Managing content across various channels is more challenging than ever. That’s why brands are shopping around for the perfect digital asset management system, or DAM system for short.
Maybe you’re a professional sports team looking to invest in a DAM solution for the first time, but aren’t sure where to start. Or maybe you’re a travel agency frustrated with your current solution and are looking to change or upgrade. Our buyers guide will help DAM shoppers at every stage of the journey across any industry, from eCommerce and retail to media and entertainment.
In this article, you will find:
- A comprehensive overview of DAM systems, including benefits, use cases, common capabilities, and supported content types
- Essential tips and tricks for choosing the right DAM for your organization, including a step-by-step guide
- Examples of popular DAM systems on the market today
What is a Digital Asset Management System?
A Digital Asset Management (DAM) system is a software solution that helps brands create, store, organize, and manage digital assets, from audio files and videos, to images and PDFs. Organizations of all sizes use DAM systems to share digital files, develop new and repurpose assets from on-brand templates, and expand the functionality of their existing tech stack.
Benefits of DAM
Brands across all industries can benefit from implementing a cloud-based DAM platform. With a modern DAM, your team will:
- Organize content in one place so all members can easily access new information
- Integrate the DAM system with your existing martech stack
- Cut costs by reducing redundant tools
- Ensure brand consistency by granting all stakeholders access to the branding guidelines
- Streamline collaboration, reviews, approvals, and online proofing
- Provide easy-to-use branded templates
- Make data-driven decisions based on asset performance
- Demonstrate your content’s ROI so teams across the organization are confident in the value of your content
Top DAM use cases
- Sales enablement
- Product management
- Marketing
- Content creation
- Website management
- Social media management
- Brand management
- Influencer engagement
- Analytics and reporting
- eCommerce product management
Common DAM capabilities and features
While each digital asset management solution comes with its own set of unique capabilities, modern DAM platforms include some or all of the following features:
- End-to-end content management
- Brand asset management, including template creation
- Search and discovery, sometimes powered by AI
- Configurable metadata schemas
- Workflows and automations
- Analytics and reporting
- Collaboration tools across teams
- Integrations with creative tools, like Adobe Suite products
- Copyright management
- Tiered user permissions and controls
- Creator tools, such as cropping, adjusting size, and changing dimensions
- Secure storage
- Data transfer
Content types supported by DAM systems
Today’s marketers, sales enablement teams, web strategists, and social media experts leverage a wide-range of digital assets such as:
- Audio, including podcasts, music, and sound effects
- Brand guidelines for messaging, visual styles, and values
- Documents, including reports, scripts, and legal
- Images, such as illustrations, logos, and photographs
- PDFs of pitch decks, sales decks, eBooks, whitepapers, case studies, and other downloadable or gated content
- Product data, including, specifications, measurements, and feature lists
- Videos of all kinds, from polished and produced pieces to social posts and webinars
- InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and other Adobe files
How to choose the right DAM software for your organization
DAM vendors come in all shapes and sizes. In general, you will want to consider the following factors before settling on a platform:
- Ease of use
- Scalability
- Customization
- Cost
- Deployment style (SaaS vs. on-premise vs. cloud native applications)
Basic vs. Enterprise DAM
You will need to choose between two types of DAM solutions: Basic and Enterprise. This will depend on your organization’s size and growth ambitions.
Basic
Basic solutions are more user-friendly. You shouldn’t have too much difficulty understanding a basic DAM’s classifications, taxonomies, and metadata schemas. Basic DAM solutions are also much more affordable.
On the other hand, basic DAM solutions fall short for enterprise organizations with global marketing ambitions and a goal to scale their brand. Its out-of-the-box, one-size-fits-all approach is helpful for less complex tasks, but can make it difficult to customize your solution, such as configuring advanced metadata schemas and workflows. Basic DAM software might also be lacking customizable user permissions and other common DAM functions.
For small businesses and early-stage startups (Pre-seed or Seed), a basic DAM solution can solve pressing business challenges before a period of hyper growth.
Enterprise
Enterprise DAM solutions help global marketing teams address complex use cases at scale. Enterprise solutions rely on cutting-edge technology, such as automation, AI and machine learning, to streamline processes, automate workflows, and generate helpful analytics and insights.
