DAM stands for digital asset management. It is your media library: every photo, video and file you produce, kept in one place with the information that makes it findable later, and shared with clients through a portal that carries your branding rather than a generic download link.
What it holds
- Assets — the files themselves, with searchable details attached to each one
- Stories — a set of assets grouped under one subject, such as a shoot, a campaign or an event
- Collections and catalogs — the way you arrange stories for a particular audience
- Lightboxes — a shortlist you or a client build while reviewing, without moving anything
- Safeboxes — a secure, time-limited link for sharing outside your portal, which expires on its own
- Downloads and logs — who received what, when, and in which format
Your first hour
- Upload a recent shoot into Assets. Bring in more than one file at a time — the library is built for batches.
- Group them into a Story so they travel together and stay in context.
- Put the story into a Collection so the right client sees it and nobody else does.
- Invite one client into the portal and give them the access they need for their work.
- Share a Safebox link with someone outside the portal and watch it expire on its own.
Tips
- Fill in the details when you upload, not later. A library is only as good as its search, and search only works on what you recorded.
- Use a story per shoot or event rather than per client. Clients change; the shoot does not.
- Check Downloads before you chase anyone. It usually shows the file was collected days ago.