Some say metadata is the new gold, because program-related information such as title, storyline, cast, genre, release date, images etc is crucial when users are searching for content in an on demand environment. The more detailed and rich information that is offered for an episode in a drama series, the better are the chances that people will find it, watch it and generate revenue.
But also in linear television the focus on metadata has increased in recent years, and for several reasons:
MORE PLATFORMS AND DEVICES – with more platforms and devices comes complexity. In a perfect world your metadata should include updated information on things like rights, parental guidance, and related video clips.
MORE AUTOMATION – to serve all new distribution channels you need a higher degree of automation. Distribution partners, listings websites and other stakeholders have fewer people and less interest in packaging your information for their audiences. They need accurate plug-and-play information fed automatically into their systems.
MONETIZATION OF ARCHIVES – your archive can be a real treasure chest, especially when today’s frenzied investments in original content start reaping its first victims. But then it must be compatible with the metadata requirements of the distribution platforms.
Consequently, if metadata not already is an integral part of each entertainment company’s marketing strategy, it soon will be.
Help – my legacy data is incomplete!
For someone setting up a new distribution platform today, the metadata issue may not be very complicated. For all new content being produced or added they can define a mandatory set of information that has to be provided, together with rules for how this information should be used. But for a CTO at an established media company, with decades of content in the archives, the idea of providing a coherent set of information for all its content can be quite overwhelming.
Scanning and updating legacy data manually is often not a realistic option, partly because it’s a costly operation, and partly because there’s a large risk for human errors, creating faulty information.
Instead, computer-driven collection, relating and cleaning of legacy data into one validated set of information is the right way forward. It will still be a large project, but you will end-up with more accurate information at a lower cost. And once you’re done, it will be much easier to add new distribution partnerships.
Clipsource has been hired to manage metadata/marketing projects at some of the industry’s most well-know entertainment brands. Contact us today to learn more about how you can unleash the power of your programming.
