In the last 36 months the entertainment industry has seen an explosion in the availability of older TV shows and films on a variety of streaming platforms. This increased accessibility is great news for a whole new generation of viewers that missed out on some of my personal favorite childhood shows from the 1960s and 1970s, who can now enjoy a vast array of this content in the palm of their hand. However, it also presents a challenge for content owners and streaming platforms responsible for making it available. To allow older content catalogs to see the light of day, there are the usual licensing issues to stream, difficult decisions where to spend money on digitizing and remastering and of course, the challenge to properly catalog and tag with metadata.
Today, the entertainment industry’s secret weapon is metadata — information about a particular piece of content, such as its title, director, stars, year of release, languages and so on. When applied to TV shows and films, metadata allows for easy searching, sorting, and discoverability, which is crucial when dealing with a large and diverse catalog of content. Without metadata, older content may become lost or forgotten, buried beneath the ever-growing mountain of new releases. And personally, I’m not ready to see some of my favorite classic TV shows erased from history’s DVR just yet.
One of the most significant benefits of having accurate, fresh and relevant metadata is that it allows for more targeted recommendations. When streaming platforms understand what a particular TV show or film is about, they can suggest it to viewers who are likely to enjoy it – even if they’ve never heard of it before. This not only benefits viewers but also content owners and streaming platforms, who can see these programs reach a wider audience than ever before.
Another important use of metadata is in global licensing negotiations. When streaming platforms wish to license a particular TV show or film, they need to know what they’re getting. Will this content travel well? That’s a question that has only become more vital in recent years. Content travelability refers to the ability of TV and film content to be distributed and consumed globally. To achieve content travelability, content owners need to examine several factors, including language and cultural considerations, talent appeal, distribution platforms fit, and yes, metadata! Metadata will allow you to easily see the data details that are critical to determining its value.
Finally – and perhaps most importantly – proper metadata is essential for preserving older content for future generations. As time passes, it becomes increasingly difficult to access older forms of media, as the technology required to play them becomes obsolete. By cataloging and tagging older content with metadata, we ensure that it remains accessible and understandable for years to come.
In conclusion, metadata is a critical tool for allowing older content catalogs to see the light of day for Generation Alpha and Gen Z. By tagging TV shows and films with accurate and comprehensive metadata, we ensure that they remain discoverable, relevant, and accessible to audiences both now and in the future. As the world of entertainment continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever to invest in proper metadata. To end, I’d like to thank Paramount Global and all the streamers now carrying all 11 seasons of the Carol Burnett Show – my Generation Z niece loves the show thanks to me and metadata!