Supported media file formats Aviary supports the following media file formats: Audio: mp3, m4a, ogg, wav, and wma Video: mp4, m4v, ogv, and webm Recommended media file sizes To ensure smooth progressive download playback for users, it is important to format and optimize your media files before uploading them to Aviary. This is because media files are not edited or compressed after they’ve been imported into the Aviary platform. The media file you upload is exactly what users will view, so it’s better to prepare smaller access copies of files before uploading them into the platform. Although some larger audio and video files may be imported into Aviary, we recommend optimizing media files to be smaller than 2 GB and have bit rates of 5 Mbps or less whenever possible. Importing larger audio or video files will likely lead to errors when trying to upload or view the files in the platform. Please contact us for help with formatting and transcoding your media files.

Once media files have been added to an Aviary resource, users can view the audio or video files on the Resource Detail page. Follow the instructions below for more information about viewing media files in the Aviary platform. 1. The Resource Detail page will be displayed after clicking a resource in the Aviary search results or following a link directly to the resource. The title of the resource and its collection will be displayed at the top of the page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/4a80cd31-d3ba-4b90-976e-5a2e7a6418bf/sps-redacted-71ec9c162e8641df8e226f25795e5714_8337a6eba9764560892433bdbe03f945_text_export.jpeg 2. There are three main parts of the resource detail page: the media player and media files, the metadata tabs and search bar, and a transcript annotation window. The media player allows users to view and control the playback of media files in the platform. The total number of media files associated with the resource will be listed below the player. Thumbnails for each media file are also displayed below the player. Click each thumbnail to view the media file.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/38c92930-c31f-4617-8088-cada983705f0/sps-redacted-1d0f270ac52242cabc5433e332192373_be054d407479481b934cf0a31cd8bd77_text_export.jpeg 3. If a media file is indexed, a timeline of the index points will also be displayed below the player. Hover over sections in the timeline to view the title of each index segment. Click a specific section in the timeline to jump directly to that time point in the media player.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-16/ed62a6ae-06f4-4f2d-90a5-38360618d4be/sps-redacted-9a36299dfe29433ea9c08711439af763_e334010487d74cd499eaae42bf1857c0_text_export.jpeg 4. Users can play or pause the media file by clicking in the media player window or using the play and pause icons in the toolbar. Users can adjust other settings in the media player toolbar, including changing the volume, viewing the media player in a pop-up window, or making the media player fullscreen. If closed captions or audio descriptions are available for the media file, users can also enable those accessibility features using the CC and D))) icons in the media player toolbar. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/b36f6994-c762-47d2-9b70-0dc92b494778/sps-redacted-64ccaa8f676c4a3e854bc497db1de459_537dce91a0624368a734b2e38bc3da59_text_export.jpeg 5. Several options are displayed when users hover over the media player. Users will see options for sharing the resource by clicking the Share link, creating a IIIF manifest for the resource, or saving the resource to the My Resources section in the user’s profile.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/4e76c9e0-4cf5-43fb-b41f-1cfca0e8876b/sps-redacted-1f0c7388ee7342ceae2ccc06e430b097_706c300bdcc64fd1be284c0333b2326f_text_export.jpeg See the Sharing Content from Aviary section for more information about sharing resources and media files. 6. Users with editing access may also see an option to add the resource or media file to a playlist.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/4e76c9e0-4cf5-43fb-b41f-1cfca0e8876b/sps-redacted-1f0c7388ee7342ceae2ccc06e430b097_706c300bdcc64fd1be284c0333b2326f_text_export.jpeg See the Playlists section for more information about adding resources and media files to playlists. 7. The Description tab includes sections for Resource Metadata and Media File Metadata, which gives organizations the ability to describe a resource and its associated media files separately. Click the Media File Metadata tab to view metadata about the media file that is currently displayed in the media player. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-16/18a2055a-3e98-49ec-a3ac-5d7b4c53926f/sps-redacted-e3f0aa8399774eea8e8879d01ed5c20a_7f3792a17a2b4992abc61d62e5cebc01_text_export.jpeg

