Metadata is important for content management, especially in media portals. Users can organize, search, and manage their media content with the help of metadata. The Metadata section in our system comprises three key components: Tags, Metadata Fields, and Templates.
Benefits of Metadata
Metadata allows users to label and categorize media content, making it easier to search for specific videos, and sort content by criteria, e.g. language, region, or any other category added.
Use Cases:
- Organization: Metadata helps users keep their media portal organized, making it easy to manage videos.
- Searchability: Metadata allows for more precise search results. Users can search for content based on tags or specific metadata fields.
- Management: Templates save time for users when applying a set of predefined metadata fields to multiple videos.
Tags
Tags are simple labels that can be added to videos to identify content based on keywords. Tags make it easier to search for and manage videos by grouping them under common themes or categories.
- Add a Tag: enter the desired keyword and submit it. You can also add a new tag from the Metadata tab of the Video.
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Edit a Tag: Existing tags can be updated.
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Delete a Tag: Tags can be removed.
Once a tag is created, it can be applied to any video from the "Metadata" tab on the video’s page:
Metadata Fields
Metadata fields are custom attributes you can add to videos to provide additional details and use categorization and search functionality. These fields can be customized to capture different types of information for the content.
To create a metadata field, follow these steps:
1. Name: Choose a name for the field that indicates its purpose.
2. Optional: Description: Provide a description to explain the field’s function.
3. Type: Select the appropriate data type for the field:
- Text: For textual information. E.g.: “English”.
- Integer: For whole numbers. E.g.: “1”.
- Decimal: For numerical data with decimals. E.g.: “1.11”.
- Date: For date values. E.g.: “5/29/204”.
4. Optional: Prepopulated Fields: Insert predefined options for the field.
Optionally, select one of the predefined values as the default.
5. Optional: Allow Free Text Entry: By default, this setting is turned on, allowing users to enter any value. Select "Prepopulated fields" and turn off free text entry if you prefer predefined options.
This setting cannot be changed unless "Prepopulated fields" are added.
6. Save: Click "Create" to save the metadata field.
Templates
Templates are ready-made sets of metadata fields that can be quickly applied to multiple videos, saving time when setting up similar types of content.
To create a template, follow these steps:
1. Name: Provide a name for the template that reflects its use case.
2. Optional: Description: Write a brief description to explain the purpose and contents of the template.
3. Select Fields: Choose the relevant metadata fields to include in the template.
4. Save: Click "Create" to save the template.
Templates simplify adding metadata to videos. Instead of selecting metadata fields one by one, users can apply a template to videos, which includes a pre-defined set of fields.
Users then enter values for each field individually, just as they would if adding fields one by one. If default prepopulated values are included in the metadata, those values will be automatically applied.
Example Use Case
Here’s a practical example of how a user can benefit from tags, metadata fields, and templates:
1. The user creates a tag called "Kids."
2. Then he creates two fields: "Age" (text) and "Language" (text).
3. The user creates a template named "Cartoons" that includes the "Age" and "Language" fields.
4. He uploads two cartoon videos.
5. Tag and Template applied:
- The user selects the "Metadata" tab on each video’s page.
- The user applies the "Kids" tag to both videos.
- The user applies the "Cartoons" template for both videos and fills in the metadata fields: "Age" with "3+ years" and "Language" with "English."
Resulting Benefits: There is no need to add fields manually for each separate video. And most importantly, the user can now manage and sort content using the "Kids" tag, and filter videos by age and language. The user can quickly find content for kids aged 3+ or English-language cartoons.
Portal Filtering
Metadata fields can also serve as UI filters to help users navigate specific sections of the portal. For instance, in the example above, you can display age categories like "3+," "6+," and "12+" as filter options, allowing users to quickly find content appropriate for different age groups.
If you wish to add such customization, please let us know.