Digital asset management: DAM defined, how it works, and top features

Canto PIM
What is a digital asset management?

What is digital asset management? 

Digital asset management (DAM) is software that helps businesses efficiently create, manage, access, and distribute digital assets such as images, videos, and documents. By connecting the marketing stack, a DAM system unifies marketing, content, creative, video, and sales teams to accelerate content delivery and streamline workflows. 

There are numerous benefits of digital asset management, including productivity boosts, better collaboration, improved brand consistency, and increased content ROI. 

What are the main components of digital asset management? 

There are five key components of a digital asset management system: 

  • Centralized storage for all digital assets keeps content accessible. 
  • Metadata management features like automated asset tagging and organization. 
  • Search and discovery are enhanced by AI-powered search capabilities. 
  • Access control means you can build custom permission levels to manage sharing and distribution. 
  • Version control helps track asset changes and approvals. 

How does digital asset management work? 

Managing digital assets becomes much easier when you use DAM software functionality. Digital asset management solutions simplify and accelerate content lifecycle management, maximizing content production and content ROI. 

Here’s precisely how digital asset management software works: 

1. Asset ingestion and upload 

Migrate all your digital assets (along with technical metadata and folder structure) into a single digital asset management platform from your cloud storage platforms, on-premises servers, local storage, and other storage platforms. 

Key features: Bulk upload, API integrations, drag-and-drop interface 

2. Asset metadata tagging 

Next, use a digital asset management solution’s auto-tagging and optical character recognition (OCR) tools to generate additional metadata, allowing teams to focus on custom metadata that isn’t captured, like campaign names and use case information. 

Key features: Auto-tagging, OCR text extraction, custom fields 

3. Organization and categorization 

Organize your content according to your ideal digital asset management platform users’ metadata taxonomy, such as keywords, tags, and custom fields. Ensure your folder structure is ideal for cross-functional file discovery and allows room for team and asset growth. 

Key features: Folders, auto-sorting, and metadata management 

4. Asset search and discovery 

DAM software functionality includes metadata search and facial recognition tools to keep content searchable as your library expands. Some best-in-class DAM solutions include AI-powered search to scan and retrieve media instantly. 

Key features: Keyword search, visual search, facial recognition, advanced filters 

5. Collaboration and workflows 

Digital asset management solutions streamline collaboration by providing a multi-language, self-service library, digital asset management workflows, private digital workspaces, comments, and annotations. DAM software also integrates your approved content library into systems like Adobe CC, WordPress, monday.com, Hootsuite, Mailchimp, and more. 

Key features: Comments, annotations, workflow automation, workspaces, integrations 

6. Brand asset management 

A DAM platform helps with brand asset management, with intuitive tools like version control, approval workflows, and Digital Rights Management (DRM) for handling licensed and copyrighted content. In addition, creatives can empower teams to GTM on-brand with style guides and brand templates. 

Key features: Version control, approval workflows, Digital Rights Management, style guides, brand templates 

7. Distribution and performance tracking 

DAM software can automate distribution onto storefronts and platforms with built-in media delivery capabilities. Teams can build and distribute branded content collections via portals. DAM platforms include reporting features to analyze content performance for future content strategy. 

Key features: Multi-channel distribution, portals, usage analytics, performance reporting 

8. Asset archival and reuse 

Don’t let content get stale with DAM software. With a digital asset management solution, you can set expiration dates on content and guarantee it gets removed from circulation for sales, partners, distributors, and more. You can easily refresh content for new campaigns, channels, and use cases. When content isn’t valuable anymore, you can move it to cold storage. 

Key features: Expiration dates, cold storage 

What are the types of digital asset management software? 

1. Enterprise DAM system 

Large brands with millions of assets may require an enterprise digital asset management system. These DAM systems have robust features and are highly customizable for different cross-functional needs. Still, they come with a higher price tag, longer implementation timelines, and may need a dedicated team to run them. 

Bottom line: Enterprise DAM systems are scalable, customizable, and costly. 