Media files can be added to Aviary resources using several methods including manually uploading files in the user interface, bulk import options, and the Aviary API. Follow the instructions below to manually import media files to Aviary resources. For details about bulk importing resources or creating resources using the API, please refer to the Bulk Importing and Aviary API documentation. Manually adding media files to a resource Organization users will automatically be directed to the Add Media Files page when creating a new resource. If media files are being added to an existing resource, click the Manage Media Files link at the top of the Resource Detail page.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-16/4ec78cbb-6c72-4a05-8d52-b820bf83c7d0/screenshot_f3d8a1b31978459b8d9ed30404f1ce2d_text_export.jpeg 2. Aviary has several options for manually adding media files to resources. Select a tab on the Add Media Files page to add media files using one of the following import methods:https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/61fa2925-d75b-4649-91df-942d38e0ef3b/sps-redacted-bd45b74ad2bf4f1095b800694d864dab_a028dc68188545cdb37ec3e1218e333a_text_export.jpeg Note: Using the File Upload, Link Upload, or Media Staging options will upload and store a copy of the media file in Aviary. Using the Embed Code option will stream the media file from its current location and will not store the media file in Aviary. File Upload: Select and upload media files from local storage. Multiple media files can be uploaded at once. https://aviary.aviaryplatform.com/embed/media/114201 Link Upload: Provide a link to a media file that is available from a publicly accessible URL. Aviary will import the media file from its current location into the resource. https://aviary.aviaryplatform.com/embed/media/114202 Embed Code: Enter an HTML code to embed a media file from a streaming platform (Avalon, Vimeo, YouTube, Kaltura) or provide a link to stream a media file from a streaming service. Note: The Aviary platform supports streaming media using m3u8 playlist files. Contact us for more information about streaming media. https://aviary.aviaryplatform.com/embed/media/114203 Media Staging: Import up to ten media files at once using the Media Staging feature. Media Staging also allows users to import media files from local storage or cloud storage services (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box). See the Media Staging section of the Bulk Importing documentation for more information about importing media files with Media Staging. 3. After selecting the media files to be uploaded, the file names will be listed under the Selected Media Files heading. Click the Upload and Continue button to upload the files to the resource. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/cfd4f66a-adae-481c-8995-d620217031c9/sps-redacted-d6dda25e213f493b99e077cd7a779953_ff5a8f92281c40c1b9a47166b210d5e8_text_export.jpeg 4. A confirmation message will be displayed when the media file is uploaded to the resource. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/ab742b5d-3c6c-4cf1-9775-bbe94694e6c9/sps-redacted-1b3cdf6745954a029b6b5b91d65a01c5_5a4c9e8879214adabf459ac97fc824b7_text_export.jpeg 5. The media file will be displayed under the Uploaded Media Files heading. Click the pencil icons to edit the Display Name or File Name for the media file. Click the buttons below the File Name to re-assign the media file to another resource, manage and update the media file or metadata, or remove the media file from the resource. If multiple media files are added to a resource, click the vertical ellipsis icon beside the thumbnail and drag the media file to update its display order. The media files will be displayed in the same order when viewed in the media player. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/e1ffb789-7dc8-4acb-85ce-f1312411458e/sps-redacted-91ae8b6cf9cd40fb9ed60859bebfbaa6_e5d7197149b44be3a29bbd78b35f26b6_text_export.jpeg 6. Click the Save button to finish saving the uploaded media file to the resource. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/611598c5-7fe3-4a72-a880-8bb502c11482/sps-redacted-893a4f65a2084bce918a89a15999bd29_cdb8b2a693134d359408cbd07016dc58_text_export.jpeg

1. To edit the media files associated with a resource, click the Manage Media Files link at the top of the Resource Detail page. Alternatively, click the Media link in the admin menu to open the Media Files table. Then click the Edit button beside a specific media file to open the Manage Media Files page.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/1540ac6e-377b-4535-a86f-25f801fe5e12/File_c2c143e4464d459184d83ba69676205b_text_export.jpeg 2. The media files will be displayed under the Uploaded Media Files heading on the Manage Media Files page.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/c0ca4ed8-aa94-4a53-add0-7b132a95aa15/sps-redacted-2b95d9550e444fee9eef135638469a3a_e924e2be8137407dad2953ba14611d7a_text_export.jpeg Editing display and file names 1. Click the pencil icon beside the Display Name or File Name fields to edit the names associated with a media file.