In Broadcast - May 2018 - 54

54

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 8 - Issue 5 | May 2018

InForm

The Future of Video
- Metadata Matters
Bea Alonso, Business Development Director, Media Logistics,
Ooyala examines the key role to be played by metadata in video...

T

his
year's
IBC
event
in
Amsterdam, a leading media,
entertainment and technology show,
saw the discussion of key topics such
as metadata, machine learning, AI and
the future of workflow, content and
discovery. The conversation zoomed in
on how data is becoming the unifier of
AI and machine learning, with metadata
being the fuel for the connection.
Metadata is information about all the
data elements that make up a piece of
content. Taken alone, data does not
have much meaning as they are merely
fragments of a larger picture. But
when bits of data are used to create
a holistic view of the video in itself
and of itself, content producers and
distributors would then gain actionable
insights for future decisions.
Before we delve further into why
metadata increases the significance
of content, let us first understand why
content on its own cannot fully meet
audiences' needs.
Irrelevant Content Loses Value
Providing viewers with a large
variety of content may be useful
when they begin watching videos on a
particular platform. They are likely to
be experimental - exploring all content
that the platform can offer. However,
content is not the be all and end all of
getting more viewers on your platform.
In an age of information overload,
bombarding audiences with too many
choices might be counterproductive.
This puts a strain on video production
resources, giving companies less
bang for their buck. Instead, serving

audiences exactly what they want and,
as a bonus, before they even know it,
would be most befitting.
Metadata
then
helps
media
companies understand consumers'
preferences and their nuances like the
likelihood to pause and rewind certain
movie scenes, which allow for the
curation of a personalised collection of
content for each viewer.
Channelling Metadata
When we adopt a deeper operational
perspective, metadata serves content
producers at various stages of
their business functions. It can be
harnessed to develop and automate
workflows that are used in production
and distribution of assets, which
indicates that it has an important
place in the production value chain.
This can be achieved by adopting a
media logistics platform like Ooyala
Flex, which will contribute to the
end goal - for the media logistics
platform to work synergistically with
online video platforms and
ad management solutions
to create a centralised view
and dynamic management
of metadata that ensures
visibility,
control
and
continuity along the video
asset journey.
Why content producers
need a media logistics
platform that enables efficient
metadata management:

1. Transcription of video elements
can be automated - Gone are the
days of manual entry which is timely,
costly and subject to mistakes. Media
Logistics platforms automates the
capturing of metadata from various
assets, which can be easily assessed
and enhanced.
2. Metadata can be categorised,
created and defined - A standard
metadata design tool within the
platform enables companies to
catalogue, create and define the
metadata that needs to be held for
various types of assets contained
within, and associated with certain
footage.
3. Standardisation of metadata is
possible - A lack of standardisation
of metadata has long been a problem
for traditional asset management
systems when disparate systems are

used within a workflow. In response,
media logistics platforms tie metadata
together in a separate data layer so it's
connected, available and visible to all
users always.
4. Metadata can be packaged,
distributed and defined - Once
metadata is automatically transcribed,
pre-defined translations can be
performed against assets and business
objects, converting them into the
correct formats and packaging them
in a way that distribution partners
require.
5. Metadata can be used to
match
consumer
preferences
seamlessly with online video and
ad management platforms - By
categorising and archiving metadata
effectively, it can be channelled
into online video platforms that
make use of machine-learning
algorithms to provide suitable content
recommendations for viewers and
heighten their connections to it.
The online video platforms can also
harness metadata to feed consumer
preferences into an ad serving and
management solution to promote
more relevant and targeted ads to
viewers.
6. Metadata will be well archived
to provide a holistic view for
reporting - With such a platform, all
information can be retained in an audit
trail. This allows for more reporting
opportunities and connected insights.
Core Component
Metadata has indeed become the
core component of video, driving more
opportunities for content efficiencies,
engagement and monetisation. With
this integral role, we anticipate what
2018 brings with more developments
in metadata.
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