2. SMB DAM system 

SMB digital asset management systems offer growing and product-driven brands an efficient system to store, organize, manage, and deploy digital assets at scale. SMB DAM systems provide features that connect marketing technology, streamline workflows, and build efficient operations. In addition, SMB DAM software offers fast implementation, onboarding, and intuitive interfaces for faster ROI. 

Bottom line: SMB DAM systems are easy to use, fast to deploy, and offer straightforward pricing. 

3. Industry-specific DAM system 

Industry-specific digital asset management systems meet the tailored needs of organizations in verticals such as media, retail, healthcare, or education. Metadata schemas, compliance criteria, and specific tool integrations are some of the top reasons for choosing an industry-specific DAM system, but high cost can be a deterrent. 

Bottom line: Industry-specific DAM systems are highly tailored, give a competitive edge, and are expensive. 

What is the difference between digital asset management vs. file storage vs. content management systems? 

Those still getting introduced to digital asset management software may use the terms DAM, file storage, and content management systems (CMS) interchangeably, but the technologies serve different purposes. 

When choosing between digital asset management vs. file management vs. CMS, here are the most common use cases and capabilities to keep in mind: 

Asset management 

You’ll need a digital asset management platform to manage brand assets, media, and corporate documents. File management solutions are a great choice if you only manage corporate documents and don’t need an intuitive visual interface with robust metadata management capabilities. If comparing DAM vs. CMS, the latter could be a great fit if you need to manage only web pages, blog content, and media. 

Metadata management and organization 

Do you have a complex folder hierarchy or metadata taxonomy, or will folders and file names be sufficient to organize your content? Do you need auto-tagging or text extraction? If you need more robust organization features, DAM software will be a great choice.  


When it comes to cloud storage metadata management, you’ll want to check out specific custom metadata field needs before purchase. Google Drive offers metadata management for file name, type, owner, date, and access permissions, but custom metadata creation is complicated. Dropbox offers metadata management for file name, type, size, and modification date, but you’ll need developers to create custom metadata fields using the API. 

A CMS can only help organize web-based content, so you’ll want to understand website requirements like blog categorization, storefront filtering, and other marketing automation tools before final consideration. 

Brand and content control 

A DAM system is best if your team has inconsistent branding issues. DAM systems include brand tools like style guides, approval workflows, and brand templates to empower GTM teams with on-brand content. While CMS systems offer white-label, front-end based template brand tools for themes, file storage offers no brand management capabilities at all. It’s also worth noting that you will need additional brand controls for web content if you want to ensure brand consistency across pages. 

Search capabilities 

A powerful search tool becomes integral to your content workflows if multiple teams access your library for several use cases, such as marketing and creative. DAM systems have powerful metadata search, filtering, and facial recognition tools. Best-in-class DAM systems offer AI-powered visual search for faster asset search and retrieval.  

When comparing DAM vs. file storage, the latter offers keyword search ️for fields like file type and date, natural language processing (NLP) support, and vary on offering image and full text search. CMS systems only offer core search capabilities like title, body content, and metadata search without additional development. 

Workflows and collaboration 

Digital asset management software will be best if your team seeks more efficient workflows. A DAM platform includes lightweight workflow tools, including workflow templatization, approval workflows, and real-time feedback loops. DAM software is also the go-to for workspaces, a unique digital space where teams can collaborate on project assets. A DAM platform also integrates with many tools, like product information management, to connect your workflow.  

While real-time collaboration is possible on file storage, it’s limited and varies. Google Drive offers robust cross-platform collaboration and real-time document editing support for G-suite apps. Dropbox offers video workflows, granular permissions, image and PDF editing at higher tiers. 

There are editorial workflows within CMS systems to keep drafted and live content separate. 

Version control and rights management 

Teams that need robust version control should look no further than DAM systems, which include layered asset versioning and CDN links that keep embedded assets updated. Additionally, Digital Rights Management (DRM) tools include watermarks, terms and conditions, and content usage tracking. You can approve and expire both assets and share links with DAM software, as well. 