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/6164164c-4d11-449a-8ed3-a89ecefa3f7d/sps-redacted-59eef703bd144d84ae9a4a2da1d776a5_abc8c1c8c8b14dc5ba0f4a9292599fd3_text_export.jpeg 2. Press the Enter button or click out of the text field to finish editing the Display Name or File Name. A confirmation message will be displayed after the name is updated.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/57eaaa99-7078-4788-85c6-107cb38c5b64/sps-redacted-d370e7edcb864e958d58681ffb3ac1bf_c10cfb9e18944b6a90cf84cfcf921f2a_text_export.jpeg Updating display order 1. Click the vertical ellipsis icon (⋮) beside a media file and drag the file to change its display order.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/7f3e1940-2406-4d63-b48c-3c3ddad532e6/sps-redacted-021de3368ca140b1957b9ebab81a7a87_486e3051e5794df3ac95a7ca887f054d_text_export.jpeg 2. The display order will be automatically updated. The media files will be displayed in the updated order when they are viewed on the Resource Detail page.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/52d36739-b837-48bd-9a66-484c2cb09eb5/sps-redacted-3d39ac90113243d6bc02189e4a2a8529_6a6b7171fd4f4249b91c8e2ac9ddef18_text_export.jpeg Moving media files 1. To move a media file to another resource in the organization, click the Re-Assign button.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/52d36739-b837-48bd-9a66-484c2cb09eb5/sps-redacted-3d39ac90113243d6bc02189e4a2a8529_2867948fcd134f3da08d212145de1d05_text_export.jpeg 2. To move a media file to a new resource, click the vertical ellipsis button (⋮) and select Move Media File to New Resource.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/ef9e78ce-bd52-4186-a0b9-bb54eba49d21/sps-redacted-5b291c64c6174a2b8eabde5a14810f76_e039279b757f4ded82d5e6b12cefe328_text_export.jpeg Note: See the Moving media files section of the Media Files documentation for more information about reassigning and moving media files. Managing display settings 1. Click the Manage button to make changes to the media file and its display settings.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/a19851dd-ea24-4482-a758-08c51cd3f57f/sps-redacted-0c56228d5dba42eeb1e2256d4c7224cd_5501c81673794379bd286aeceedd2e47_text_export.jpeg 2. The Manage Media File modal window will open and display the Update Media File tab. Use the file upload options on the Update Media File tab to replace the current media file with another version.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/c122a410-667b-4255-adfb-c5566c17ff5b/sps-redacted-a6fa43c67f0f4fb7aad7594cfc29ce58_7e545494f82a4f728ac0e86fe65fe34f_text_export.jpeg 3. Click the Manage Media Info tab to view and update display settings for the media file. To remove or replace the current thumbnail image, click the red X icon beside the thumbnail or use the Select Thumbnail menu to upload a new image. If the media file has been uploaded to Aviary, MD5 and SHA256 checksums will be displayed in the Integrity Checks section. Additional display settings for the media file can be updated in the Public?, Turn on CC?, Downloadable?, and 360 Video? dropdown menus.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/7201448f-9da8-4c51-872f-61bdb09a264e/sps-redacted-e7c587d9022941d1a196e88df5292902_c092baf911354814842894162a3168c7_text_export.jpeg 4. Click the Update button to save the updated media info settings.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/3427056b-f58d-416d-9e29-fdebf97e8895/sps-redacted-ba3a2b35a4ac4000a28c3d077c5b030d_bf6dc745bda441619f01573f1fd7f073_text_export.jpeg 5. Technical metadata about media files that are uploaded and stored in Aviary is available in the Media Technical Metadata tab.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/9f10ac20-5048-4211-8fca-053ce27d0b66/sps-redacted-480b2ee1ccc24853a65fce25c5d62c67_f558c67c4a1c45b4b2479d019252a8f1_text_export.jpeg Deleting a media file 1. Click the Remove button to delete a media file.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/49e99eac-b5da-4723-a246-77d88b72ce7d/sps-redacted-4f910b32edf94eacaa1593601fba0dee_92347b931d8445e0a99b9e8e9080931a_text_export.jpeg 2. The Delete Media File modal window will open and display a confirmation message. Click the Delete button to continue.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/12851b7f-184f-4568-80ca-96f85a724830/sps-redacted-666187a931214afd9b24afe1723cfd03_3da0c17474004e018779d85d326b784f_text_export.jpeg 3. A confirmation message will be displayed after the media file has been deleted.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-29/284f8cf3-e533-4724-bd2f-02c9425af616/sps-redacted-a2500a37c73f45efacd33e01102386a3_7e696bfac39247de92b262454f142943_text_export.jpeg Creating a thumbnail 1. A thumbnail can be created or updated when viewing a media file in the media player. Click the camera icon in the toolbar to create a thumbnail of the frame that is currently displayed at the timestamp in the media player.