Custom metadata lets you attach structured, meaningful information to videos and audio files beyond simple labels. This article explains what custom metadata is, how it compares to tags and categories, when to use it, best practices, how to assign it, and how to use metadata templates.

What is custom metadata?

Ravnur Media Platform supports custom metadata for media items (video and audio files).

Custom metadata is a set of key-value pairs you define to match your organization’s needs. Each field (key) can be configured with a type such as:

• Text
• Integer
• Decimal
• Date

For each field, you can also control how values are entered:

• Predefined value list only
• Predefined values + optional free text
• Free text only

This makes custom metadata ideal for standardized reporting and consistent data capture across large libraries.

How custom metadata relates to other metadata

Ravnur Media Platform offers three main metadata options:

• Tags
  User-created, flexible keywords that improve discovery and informal organization.
  Tags are best for quick, day-to-day labeling and search enrichment. They are a flat structure and intentionally lightweight.
• Categories
  Administrator-created labels used to implement a consistent taxonomy.
  Categories are single-level (no sub-categories) and help enforce structured classification across the portal.
• Custom metadata
  Administrator- or content owner-defined schemas of typed fields.
  These can be simple or complex and are often populated at scale via the API for programmatic consistency.

In short:
Use categories for official high-level classification, tags for flexible user labeling, and custom metadata for structured, typed data that powers reporting, workflows, and automated experiences.

Why use custom metadata?

Custom metadata is ideal when you need more than a label—when you need specific, structured attributes tied to a media item.

Example use case
An inspection video may have technical information that usually lives in a sidecar file. With custom metadata, that data can be ingested and stored directly with the video, such as:

• Inspection date
• Machine model
• Inspector name
• Condition rating
• Environment variables

Once captured, these fields can drive:

• Reporting and dashboards
• Custom display and filtering
• Automation and workflows
• Integrations via API

What are metadata templates?

To make custom metadata easier and more consistent, RMP supports metadata templates.

A template is a pre-defined set of custom metadata fields intended for a specific content type or use case.

For example:

• Template 1: Inspection videos
• Template 2: Training videos

By selecting the right template, users can quickly apply the correct schema to a media item, reducing errors and ensuring consistent data.

Best practices

To keep custom metadata clean and valuable:

• Design schemas around real decisions
  Add fields that will be used for search, reporting, compliance, or workflows—not “nice-to-have” fields.
• Use typed fields intentionally
  • Dates for time-based reporting
  • Integers/decimals for scoring, measurements, and thresholds
  • Text for descriptive attributes
• Prefer predefined values when consistency matters
  Use controlled lists for fields like “Condition,” “Department,” or “Training Level.”
• Keep templates focused
  Avoid one mega-template. Use multiple role- or content-specific templates instead.
• Align naming with your taxonomy
  Categories should remain high-level classification.
  Custom metadata should capture the deeper, attribute-level detail.
• Plan for API population if you scale
  If you expect thousands of assets or integrated ingestion, define schemas that map cleanly to your upstream systems.

How to assign custom metadata

Custom metadata is assigned at the media item level (video or audio).

A typical workflow looks like this:

1. Open the media item details page for a video or audio file.
2. Locate the Metadata tab.
3. If a template is available:
   • Select the appropriate metadata template to apply the correct set of fields.
4. Enter values for each field:
   • Choose from predefined lists where available
   • Add free text where permitted
5. Save your changes.

This ensures your media item is enriched with structured data that can be used across search, reporting, and integrations.

How to use metadata templates effectively

Templates are most useful when:

• Your portal supports multiple content types (training, inspections, announcements, etc.)
• You need consistent data entry across teams
• You expect data to be validated or reused in reporting

Recommended approach:

• Create a small set of templates aligned to your main content families.
• Include only the fields that are essential for that content type.
• Use predefined values for fields that must be consistent across users.

Summary

Custom metadata in Ravnur Media Platform provides structured, typed, and configurable fields for videos and audio files. It complements:

• Tags (flexible, user-driven discovery)
• Categories (admin-defined taxonomy)

With metadata templates, you can apply consistent schemas quickly, reduce errors, and ensure high-quality data across your content library.

If you want metadata that powers reporting, automation, and scalable integrations, custom metadata is the right tool.