7 Best Digital Asset Management Software for Photographers

7 Best Digital Asset Management Software for Photographers

Digital Asset Management for photographers includes all the actions that you need to take to get a final result, starting from snapping a picture. DAM programs make it easier to transfer and rename your files, add metadata and keywords, filter and select images, edit and print photos, as well as create backup copies for additional cyber security.

7 Best DAM Software for Your Photography Business

You can perform all these actions by using different software products or installing one program designed for file management and editing.

  1. Adobe Bridge – Perfect for batch processing
  2. Adobe Lightroom Classic – For smart file management
  3. IMatch – Comes with pro-level DAM features
  4. ACDSee – Supports facial recognition
  5. Photo Mechanic – Advanced metadata options
  6. MediaValet – Has a collaborative work mode
  7. Filecamp – Granular access control

1. Adobe Bridge

 
Perfect for batch processing
  • Comes with a metadata editing feature
  • Batch processing
  • Quick search filters
  • XMP technology
  • None

Verdict: Adobe Bridge is digital asset management software that comes with handy preview, systematization, editing and photo publishing features. By using it, you can edit metadata, assign keywords, labels and rankings, apply filters and use convenient file search features.

With the help of this photo catalog software, you can create a portfolio for your works by uploading files to Adobe Portfolio. If you export photos directly to Adobe Stock, this service will automatically assign keywords to them. Thus, you won’t have to label your images manually.

adobe bridge digital asset management for photographers interface

2. Adobe Lightroom Classic

 
For smart file management
  • Cloud storage
  • Convenient search options
  • Keywords mapping
  • Synchronization with different devices
  • More suitable for editing tasks

Verdict: This cloud service comes with advanced options for photo editing and can be used for file management, selling your pictures and previewing them from different devices. Adobe Lightroom also has a feature that helps you quickly find any picture that meets certain criteria.

Besides assigning keywords to all your images, the program allows manually adding copyright information and signatures. It helps protect your works as they will become easy-to-find on third-party platforms.

If you compare Adobe Bridge vs Lightroom, the latter has been designed specifically for photo editing, with photo asset management features being a nice addition to the list of its tools.

adobe lightroom classic digital asset management for photographers interface

3. IMatch

 
Comes with pro-level DAM features
  • File conversion tools
  • Built-in metadata editor
  • Batch processing features
  • Stacking
  • Difficult-to-master for novices
  • Doesn’t run on Mac OS

Verdict: If you are interested in digital asset management for photographers, IMatch that has been created for file collection management can be a nice option. This software comes with a wide range of different features that allow managing, searching, previewing, editing and converting images, audio files, video clips, PDF files and other digital assets.

IMatch organizes the files in the storage of the device where you keep them, thus you won’t need to transfer them. The program also comes with an advanced metadata editor that can be used for quick list creation and batch editing. Besides, it has various presets for quick digital asset management.

imatch digital asset management for photographers interface

4. ACDSee

 
Supports facial recognition
  • Backup copies
  • Batch processing
  • Facial recognition feature
  • Expanded metadata
  • Too cluttered UI
  • Basic lens-profile-based picture editing features

Verdict: ACDSee is the digital asset management software for photographers that features useful tools for photo search and transfer, as well as file filtering and sharing options. Moreover, it has a backup feature.

Thanks to the Facial Recognition option, you can tag your friends in photos to find all the images of them in no time. To manage your files, try using color labels and location data. Advanced metadata information and batch features speed up the process. You can resize your files, edit titles and rotate several photos simultaneously.

acdsee digital asset management for photographers interface

5. Photo Mechanic

 
Advanced metadata options
  • Tools for adding keywords
  • Quick file import
  • “IPTC Stationery” concept
  • File transfer to supported services
  • Inconvenient cropping preview
  • No stacks

Verdict: Photo Mechanic created by Camera Bits is a data asset management system for photographers. It can be used to view, manage and organize photos. You can quickly upload a picture from your camera, add your signature, keywords or a copyright sign. Once an image is ready, you need just to upload it to the chosen online platform.

The key difference of Photo Mechanic from other DAM solutions is the use of the IPTC Stationery. Thanks to it, you can encode and decode your files by using any photo editing software installed on your PC.

photo mechanic digital asset management for photographers interface

6. MediaValet

 
Has a collaborative work mode
  • Global cloud service
  • Collaborative work features
  • Quick search tools
  • 24/7 customer support
  • No advanced synchronization options
  • A limited number of collaborative work tools

Verdict: If you can’t decide between different digital asset management photography solutions, the key advantage of MediaValet is the global cloud network support.

It works only online, which is why it is perfect for sharing your files. You can create, manage and elaborate your projects together with your team as well as use the secure search options and different search topics.