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/c6909fc0-3d69-4a1a-a678-d4f5030b408d/sps-redacted-30dac4ba9ce44212af3e969ab9f424bd_bcd818f292b447548280a57e6253eff3_text_export.jpeg 2. The Thumbnail modal window will open and display a confirmation message. Click the Yes button to continue.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/d8fc54bf-58ee-42e4-9c24-c5443597e0ce/sps-redacted-743cab33f199401195ac28ff29b7bafd_c69303309e49403aaaf643d27ffac440_text_export.jpeg 3. A confirmation message will be displayed when the thumbnail is being processed.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/33e7a9be-7e83-4b05-a57d-d0b91e94aff9/sps-redacted-e5beb8a7a79d47bea0485309b574a354_a670a96b6647473792076abb95cb2ec3_text_export.jpeg 4. The thumbnail will be displayed in the Media Files section below the media player after it has been processed.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/7a5ee971-38ac-42e6-b34e-68bf99121e91/sps-redacted-563c0e4ff5534c37be2206e21d2a2756_d92bbdc55ce444c486d7883e082dd840_text_export.jpeg Creating a clip 1. Clips of a longer media file can be created when viewing the file in the media player. Click the scissors icon in the toolbar to create a clip of the media file.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/641cbcbe-bc77-42e5-b40b-e072a7aeb07a/sps-redacted-0af28d98e2844cc4887a57446fdc1388_d5cf9f35043e4d58a7cbf4e31746142c_text_export.jpeg 2. A timeline will be displayed below the media player. Click the Set Start button when watching the media file to mark the start of the clip.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/5bec7651-c3f2-485c-9532-d45798c3b379/sps-redacted-4e5712e0184a447eb3326b7a0bc237ad_9099d784825545ee966409d02a77e194_text_export.jpeg 3. Repeat the process and click the Set End button to mark the end of the clip.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/90045b92-dbf0-4fa0-a32c-36f81e9f47b7/sps-redacted-f63896572ccf4101927cc881a392d4ec_ee533fec332844cfb2623551c4340509_text_export.jpeg 4. Alternatively, type the start and end times into the Time Range field to set or update the times that will be included in the clip.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/2f3c2d18-50fe-456f-b093-6e4d9ab57f8d/sps-redacted-425766151ca8414ca919ebb10da91a51_eac9fdb9c006419cb2f8a36ac35d24c1_text_export.jpeg 5. Click the Create Clip button after setting the start and end times.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/5ab5b02d-0c13-422c-b231-7b3cab282dc2/sps-redacted-0a09ca4e1e2d48f392d13fbd64180438_daca0b598d4643bf8d10382dc8623eb9_text_export.jpeg 6. The Create a Media Clip modal window will open. Click the radio buttons to choose whether the clip will be used to create a new resource, or if the clip will be added to the current resource.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/a1c388e8-e508-4c14-9385-976debea2f35/sps-redacted-b0590530716d4a7f819d0d40219ce7be_10bada1eb7de428cb9cd172ca60ce669_text_export.jpeg 7. Complete the required fields for each radio button option. If creating a new resource, select the collection that will contain the resource and enter a title. If attaching the clip to the current resource, enter a media file name for the clip.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/58d10e51-0ad4-4954-b141-a861a8cbf501/sps-redacted-41dcb32ee776447fa47b8b8b67cc5c40_74fd515eca834235bb05b16506c09ed9_text_export.jpeg 8. Select an option from the Transcript dropdown menu if the clip will contain an excerpt from a transcript that is associated with the media file.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/b1b4eda1-7c93-4125-ac5b-14583e632a58/sps-redacted-693bb49a737c4a729181d6783b3e8d0d_84a1a52c266e476ab28e767d7e524b28_text_export.jpeg 9. Select one of the remaining checkboxes to include an additional title card or logo in the clip. Complete the required fields for each option by entering text for the title card or uploading an image.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/06a57b33-b877-489f-a414-a378eb200f2b/sps-redacted-07a1892d17a34940ad156f3856d7e60d_90c1ab624c194128bf38c89ea3b2edf6_text_export.jpeg 10. Click the Finish button to create the clip.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/550ce0b2-e4de-4347-b06e-1a234874f79f/sps-redacted-924fa869dab248d29920d9665fb947e2_f90326c356a742079806ba766ebdc8ff_text_export.jpeg 11. A confirmation message will be displayed when the clip is being processed.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/779ed81d-bc8c-4da5-b938-734bde8d96fc/sps-redacted-1f33f6cd972f4639b9c6b897f51adc91_ff24a12d75e94bebaf946c5c30d1f999_text_export.jpeg 12. If the clip was attached to the current resource, it will be displayed in the Media Files section below the media player after being processed. If the clip was used to create a new resource, the resource will be available in the selected collection.https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-30/cef64297-efca-4a3e-8053-e568bdaecb06/sps-redacted-f4169572cff44ca2801fcf020ae6284d_7c8340273d9f4a69929c3fa6198495f7_text_export.jpeg

