What Media Module should I use to create a robust Media Library?

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Carolina Tiger Rescue's picture

I'm a Drupal noobie, and I'm developing a site for the wildcat sanctuary where I work. We have massive need of a good media library, but I'm at a loss for how to go about researching what to use. Here's some of the features I'm trying to get for the site.

  1. Media library can contain many types of media files- photo, video, audio
  2. Media can be tagged for
    a. use in primary graphic slideshow on website pages (i.e. tiger photos used on tiger species page, event photos used on event pages, etc.)
    b. download by approved users - press packets, media requests
    c. specific graphic locations on site- buttons/badges with links
  3. Upload option to publish in social media sources
  4. Upload capability to allow website visitors to contribute to library
  5. Managed files sizes - I'm concerned here about media file sizes so large as to slow down page loads, but also concerned about multiple versions of the same media requiring costs for additional space- need to find happy medium.
  6. Download ability- perhaps through our store
  7. Compatibility with 3rd party sites- for instance, we use YouTube to publish many of our videos

How many of these features can the Media module address? What are the limitations?

Thanks, Amanda

Comments

Hi Amanda, In general, File

bneil's picture

Hi Amanda,

In general, File entity + Media + Media: YouTube can address 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 out of the box with a little configuration in the UI.

2. Media can be tagged for
a. use in primary graphic slideshow on website pages (i.e. tiger photos used on tiger species page, event photos used on event pages, etc.)
b. download by approved users - press packets, media requests
c. specific graphic locations on site- buttons/badges with links

You can add a term reference field and use that to classify your media. However, if you're looking to only allow certain tagged media be available in the library for specific fields, I haven't done that before but should be doable.

3. Upload option to publish in social media sources

I'm not entirely sure what your requirement is here, could you give more detail?

4. Upload capability to allow website visitors to contribute to library

This is just a permission.

5. Managed files sizes - I'm concerned here about media file sizes so large as to slow down page loads, but also concerned about multiple versions of the same media requiring costs for additional space- need to find happy medium.

You can use image styles to format an image appropriately in various contexts. You could also limit file size during upload, as well as image width and heights for image content.

6. Download ability- perhaps through our store

I haven't done much with private files or ecommerce so I'm not sure. If you're using Drupal Commerce, you might be able to use Commerce File, or there might be an even better way to do that. I posted this question out on IRC and Dave Reid, a File entity maintainer, mentioned he's had conversation with a maintainer of Commerce file and having it depend upon File entity 2.x.

Compatibility with 3rd party sites- for instance, we use YouTube to publish many of our videos

We use Media: YouTube and it works well for our needs.

I hope this helps!

You just needs

jcisio's picture

You just needs https://drupal.org/project/scald, it solves all 7 problems out of the box without any 3rd modules. You however need to implement hook_scald_action() to introduce custom actions ('download', if it is different from 'view', and 'publish' to social website). Scald actions are per atom (= media asset), and the publisher/site administrator can set "defaut open action" per atom type.

Thanks All

Carolina Tiger Rescue's picture

Thanks Guys- I've taken a look at Scald, but Media seems to be the standard, so I'm going with that. sorry for the delay in response.

Media

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