Some enterprise DAM solutions are hosted on-premise, but it’s becoming increasingly popular to deploy DAM solutions on the cloud. If you’re looking for a DAM solution that can reach enterprise scale easily, cut costs, and optimize operations, a cloud-native solution is the right choice for you.
Version control tools
One of the biggest challenges for marketers and content creators is keeping everyone aligned on works-in-progress. If your DAM offers version control tools, creators and marketers can revert to a previous product iteration without losing key information.
Brand management
With so many tools in our tech stacks, ensuring end-to-end brand management has become a headache for designers and marketers alike. DAM solutions like PhotoShelter allow users to store brand guidelines and branded templates that are accessible to all. This way, content creators without design backgrounds can develop and launch on-brand assets without wasting the design team’s valuable time.
eCommerce capabilities
A DAM solution is arguably critical for eCommerce operations. The right digital asset management tool helps eCommerce brands syndicate their product listings, expand into new channels, manage product metadata, automate workflows, and more.
Metadata schemas
As you shop around for the right DAM platform, keep an eye out for a customizable metadata schema. Best-in-class metadata schemas make it easier for your team to search for assets, saving countless hours of time.
Most DAM platforms allow you to add metadata for the following categories (at minimum):
- Creator name
- Date and time created
- Location
- Image resolution
- File type
- Campaign name
- Product information (description, model, material)
You can also use metadata to automate certain workflows, such as setting up automatic approvals based on marketing campaign or asset type. For instance, you might create a rule that every time the design team uploads an asset for a specific campaign, marketing and legal are automatically pinged via email so they can review.
Understanding key DAM users
As you begin conversations in your organization about choosing DAM software, you will want to consult a number of teams, including creative, marketing, IT/operations, legal, sales and executives. Oftentimes, you will need executive buy-in or sponsorship to get the decision over the finish line.
Content creators
Designers, copywriters, and other creatives are fed up with manually entering metadata, juggling multiple creative platforms, and performing other repetitive work. With a modern DAM system, content creators can simplify their process, discover opportunities for collaboration, ensure brand consistency, and streamline asset management, end to end.
Marketers
Marketers are often intermediaries between content creators and other functions, such as sales. A strong DAM system enables marketers to keep track of digital content across its lifestyle, streamline approval and review processes, develop fresh content from pre-designed templates, and measure the success of individual assets.
IT/Operations
Your IT and operations teams will be more concerned about scalability, longevity, performance, security, compliance, integrating the DAM with your existing tech stack, and staying on budget. Finding a solution that automates time-consuming workflows and fits well with the organization’s current and future architecture will be a priority. IT and operations teams will be curious about more technical components, such as APIs and native integrations.
Sales
DAMs ensure sales teams have centralized storage for sales collateral, while accessing usage analytics to track which materials are most effective. While your sales team won’t be creating assets per se, they will benefit from quick access to marketing materials to share digital content with prospects. A best-in-class DAM makes it easy for the sales team to find the asset they need with a simple search. Time, after all, is money.
Executives
Depending on your organization’s size, the CMO, CRO, COO, and even the CEO might weigh in on which DAM solution to choose. Executives will be more concerned with budget, future costs, and how the DAM system fits into the business’s future roadmap.
Third-party groups
Partners, agencies, contractors, and clients also need access to your brand’s content. A modern DAM platform equips your team with the right tools to seamlessly share media assets with third-parties.
Steps for Choosing Digital Asset Management software
Choosing the right digital asset management tools can be a daunting task. To help you get started, we’ve put together a simple, step-by-step game plan:
- Determine whether you need a basic or enterprise solution. If you’re just getting started, a basic solution might fit your needs. Looking to scale? Enterprise is the way to go.
- Make a list of must-haves for your DAM software. Creating a list of necessary capabilities, customizations, and features can narrow your search. Helpful tip: analyze primary users and functional requirements per department.
- Begin researching DAM solutions. Pay close attention to costs, features, customer support offerings, flexibility, and integrations.
- Align with your organization. Understand who will use the DAM system. Engage key stakeholders early on, including marketers, agencies, sales teams, and others. You will also want to get support from an executive or other organizational champion, such as a CMO, CRO, or COO.
- Create a short-list of DAM solutions that meet your martech stack needs. Find 2 or 3 solutions that match your organization’s unique needs, both in terms of functionality and budget.