There are several methods to edit the metadata associated with media files stored in Aviary, including manually editing media file metadata, importing a bulk metadata import CSV, or using the API. Follow the instructions below to edit media file metadata manually or by importing a bulk metadata CSV. For details about editing media file metadata using the API, please refer to the Aviary API documentation. Manually editing media file metadata 1. Click the Media File Metadata tab on the Resource Detail page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-25/e6908a88-4779-4b6b-8496-f95e42be94e7/sps-redacted-3c0a0b75e3404d38bee55ea7f6e39082_2a20696ac1524741a49835603f4fd83b_text_export.jpeg 2. Metadata for the media file that is currently displayed in the media player will be shown in the Media File Metadata tab. Click the pencil icon to edit the media file metadata. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-25/ff12534d-ae73-42dc-b69c-8ba9063929a7/sps-redacted-069f943c5f77453787552666feeacf01_0e5746130f6b419f801efbb2e68bc80d_text_export.jpeg 3. The Edit Form modal window will open. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-25/850ffaa4-392b-42fd-a51c-9acbce66cfe4/sps-redacted-dc88730c58f9403485ef5d91c492d33f_a9474cf19e3e408faf638c6e6a4a6775_text_export.jpeg 4. Use the dropdown menus and text fields to edit the media file metadata. Click the Add More button in a section header to include additional entries for each metadata field. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-25/ed74a53b-86a2-4601-876b-b8cebfaf7230/sps-redacted-ddf1122d51504bb99e7cd478d74847fc_8be3409ee59447bcbae6776c416c659a_text_export.jpeg 5. Click the Save button to save the edited metadata. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-25/5eff6b35-4521-491e-8c96-6d20bc9e70c2/sps-redacted-dd816d57cd5a4fb9970c03bac1b86166_d64d36dc1f5143de86e044ce9c7f3d10_text_export.jpeg 6. The edited metadata will be updated in the Media File Metadata tab. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-25/b5b0e808-e9e5-4f15-8347-ab0947436948/sps-redacted-90c38c2a1e3546998a487720686c5b82_486a058bb94d4288be1dd527a8590adf_text_export.jpeg Note: Media file metadata fields are based on an organization’s resource metadata field settings. See the Resource metadata field settings section of the Resources documentation for more information about customizing metadata fields. Bulk editing media file metadata Metadata for media files stored in Aviary can be bulk edited by importing a CSV file that contains updated metadata and identifiers for each media file. The process is similar to bulk editing resource metadata but involves exporting and importing media file metadata CSVs from the Media Files table options menu. For more information about bulk editing metadata, please refer to the Bulk editing resource metadata section of the Resources documentation. Note: Default metadata fields cannot be edited and will be ignored when importing the CSV into Aviary. When creating custom metadata fields, the field names must be unique and not match any existing default metadata fields: Aviary ID, Collection Title, Linked Resource Title, Linked Resource ID, Media Type, File Size, Date Updated, Transcripts Count, Indexes Count, Thumbnail, Aviary URL, PURL, Embed HTML, Media Embed URL, Resource Detail Embed HTML, Target Domain, Duration, Date Added, Embed Code Type, MD5, SHA256, Tech MD

Technical metadata is generated for all media files that are uploaded and stored in Aviary. This technical metadata includes in-depth information about the formats, sizes, encoding methods, and other attributes of media files. Aviary generates technical metadata for uploaded media files using the MediaInfo open-source application. Viewing media file technical metadata Aviary organization users can view technical metadata for individual media files in the UI. To view technical metadata for a media file, navigate to the Manage Media File page and click the Manage button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-04-07/e1ffb789-7dc8-4acb-85ce-f1312411458e/sps-redacted-91ae8b6cf9cd40fb9ed60859bebfbaa6_0e72f7e71b1a4f678fec896aa75b90d7_text_export.jpeg The Manage Media File modal window will open. Click the Media Technical Metadata tab. The media file technical metadata will be arranged in three sections: General, Video, and Audio. Click and expand each section to review the technical metadata in more detail. Exporting media file technical metadata Authorized organization users can export technical metadata for media files using the Aviary API. Exported technical metadata matches the standard MediaInfo JSON format and can be used to support an organization’s digital preservation activities. For more information about exporting technical metadata for media files using the API, please refer to the Aviary API documentation. Integrity checksums Integrity checksums are generated for all media files that are uploaded and stored in Aviary. Integrity checksum are unique strings of characters that are generated and used to