This program is popular among users thanks to its 24/7 customer support and advanced integration features. The interface is easy to navigate even for beginners, as you can get instant access to any basic feature that you might need.

mediavalet digital asset management for photographers interface

7. Filecamp

 
Granular access control
  • Customization and branding options
  • A well-thought-out UI
  • Reliable tech support
  • For companies of all sizes
  • Doesn’t allow previewing .doc files

Verdict: Filecamp is a digital asset management software for photographers that makes it easier to upload, organize, share files and edit them with clients or team members. Since it’s a cloud-based solution, your information is stored online. This software has an intuitive user interface and affordable price packages, which makes it stand out among other similar platforms.

Being known as a reliable Software as a Service (SaaS), Filecamp is perfect for businesses that want to store their information in a highly secure cloud environment without wasting their money on expensive storage options. While its interface is pretty basic, this software still has a set of handy features for editing and sharing files, managing digital assets, and collaborating with a team.

filecamp digital asset management software for photographers interface

Reasons to Use DAM Software

why do you need digital asset management photography

If you are thinking about how to start a photography business, digital asset management for photographers will help you solve several tasks at once. For instance, you can effectively manage and organize photos taken at a different time. Below, you will find detailed information on where you may need to use DAM solutions.

Convenient Photo Organization

To find a photo taken during a certain photoshoot, you need to organize your files in the right way. Without photo organizing software, you will hardly be able to find the right image quickly and scale up your photo business. If you don’t use DAM programs, you can manage only a limited number of photos without overloading your PC.

File Backup

Have you ever wondered how to restore your files if you spilled coffee on your PC? You can turn to professionals for help but there is no guarantee that they will restore your photos. This is why experienced photographers use digital asset management systems that come with cloud photography storage. Thanks to it, your photos will be safe regardless of the state of your device.

Effective Human Resource Management

If you want to expand your business, you need to search for employees. To control their work, you can use photography business apps or other advanced software products. It will save you time when you train new staff. Your employees will find all the information they might need in your system and they can just follow instructions to solve any task.

Maintaining Service Quality

If might be difficult to maintain the top quality of your work while you keep looking for the right place for your future photoshoots. Thus, to attract new clients and offer top-notch service to your long-term customers, you need to use media asset management systems.

If your staff keeps all their files on one cloud service, you won’t need to worry about how to work with different storage devices effectively. You can pay more attention to the quality of your services instead.

Quick Responses to Customer Requests

By using DAM, you can build strong relationships with your clients and ensure their satisfaction. For example, you can quickly find any photo if your customer loses it.

Without an in-built system, it might be difficult to find an image, which lowers your chances to get a positive review from a user. Before providing your services, I advise you to inform clients how long you are going to store their photos.

Features of DAM Programs

capabilities of digital asset management software

If you appreciate the advantages of using simple digital asset management solutions and want to implement them into your business, you need to know which features to pay attention to while making your choice.

You can either choose a program that has been designed for storing and quick photo searching or find software tools that can be also used as image converters and come with advanced file-sharing options.

1. Photo Titles

Thanks to a tool that allows renaming your photos, you can easily find any image taken at a certain time. The main thing to do is to indicate the date of a photo in a file name. You can choose the common data format for all your pictures, for example, YYYY-MM-DD. Moreover, you can indicate your full name to protect your author’s rights. Some photographers also use the name created by a camera so that they could find a source file easily.

2. Keywords and Metadata

To find your image quickly, make sure to indicate keywords and metadata. Not only will it help you find the right photo in no time but also provide you with more information about an image.

Besides saving information about resolution, file size and the color quality, you will know which collection a photo belongs to, and which camera you used to take it. If you follow the same steps while adding metadata tags to your pictures, they will be easier to find.

3. Adding Copyright Information

To protect your work, add information about photography copyright when you import your photos in DAM systems. If you do it, all the information about a photographer will be always available.

While digital asset management for photographers doesn’t fully guarantee that your works will be protected from copyright infringement, it prevents your photos from being stolen. If someone uses your photo without permission, you can prove your rights by using image metadata.

4. Shared Access

While choosing a DAM system, check if it allows for collaborative work. For instance, MediaValet enables all users with the right permissions to view and comment files.

5. Versioning and Permissions Features

Most systems for media asset management come with Versioning and Permissions features. The latter are helpful when you need to assign access rights. You can limit access to certain photos to prevent your staff from sending unedited images to a client.

The Versioning feature has been designed to control different versions. It enables you to extract files, edit and save them to the system. Your staff will have access only to the most recent file versions whereas you will have access to all of them and will be able to restore a previous version at any moment.

6. Integration with Services

DAM solutions that support integration with third-party services make your work significantly easier. For instance, when you publish photos on a WordPress website, you can integrate the DAM system with your platform.

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