- Evaluate demos. Have the DAM’s sales team walk you through the platform. Some vendors offer short trials, while others provide additional assets to give potential buyers a better feel for the platform.
- Compare prices, features, and capabilities. Still not sure which to choose? Then evaluate the pros and cons of the DAM systems under consideration. (See the next section for more information about how to compare DAM systems)
- Choose the right solution! Once you’re confident that you have found a DAM system that meets your organization’s unique needs, congratulations! You’re ready to sign the paperwork, begin the onboarding process, and witness the positive brand results.
How to Compare DAM systems
Before finalizing your decision, you’ll want to carefully compare solutions to make sure that you choose the best DAM system for your organization.
Functionality and features
Since DAM solutions come in all shapes and sizes, you will want to pay attention to each vendor’s unique offerings. Some key features to look for include:
- Customizable metadata and tagging, which can include information such as author name, date, time, location, camera speed, resolution, campaign, SKU, person or object featured in the image, description, material, and other bits of information
- Search capabilities, including faceted search, predict search, keyword search, and advanced search
- File sharing capabilities
- Automated workflows
- Templates for creating collateral
- Integrations with other platforms and tools
- Intuitive navigation for browsing
- Project management tools
Customizability
Like your brand, your organization is unique. Rather than looking for an out-of-the-box solution, you will want to find a platform that can be personalized to meet your team and business’s needs.
- Customizable templates, which optimize the design process
- Customizable taxonomies, metadata schemas, and data fields
- APIs to streamline integrations with other systems
Usability
Developing designs and managing assets on a DAM platform is intimidating at first. No one wants – let alone has time – to spend hours, or even days, navigating a new system. While some level of set-up and training is almost always required, it shouldn’t slow down productivity.
An easy-to-use interface boosts adoption across the organization, especially for less experienced users. Select a DAM provider that puts a premium on customer experience.
Performance
Speed, scalability, efficiency, and overall performance should be top of mind for decision makers.
Some key components to evaluate are:
- Storage sizes
- Level of AI and automation capabilities
- Number of users, images, videos, and searches
- Tools to evaluate key metrics and user insights
- Customizable workflows and other features that allow users to optimize the DAM system’s architecture
Focusing on performance ensures that your DAM solution meets the needs of a scaling business, so you avoid costly switching costs in the future.
Integration with current martech stack
While you will likely collect some tech debt during periods of intense growth, consider your current software vendors and tools to boost productivity and eliminate redundant tools. Your DAM solution should meet your short-term needs, as well as mesh well with your long-term roadmap.
Closely evaluate which DAM solutions have integrations with the following:
- Internal communication tools (Slack, Microsoft Teams)
- Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions
- Content management systems (CMS)
- Corporate performance management (CPM) platforms
- Operating systems (Mac vs. Windows)
- Web and on-premise servers
- Existing information management tools
Ensuring that your future DAM solution integrates with your tech stack saves money and enables adoption.
Customer support and training
Getting started with your DAM solution can be both exhilarating and anxiety inducing. Chances are you will face some pain points and roadblocks as you tailor a DAM solution to meet your organization’s needs. Choosing a DAM platform with a robust customer support system makes the first few weeks even easier.
In addition, double check that your DAM vendor provides a robust suite of training materials. This might include product updates, training manuals, certificate programs, interactive modules, or regular emails altering users about what’s new.
Compliance and security
With more hackers disrupting business operations each day, investing in a DAM platform that offers best-in-class security capabilities is a necessity. It’s crucial for maintaining compliance.
At the minimum, your DAM solution should include:
- SSO, or multi-step user authentication
- Encryption
- Antivirus and malware protection
- User permissions that restrict access
- Access options such as private, public, and limited to select groups or users
- Copy rights management tools
Don’t let your security fall by the wayside. Safeguard your business’s intellectual property and sensitive information by choosing a DAM vendor that cares.
Costs
Pricing for basic DAM solutions start anywhere from free to $400 per year, while enterprise solutions for large companies can exceed $200,000 annually. Your monthly or annual DAM costs will be determined based on:
- Number of users and user types
- Storage
- Features
- Onboarding costs and fees, including implementation support
- Customization and set-up costs
The final price of your DAM solution might come with sticker shock. This is a common experience for brands that require a wide range of unique features, complex integrations and implementation, and a large number of users. Carefully consider your needs and budget before signing a contract.