identify digital files. Integrity checksums allow users to verify a media file has not been altered or corrupted over time and can be used to support an organization’s digital preservation activities. Viewing Integrity Checksums Media table: Integrity checksums for media files stored in the Aviary platform can be accessed from the Media Files table. To access a checksum for a specific media file, click the Copy MD5 or Copy SHA256 button in the corresponding row. The checksum will be copied to the user’s clipboard and can be viewed by pasted it into another document. Aviary organization users can be update the Manage Table options to either display or hide the MD5 and SHA256 metadata fields when viewing the Media Files table. Manage Media Info: Integrity checksums for a specific media file can also be viewed in the Manage Media File modal window. To open the Manage Media File modal window, click the Manage Media File link on a resource detail page or click the Edit button beside a media file in the Media Files table. Click the Manage button beside a media file in the Uploaded Media Files section to open the Manage Media File modal window. Then click the Manage Media Info tab and view the Integrity Checks section. Resource Detail page: Like other metadata fields, integrity checksums can be displayed in the Media File Metadata tab on resource detail pages. Organization users can edit the organization’s Global Metadata Fields settings to display or hide the MD5 and SHA256 metadata fields on resource detail pages. The settings can be viewed and updated in the Organization admin menu (Organization → Field Management → Resource Field Settings → Global Metadata Fields). Exporting Integrity Checksums Export Media Files to CSV: Integrity checksums for one or more media files can be exported from the Media Files table using the Export Media File(s) to CSV menu option. For more information about exporting media file checksums, see the Bulk editing media file metadata section of the Editing media file metadata page. Aviary API: Authorized organization users can also export integrity checksums for media files using the Aviary API. For more information about exporting media file technical metadata using the API, please refer to the Aviary API documentation.

Reassigning media files to another resource 1. To reassign a media file to another resource, click the Manage Media Files link at the top of the Resource Detail page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/6b923113-8f42-426b-833c-78451cf7cc78/sps-redacted-5276d28ea79e4a52addb059dea8de724_84a458d0628347c59fdf4c7afd2583b5_text_export.jpeg 2. The media files currently in the resource will be displayed under the Uploaded Media Files heading. Click the Re-Assign button to move a media file to another resource. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/f3dfb4db-42dc-4f47-bf6e-0a008c1627d7/sps-redacted-fe816cbb52e64a3db30717f852281ce8_9cc9fe3b5b8b4924b82bd24a95d9527f_text_export.jpeg 3. The Preview Resources modal window will open. Use the Search box above the table to find a resource where the media file will be moved. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/e64a2a19-50ec-4f1a-b6b0-9edbf7bda892/sps-redacted-85836af07e7a4915a49fa4654adaee6a_d41cb218906f4402bc3cc47654c6ff97_text_export.jpeg 4. Click the Move button beside the resource where the media file will be moved. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/a7c6fd28-624e-44c0-bb35-4dd594c1a618/sps-redacted-f98d066c24e7451b9e2eaf1c090ce362_b61a70a1677749779c2b8c6e3b0549d8_text_export.jpeg 5. A prompt will be displayed to confirm moving the media file. Click OK to continue. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/b2e6b1d1-8431-4f4e-838d-f031159e6d99/sps-redacted-428163c33b1749e3aabd34e8a9c6d54f_655b8758ef44470c8ff4dd15e07f3d8f_text_export.jpeg 6. A confirmation message will be displayed after the media file has been moved. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/06c1b69a-b162-4828-8c14-a5b33aa8bc32/sps-redacted-fb2a1e4400544896983019715c9b9dfe_a31c2f436b744c0abdbca4e8dfeec13f_text_export.jpeg 7. Returning to the Manage Media Files page will confirm that the media file was moved. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/0175de30-b7ef-406d-aafa-7090bbcb6ef0/sps-redacted-ed2808720b27467293accd93cb2e69b7_fb831629447f4c68947ff7a3040f13c4_text_export.jpeg 8. The media file can be reviewed by viewing the Resource Detail page where it was reassigned. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-22/3c621b66-db90-447d-bae8-f657f5f3b89e/sps-redacted-5c10c16a36de4deba2b4be867684111f_1c2a5828812a418aa367845f4a831cd9_text_export.jpeg Moving media files to a new resource 1. To move a media file to a new resource, click the Manage Media Files link at the top of the Resource Detail page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-23/7d5a846d-1102-4186-bf68-15b860366038/File_1e6d7990f8534898beb1056a35e2d99b_text_export.jpeg 2. The media files currently in the resource will be displayed under the Uploaded Media Files heading. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-23/ded91d0e-353a-4e7b-8e80-7c1042a6571c/File_5e1eff08276d477f97c4083adee7ec36_text_export.jpeg 3. Click the vertical ellipsis button (⋮) beside a media file, and select Move Media File to New Resource. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-23/de13637a-210c-4bba-ba66-b5745b9c3335/sps-redacted-abb6b1dccf78476db9265fb484b1c0b1_813bb17b131e4094b6abf307f6c9c2dd_text_export.jpeg 4. The Create New Aviary Resource & Move Media modal window will open. Complete the fields in the modal window with settings that will be applied to the new resource. After completing the fields, click the Create Aviary Resource button to finish creating the new resource and moving the media file. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-23/7482f866-3d8b-43ec-9db9-fc9538700f53/sps-redacted-863df1c38ff8496fad00621cae882f64_a4f6775349854443b0b469270e9a46d7_text_export.jpeg For more information about creating new resources, please refer to the Creating a resource section of the Resources documentation. 5. The Manage Media Files page will be displayed again after closing the modal window. Review the Uploaded Media Files section to confirm the media file was moved. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-23/a13270c1-2251-4d48-a976-aace77d43491/File_cc2a4be2ce1b40e796acd6531f0a95fa_text_export.jpeg 6. View the Resource Detail page for the new resource to confirm the resource was created successfully and the media file was moved. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-23/71e4d350-9fd2-46d5-9559-c7c1236b3baf/sps-redacted-8e33d2abfa1341a18e70cc20dd3b421a_495e3643ab204599b78930c03b45e9de_text_export.jpeg

1. Click the Media link in the admin menu to open the Media Files table. All of the media files in an organization will be displayed in the Media Files table. Alternatively, click the Collections link and choose the Media button beside a specific collection to only display the media files in that collection. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/1db61114-c773-4928-8b8f-29b805ad111d/sps-redacted-bdc6be0397e145f58b466243628d521e_51cc0d776adf4e7eb74129c54614372f_text_export.jpeg 2. Check the boxes beside individual media files, or check the checkbox at the top of the column to select all of the media files currently displayed in the table. The number of selected resources will be shown above the table. Users can also use the Search box above the table to filter and select specific media files. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/31b4a048-37da-419f-a240-0689f477e1c2/sps-redacted-a2d1127615dc456c90847c3c9125ab54_f929717cb77b433ab13be0dc1400f2ac_text_export.jpeg 3. To select all of the media files in the organization, click the Select All link. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/fec07efa-4f17-4101-ac30-a5717c62243d/sps-redacted-ebb71abf2748484cbed84818f47a7a7c_0c2abcaf226a45668c92636eb39993c0_text_export.jpeg 4. To clear the selected media files, click the Clear Selected link. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/89e69c17-bd09-4628-8ac4-0b0b29085ee7/sps-redacted-72a61180c3c54d1c9d6862759aa60a29_07a4e34b12a44974b49fbee6363ced2d_text_export.jpeg 5. Click the Table Options button and select Bulk Edit Options from the dropdown menu. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/adcc8da6-24db-4923-bdbe-7dac940f881a/sps-redacted-4cd72136921943b5ab0d6de974cd81d7_e75a2da41e0c44ea94ab6d5d7932b96e_text_export.jpeg 6. The Bulk Edit modal window will open. Select a bulk edit option from the first dropdown menu. See below for more information about each of the bulk edit options. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/4e89e1ba-95e5-4e75-bfbb-a8377efd8d52/sps-redacted-40f7cf5b117046cca8e16e33279c8a98_c02b8095b8c241428b9f5f6ad5e7fbc1_text_export.jpeg 7. If required, complete any additional fields for the bulk edit option. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/1a32a4a7-f166-4c6b-94e9-a9655bf293c0/sps-redacted-3a3af23bf881499985b660b70081d6ce_340919b7a18246c8a0e190aa87665c42_text_export.jpeg 8. The number of media files to be updated will be displayed at the bottom of the window. Click the Apply button to continue. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/9858cfaa-57b9-48f5-bb3b-a7978e0b07bb/sps-redacted-d87db37668a4417394e8382c5aee6216_506006fe906d4557b763a0fea3f391de_text_export.jpeg 9. The Bulk Edit Review modal window will open. Review the list of media files to be updated. Click the Apply button to finish submitting the Bulk Edit request. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-06-18/e9a831fd-777b-4d7b-8808-8a7884fb1443/sps-redacted-8bdf42202448473f83be42272511c759_3bd95dbddff041bd90f345c32120996f_text_export.jpeg Media File Bulk Edit options: Bulk Delete: Delete the selected media files. The media files will be permanently deleted from the organization and removed from any associated resources. Change Downloadable Status: Update the downloadable status of selected media files to yes or no. Set an optional duration to make media files available to download for a limited number of hours or days, or until a specified date. Change Status: Update the access status of selected media files to be public or private. Create Transcription Job: Request automated transcripts for the selected media files. For more information about automated transcription options, see the Automated Metadata page. Create Audio Description Job: Request automated audio description for the selected media files. For more information about audio description, see the Accessibility Features page. Change Media Type: Update the media type metadata for the selected media files. Turn CC On?: Update the closed captioning status for the selected media files to enable existing transcripts as captions. Change Media File Thumbnail Image(s): Update the thumbnail images for the media files by selecting and uploading replacement images or automatically regenerating new thumbnails.

Media file delivery methods Aviary offers multiple options for uploading and displaying media files to users: File Upload: When a file is uploaded directly to Aviary, it is stored in Wasabi and delivered to Aviary for playback in the application. Link Upload: When a file is uploaded to Aviary using an external link, Aviary's background worker server downloads the file from the target link. The file is stored in Wasabi and delivered to Aviary for playback in the application. Embed Code: When an organization provides an embed code or streaming link to Aviary, the media file is not stored in Wasabi or managed in the application. Aviary streams the media file directly from its external storage location. Aviary currently supports the following types of embedded or streamed media files: YouTube, Vimeo, Kaltura, Avalon, m3u8 streaming services, and direct links to media files stored on external servers. Media file security measures Aviary's media file security is based on an approach that supports providing access to public media files while also enabling organizations to implement strict requirements when providing access to restricted content. These security measures include: In the application: Aviary users create and manage their own accounts. Aviary supports authentication methods for user accounts. This allows Aviary to enforce access restrictions that limit which files users can access based on their accounts or locations. Aviary has complex statuses and permissions settings that allow organizations to limit access for Collections, Resources, Media Files, Supplemental Files, Transcripts, Indexes, and Annotation Sets at different levels. In Wasabi storage: Media files that are uploaded to Aviary and stored in Wasabi are encrypted at rest. Media files that are uploaded to Aviary and stored in Wasabi are private. This ensures that all media files cannot be publicly accessed from Wasabi storage. Aviary is granted time-limited leases from Wasabi to access media files within a given session in the application. The media file URLs leased from Wasabi to Aviary are only valid for twice the duration of a given media file. This means that if a user with access to an Aviary resource tries to view a media file outside of the application, the URL will quickly expire. In network traffic: All network traffic between Aviary and Wasabi is encrypted to ensure file packets cannot be intercepted and decoded outside of the Aviary application. Aviary uses HTTPS protocols for all network traffic on the platform. Media file security considerations Aviary organizations can select which media file delivery method to use based on the following considerations: File Upload and Link Upload: The File Upload and Link Upload options provide the most comprehensive control over the privacy of media files. Uploaded media files are stored in Wasabi and delivered to Aviary for playback in the application. Aviary utilizes the application, storage, and network security measures listed above to offer the best protection for all non-public media files. Embed Code and Streaming: The Embed Code and Streaming options allow Aviary to utilize the application and network security measures listed above, but do not allow Aviary to provide storage security for external storage locations. Media files are not stored in Wasabi. Aviary streams the media files directly from external storage locations. Storage security becomes the responsibility of a separate storage provider (i.e. SaaS streaming services, a self-hosted streaming service, or an external storage location). Aviary has no control over the continuous availability of media files or the security of URLs used to deliver media files from external storage locations. Some organizations choose to mitigate these risks by managing additional security measures. For example, an organization that uses a self-hosted m3u8 streaming service can set IP access restrictions that only allow Aviary to access media file URLs.