File storage can assist with version control and basic DRM capabilities. Specifically, Google Drive can expire files in your shared drive, help with basic file version control, tracking, and recovery, but lacks other important DRM capabilities. Depending on the plan, Dropbox includes different levels of share link expiration and file recovery, watermarks for sensitive files, and file locking and view tracking. 

True DRM capabilities are also not supported in CMS systems. 

Asset distribution 

Regarding asset deployment, DAM systems offer media delivery capabilities, branded and customizable portals, share links with password protection (optional), and integration with content delivery tools. Comparing file storage vs. DAM software, file storage offers links, password protection on paid tiers, and file/folder embedding with CMS systems. With CMS systems, you can expect web production and publishing tools, along with strong community support and resources, depending on the platform.

What are the essential DAM capabilities and features? 

Digital asset management systems have the capabilities that digital asset managers need to optimize content workflows and meet marketing goals. 

Here are the top DAM capabilities and their supporting features: 

8 key features of digital asset management 

Centralized repository for digital assets 

A digital asset management solution centralizes all digital assets into one organized content library. DAM platforms can store hundreds of file types. Here are a few key centralization features that a digital asset management system includes. 

DAM features: 

  • Digital asset and metadata bulk migration tools. 
  • Self-service, cloud-based DAM solution to store all digital files. 
  • Upload links to ingest content from external collaborators. 

Advanced search and retrieval capabilities 

DAM software can quickly locate specific files across any size asset library, helping organizations speed up content workflows and get content into the market faster. Here are a few search and retrieval features that DAM platforms include. 

DAM features: 

  • Metadata search and filtering to find your content quickly. 
  • AI facial recognition to find specific media featuring people. 

Metadata management and tagging 

DAM software streamlines metadata management for creatives, content managers, and marketers. A digital asset management system helps reduce tedious metadata-related tasks so that teams can focus on higher-value work. Here are the top DAM features for metadata management. 

DAM features: 

  • Auto-tagging to generate contextual metadata for images and videos. 
  • Optical character recognition (OCR) scans text from documents and PDFs. 
  • Custom metadata helps capture marketing campaign information and more. 

Workflows and collaboration tools 

Digital asset management systems can handle efficient collaboration for teams of any size. Whether your team needs a digital space to collaborate on projects, faster approval workflows, or ways to bring together communication, DAM systems have it all. 

DAM features: 

  • Workspaces are private, digital spaces to work on in-progress content not ready for the main library. 
  • Digital asset management workflows are automated, linear pathways for running all your content projects, streamlining review and approval. 
  • Comments and annotations allow stakeholders, marketers, and creatives to communicate in real time about active projects. 

Version control and asset history tracking 

Digital asset management software simplifies content management, including tracking and controlling digital asset versions. With a DAM platform, you can ensure approved content reaches the right teams. 

DAM features: 

  • Version control layers new versions of assets in one file, streamlining file access while reducing cloud storage requirements. 
  • Asset version history and tracking to ensure correct content usage. 

Access control, permissions, and digital rights 

Digital asset management systems give organizations complete control over their valuable digital and brand assets. Check out the following access and control features you gain from implementing a DAM system. 

DAM features: 

  • Digital rights management (DRM) tools track and manage licensed and copyrighted content usage. 
  • Approval statuses distribute content to teams and platforms with a click. 
  • Expiration dates automatically remove content from circulating when promotions end or collateral becomes outdated. 
  • User roles are available to help tailor the DAM platform experience for individual users. 

Distribution tools 

It’s insufficient to place approved content in your digital asset management system and hope for the best. Luckily, DAM systems come to the rescue with the features you need to distribute content to teams and channels. 

DAM features: 

  • Brand portals are customizable content collections built for any audience. 
  • DAM and CDN (content delivery network) functionality provides global audiences with faster load times. 
  • Share links provide a convenient and fast way to send and receive files. 

Analytics and reporting

Digital asset management includes content reporting features that organizations need to understand content performance and inform data-driven content strategy. Dive into these key analytics features below. 

