating a clear, purposeful message.

How Does a Digital Asset Management Platform Work?

Digital asset management software works by delivering processes that allow your team to discover, store, and distribute the data they need to operate efficiently. DAM systems use metadata to identify digital material using attributes and targeted keywords, which streamline the search for assets. With these identifiers, assets may be grouped and categorized to increase discoverability by common tags, media types, and much more. To put it another way, a DAM system works by developing optimal processes that make it possible for your team to access, utilize, and share your digital assets more quickly and easily than before.

Benefits of a Digital Asset Management System

An effective DAM system provides much more than just a simple digital file store. It helps your team to arrange resources in the most optimized manner for your company.

1. Consolidate Digital Assets into a Single System

Finding and utilizing significant digital assets like movies, logos, and photos that are associated with a business may be challenging for teams when dealing with large media libraries. A digital asset management system solves this issue by giving users access to a single, central area where they can search, store, and distribute the digital files they require.

2. Reuse Quality Content

DAM solutions give your marketing team a birds-eye perspective of your digital asset library, allowing them to maximize the value of media assets and spot high-performing content that can be reused, repurposed, and customized for various inventive uses.

3. Improve Collaboration

Workplace chat software such as Slack is a terrific method to connect with coworkers, but it does not allow for the interagency cooperation that a DAM system allows. A DAM system, such as ioMoVo, allows users to exchange materials with internal and external partners without the need for extra applications. This enhances teamwork and speeds up the launch of significant campaigns.

4. Monitor the Success of Content and Priceless Digital Assets

Your team may use a DAM system to combine performance data across product categories, locations, and audience segments as well as measure and report on the consumption and performance of digital assets across various channels. To put it another way, a DAM streamlines the process for your team to build customizable consumption reports and monitor brand assets wherever they are used.

5. Streamline the Media Distribution and Content Creation Process

Your content and digital asset collection will expand rapidly as your firm continues and grows. This expansion can be streamlined, and all branded material can be created, shared, and managed by teams using a digital asset management solution, which also acts as an incubator.

6. Support Channels for Sales and Marketing

Distribution of high-impact content like data sheets and client success stories is something that sales and marketing must work together on. With the right DAM solution, marketing and sales can move and distribute important digital materials quickly, easily, and effectively.

7. Consolidate Redundant Tools and Automate Repetitive Tasks

The number of redundant tools, processes, and capabilities that a DAM consolidates into one system ultimately accounts for a large portion of the value it offers, allowing your team to concentrate on building your brand and growing your business. If we look at ioMoVo specifically, it also includes additional benefits and tools such as:

• Integration hub
• AI Search
• Native cloud storage
• Meta Tags and Descriptions
• AI Extract – Product Categorization, and Tags
• Convert File Formats
• AI Recognition – Facial, Emotion, Content, Speech
• Automated Transcription
• Auto Captioning and Subtitles
• API Support
• Natural Language Processor
• Built-in tag editor
• Built-in captioning editor
• Built-in transcription editor
• Video/Audio Indexing

Also Read: What Is Metadata Management and Why Is It Important?

Media Asset Management (MAM): Overview

Multimedia asset management (MAM) is also for the management and storage of files, but it focuses on video and audio-based files mostly. DAMs and MAMs are similar in functionality, but what differentiates them is the type of media they manage and their value to different sectors.

How Does a Media Asset Management Platform Work?

Platforms for managing media assets work in much the same way as those for managing digital assets, but they are exclusively focused on storing and administering video and audio files. The tools included in a MAM are typically focused on those types of specific content. Consequently, many users consider DAM to be a more versatile tool, as it offers similar video management features without restricting users to one type of media.

Benefits of Media Asset Management

Media asset management solutions usually integrate specific tools and applications for video production, such as:

• Ingest Tools
• Video Editing Suites
• Visual Effects
• Graphics Tools
• Transcode
• Quality Assurance
• File Transport

Also Read: Video Asset Management: Auto Generate Closed Captions and Subtitles for Your Videos 

DAM vs MAM: Use Cases

The use cases for digital asset management software range from architecture, engineering, and construction, to marketing, manufacturing, and design. Media asset management, however, has a limited impact on a limited number of industries, as shown below.

Use Cases for DAM: Technology, News, Education, Sports, Real Estate, Film Production, Construction, Music Production, Engineering, Television, Architecture

Use Cases for MAM: Public Relations, Tourism, Design, Manufacturing, Marketing, Retail and e-commerce, Non-profits, Hotels and Resorts, Local Government, Film Production  

So Which One is the Best for You?

Although media asset management systems provide in-depth management of video files, they lack the ability to effectively manage, preview, and distribute smaller files, like documents, images, and PDFs. That makes MAM a great solution for production teams, but a less viable option for marketing and creative teams, who require the wider breadth of management capabilities that a DAM can provide. If you need tight integration with video editing and production tools, you may consider a dedicated MAM. Otherwise, a DAM system offers greater adaptability, flexibility, and value than a media asset management system. An important consideration is that DAM solutions don't restrict your team to a single kind of media file. In fact, a project-based DAM solution, such as ioMoVo, not only makes it easier to manage your images but also gives your team the tools they need to react to market conditions more quickly and produce stronger results that garner more business. To learn more about the key distinctions between media asset management and digital asset management systems, or to receive additional information on digital media asset management software and solutions, feel free to contact ioMoVo. If you would like a free trial of ioMoVo, sign up here. For more details, visit iomovo.io.