Your DAM vendor should provide you with an initial quote. Keep in mind that the cost might change (either automatically or by request) if you upgrade or downgrade the solution.
DAM system examples
If you’re looking for a digital asset management tool, you’ve probably come across names like Adobe Experience Manager, Canto, and PhotoShelter, of course.
You are probably also familiar with consumer solutions, such as Flickr and Dropbox, which make more sense for personal use. Complex data tools and integrations probably aren’t necessary for keeping track of your family vacation photos. And popular consumer options won’t meet the needs of growing businesses.
Here’s a look at DAM platforms that support growing companies managing their digital assets.
Adobe Experience Manager
Adobe Experience Manager is a powerful platform that functions as a CMS and DAM system. The platform has integrations with many common martech tools. While Adobe offers a number of resources, prices rise rather quickly due to the cost of licenses, resources, implementation, upgrades, and ongoing maintenance. This is why Adobe Experience Manager is often double the price of comparable solutions.
Brandfolder
Brandfolder is another DAM platform that helps marketers and creatives manage assets and assess their performance. The platform offers numerous integrations and helpful AI tools. On the other hand, editing and deleting users on the platform can be counterintuitive. If your organization has a large repository of digital files, it can be difficult to find your documents.
Bynder
Bynder is a DAM platform that focuses on branding, including templating and brand guidelines. This enterprise DAM solution offers numerous tools to help you manage your digital assets, including AI automated tagging.
A popular choice for larger companies, Bynder does have its drawbacks. Costs can skyrocket if you have hundreds of users, organizations are limited to 3 user levels, the UI is not always the most intuitive, and the workflows might not meet the needs of businesses in highly regulated industries.
Canto
Canto is a DAM system that is a good option for small businesses that are not looking to grow substantially or reach enterprise scale. This solution offers the cheapest base package DAM in the industry, but prices can rise dramatically if you’re looking to customize, add new seats or additional storage.
Given that Canto is a more affordable option, it also lacks certain functionalities, such as limited user roles and no tools to manage product content. Canto has some neat capabilities, such as Amazon Rekognition for facial recognition to tag photos more quickly. But overall, the platform’s AI and machine learning capabilities are limited.
Dropbox
While Dropbox is a great option for consumers and very early stage startups, the solution isn’t ideal for businesses that are looking to scale up. The upload and download bandwidth is slower than many top DAM solutions on the market today. Also, Dropbox charges per user, which means that prices will skyrocket for teams looking to reach enterprise scale.
Google Drive
Similar to Dropbox, Google Drive is a top choice for consumers and workers alike. The platform, however, is rather limited in terms of editing and sharing images, videos, and other creative files. The upload and download bandwidth is slower than most DAM solutions on the market, which makes it far from ideal for marketing and creative teams that regularly upload large files.
Greenfly
Greenfly markets itself as a DAM for short-form content, focused on photos and videos. Their target audience is sports and entertainment organizations. If you’re looking for a platform that helps you engage with fans 24/7, manage content from live broadcasts, or collect media from live content creators, then Greenfly may be the right choice for you.
PhotoShelter
PhotoShelter offers high-speed uploads, flexible file storage, and a lightning-fast network. Our AI-powered suite enables you to streamline workflows, automatically tag images, create accessible subtitles for videos, and demonstrate your ROI.
With PhotoShelter, you receive a sleek branded portal, advanced permissions that integrate with your brand’s existing tech stack, custom design templates, social media integrations, and real-time collaboration in Workspaces.
We know that you have spent a lot of time, money and effort building your tech stack, which is why PhtoShelter integrates with the tools you know and love. Connect PhotoShelter with Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Photo Mechanic, WordPress, Drupal, Canva, Hootsuite, Slack, and other popular apps. Migrate files from other solutions, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Lightroom, and Photomehanic.
By choosing PhotoShelter, you also receive the benefits of highly customizable metadata schema, unlimited internal and external users, flexible user permissions, and a dedicated account manager to support with onboarding, ongoing training, and everything else. Trusted by nearly 2000 brands like Wendy’s, Delta Air Lines, and the New York Jets, PhotoShelter is the digital asset management tool for visual storytelling.