DAM features: 

  • Visual and customizable dashboards are available to administrators. 
  • Content reports enable teams to understand content performance. 

What are the most common DAM solution use cases? 

While most DAM software includes similar capabilities, the reason for choosing a specific DAM platform differs between businesses. Here are a few common DAM software use cases: 

Brand management 

There’s no better software for brand management than digital asset management. DAM platforms empower GTM teams like marketing and sales to stay on-brand during campaigns and sales. Creative and content teams can easily oversee brand identity and assets in use from a single place. 

Centralized and searchable archives 

Organizations with a vast library of corporate, institutional, or education assets can quickly utilize DAM software to discover and access century-old and recent assets. With a DAM platform, organizations can retain their brand legacy while bringing their archives into the digital age. 

Production and workflow management 

Content workflows need to scale to meet the pace of AI content generation, marketing campaign demands, and other content needs. Workflow management is enhanced via digital asset management workflows, tool integration, and collaboration tools to bring your teams and content closer together. 

Video asset management 

Video teams need a source of truth for video asset management, including video production, post-production, and channel delivery. Digital assets management software allows teams to access and edit video footage, reels, and post-production work in one media library using DAM’s Adobe CC integrations and collaboration tools. 

Marketing asset management 

Organizations looking to use marketing collateral more strategically depend on DAM software for marketing asset management. DAM software allows marketing teams to organize content using automation, then discover and segment content for campaigns with AI visual search features and auto-sorting. Marketers can also swiftly create on-brand materials with approved brand templates, content optimization tools, and brand style guides. Digital asset management software also helps marketers deliver content to channels, too. 

Marketing ecosystem connectivity 

Organizations wishing to scale their content operations seek out digital asset management software for their plethora of marketing stack integrations. By placing your approved content library into existing workflows and tooling, teams can quickly access and use marketing resources in campaigns, sales sequences, and product launches. 

What teams use digital asset management? 

DAM for marketing team 

Marketing teams use digital asset management software to find and access on-brand marketing collateral and campaign files quickly, speeding up the launch of marketing initiatives. 

  • Digital marketers: Access content quickly using AI visual search and facial recognition, powering up your latest campaigns in a flash. 
  • Marketing leaders: Get content reports, see what’s working, and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly. 

DAM for content and creative teams 

Content and creative teams use DAM platforms to accelerate content production, reduce metadata management, and automate collateral distribution. These platforms also facilitate efficient approval workflows and collaboration with other teams. 

  • Creative directors: Streamline workflows, empower teams with style guides and brand templates, and focus on strategic creative work. 
  • Content marketers: Use workflow templates to produce content faster, approve projects in real time, and build content funnels like a pro. 
  • Designers: Create concepts, get real-time feedback from stakeholders, and move through cycles faster with approval workflows and tool integrations.  

DAM for sales teams 

Sales teams use DAM software to find and access all training materials and sales collateral from one place, improving sales success. 

  • Sales enablement: Build robust sales collateral and training portals, track content usage, and ensure content stays fresh and on-brand with approvals. 
  • Sales reps: Find training and marketing collateral, pitch decks, and anything else within a centralized and searchable library. 

DAM for external brand collaborators 

Digital asset management software makes working with external brand collaborators a breeze, regardless of location. 

  • Agencies: In-house creatives can collaborate with agencies on concepts inside workspaces and workflows for a streamlined process. 
  • Freelancers: Gather files quickly with upload links, set required metadata fields, and push approved content into the main library for use. 
  • Distributors, influencers, and partners: Self-service pre-approved and on-brand content in polished and bespoke portals. 

What industries use digital asset management solutions? 

 

Are you wondering which industries are using digital asset management? Below is a list of the top digital asset management industries. 

DAM for Agencies 

With digital asset management, agencies can accelerate content production, make billable hours count using AI tools, and strengthen their brand position. 

DAM for Construction 

With DAM software, construction brands can secure top bids, access and share field work from anywhere, and give clients a bespoke experience every time. 

DAM for CPG Brands 

With DAM systems, CPG brands can maintain brand consistency across channels, drive operational efficiency, and accelerate product launches. 

DAM for Education 

A DAM solution is a single platform for education institutions to manage content, streamline collaboration across departments, and protect their organization’s brand identity. 

DAM for Healthcare 

DAM solutions give healthcare organizations a single place to fulfill urgent content requests, create new content faster, monitor their brand, and ensure content usage compliance. 

DAM for Manufacturing 

Digital asset management platforms help manufacturers accelerate products to markets, improve customer acquisition and retention, and maintain brand consistency. 

DAM for Media and Entertainment 

Media and entertainment brands use digital asset management solutions to manage vast media libraries at scale, organize and retrieve media quickly, and improve media delivery and brand consistency. 

DAM for Non-Profits 

A digital asset management platform helps non-profits launch world-class campaigns on a budget, operate efficiently, and maximize the reach and impact of every piece of content created. 

DAM for Retail Brands 

A DAM platform includes everything retail brands need, including multi-channel product content launch capabilities, omnichannel brand experience tools, and streamlined workflows. 

DAM for Sports

Sports organizations can finally manage vast amounts of incoming assets quickly, efficiently collaborate across stakeholders and media partners, and safeguard their brand — all with DAM software. 

DAM for Tech Companies 

With a DAM system, technology companies can scale content production, drive revenue and content ROI, and power up their workforce. 

DAM for Travel and Hospitality 

Travel and hospitality brands use digital asset management solutions to empower teams and partners with fantastic brand imagery, meet sales and booking goals, and control their brand experiences at scale. 

What is an example of a digital asset management system?

Some of the largest brands in the world use digital asset management systems, and it’s not hard to see why. Check out these digital asset management system examples: 

  • Manufacturing: With Canto’s DAM platform, Sony Europe B.V. has a centralized library of ambassador assets ready to fuel inspiring content that engages aspiring photographers with Sony products. 
  • Retail: With Canto’s DAM software, Amorepacific uses digital content more efficiently — enabling cost savings across the organization and creating a solid foundation to make their direct-to-consumer pivot a success. 
  • Travel & Hospitality: With Canto DAM, Canto AI Visual Search, and Canto’s Canva integration, Got Light manages 62,000+ images and videos with ease, creating decks 5x faster, reducing metadata management, and elevating their brand. 
  • Higher Education: University of Wyoming speeds up creative workflows by 83% and brings student experiences to life using Canto DAM. 
  • CPG Brands: Ben & Jerry’s manages 66,000+ assets in over 38 countries with DAM software, with easy access and an intuitive interface for 600+ users. 

What are the digital asset management best practices? 

Include these seven digital asset management best practices in your routine after DAM launch: 

  • Centralize digital files: The golden rule of DAM best practices is to store all your files in your DAM platform. Make it easy for teams to keep your DAM library current by using upload links and required metadata fields for ingestion. 
  • Organize folders: Create and maintain a cross-functional folder hierarchy with the teams that will use your DAM platform. Keep in mind that DAM auto-sorts your files by type, so you don’t need to include this as part of your DAM best practices. 
  • Develop metadata taxonomy: Deploy and maintain your metadata taxonomy as your teams and assets grow. DAM software includes keywords, tags, and custom fields for all your metadata needs. 
  • Use powerful AI tools: Automatically generate contextual tags for media with auto-tagging and use text extraction to reuse document copy quickly. Use AI visual search tools and facial recognition as part of your DAM best practices to make content even easier to discover. 
  • Develop standardized workflows: Don’t organize your content and call it a day. Digital asset management best practices also involve creating standardized workflows for popular content programs, establishing stakeholders, and scaling content production accordingly. 
  • Establish governance processes: Whether for workflow management, compliance requirements, or brand management, DAM best practices for governance set the groundwork for ensuring teams adhere to standards. 
  • Review digital assets regularly: Audit your content library regularly to see what content is off-brand, inaccurate, or needs to be freshened up. 

The best digital asset management platform is Canto 

Canto’s digital asset management platform has all the best-in-class features your organization needs to maximize content value, accelerate content to market, and maintain brand consistency at scale. 

Frequently asked questions about digital asset management

Digital assets management definition

Digital assets management involves managing your assets, workflows, policies, and technologies for an organization or business. Usually, businesses store, organize, and access digital content with a digital asset management system, software, or tool. 

What are digital asset management systems? 

Digital asset management systems provide centralized asset discovery, access, and distribution capabilities for growing organizations. 

What is digital assets management software? 

Digital assets management software broadly refers to managing all digital asset types, including media, financial, IP, IT, tokenized, and more. 

How does digital asset management work? 

DAM systems work through an eight-step process: 1. Asset ingestion and upload, 2. Asset metadata tagging, 3. Organization and categorization, 4. Asset search and discovery, 5. Collaboration and workflows, 6. Brand asset management, 7. Distribution and performance tracking, 8. Asset archival and reuse. 

What’s the difference between DAM and file storage? 

DAM systems provide advanced metadata management, brand control, AI-powered search, and automated distribution, while file storage platforms like Dropbox only offer basic organization, search, and usage tracking capabilities and offer no brand governance. 

What is the difference between a CMS and a DAM? 

DAM systems focus on managing brand assets and media files with advanced metadata and distribution capabilities, while content management systems (CMS) create and publish web content. DAM handles any file type, while CMS primarily manages text-based web content. 

Who needs a digital asset management system? 

Organizations with 1,000+ digital assets expanding into new markets need multi-channel branded content campaigns and will benefit from the DAM system’s brand management, DRM tools, and automated distribution workflows. 

What features should I look for in DAM software? 

When shopping for a DAM, don’t look for specific features. Instead, look for capabilities that address business gaps and help your organization achieve objectives, such as streamlining workflows, increasing content ROI, or accelerating content delivery. 

What types of digital assets can DAM manage? 

DAM systems can manage virtually any digital file type, including images (JPG, PNG, TIFF), videos (MP4, MOV, AVI), documents (PDF, DOC, PPT), audio files (MP3, WAV), design files (AI, PSD), and 3D models. 

What industries use digital asset management? 

DAM is widely used across industries, including retail, manufacturing, media and entertainment, education, healthcare, non-profits, agencies, and travel and hospitality, to manage brand assets and digital content. 

How do digital asset management platforms work with existing tools? 

Most DAM platforms offer integrations with creative tools (Adobe Creative Suite), marketing platforms (HubSpot, Mailchimp), CMS systems (WordPress, Drupal), and cloud storage services (Google Drive, Dropbox) through APIs and native connectors. 

What is a data asset management system? 

A data asset management system (DAMS) is a platform for managing structured and unstructured data, whereas a digital asset management system is for managing digital assets and metadata. 

Why digital asset management for small businesses? 

Digital asset management is a foundational tool for any growing small business concerned with brand consistency, operational efficiency, and content ROI. 

Is Google Drive a DAM?

No, Google Drive is cloud storage and doesn’t have the same functionality as DAM software. If you need basic search, access, and sharing features, Google Drive is a great option. If you need robust search, access, brand management, and collaboration workflow features, DAM software like Canto is a great fit. 

What does DAM stand for in digital marketing?

Within the context of digital marketing, DAM stands for digital asset management. DAM software empowers marketing teams to access their best content instantly, maintain brand consistency across channels, and deliver content to market faster.  

What is the best DAM software?

The best DAM software depends on your unique business objectives and needs. First, identify gaps in marketing strategy, such as inefficient workflows, review bottlenecks, or slow content delivery to market. Next, identify which DAM software best aligns with your business goals and current marketing technology. Best-in-class DAM software should include global access, AI-powered search, workflow automation, and a simple interface.

What does a digital asset management tool do? 

A digital asset management tool centralizes and organizes your brand assets and digital files into one searchable library. DAM tools help teams access content quickly, operate efficiently, and gain a competitive edge.