Elevating media workflows for REVOLT’s global media network
TL;DR
REVOLT manages more than 20k media assets with iconik and is saving thousands of dollars and up to 50% of admin time every month because iconik is easy-to-use and easy to customize. The Backlight iconik API allows REVOLT to connect iconik to Envoi for a management-to-distribution workflow to distribute content to multiple endpoints.
REVOLT is the leading multimedia network representing Hip Hop culture globally. They use iconik as a single source of truth to manage master versions of its exclusive shows.
In their own words, REVOLT describes what makes its brand distinct:
"REVOLT is where voices are amplified, culture is celebrated, and the Black community is united. REVOLT.TV is the company’s online platform where we champion the unapologetic and authoritative voice of Hip Hop culture, embracing not only rap and R&B music, but the entirety of the Hip Hop lifestyle, urban entertainment, and the pursuit of social justice."
Founded in 2013, REVOLT began as the first multi-platform music cable network to launch in the digital age. As a pioneer in the space, REVOLT successfully built a thriving TV business while developing an expansive digital footprint that has allowed the brand to engage with millions of people globally. Today, REVOLT is a multimedia empire dedicated to elevating Black narratives and creating, controlling, and advancing the conversations that matter culturally.
REVOLT features:
- Original content
- Powerful documentaries & exclusive interviews
- Live performances, immersive experiences, and events
In addition to its cable network, REVOLT has:
- An online platform offering real-time news and cultural commentary
- A thriving Youtube channel
- Well-established social channels
- And a mobile app to access content on-the-go.
To learn more about how iconik has improved REVOLT’s business, we spoke with Chantelle Silveira, Chief Product & Technology Officer at REVOLT.
Silveira explained that REVOLT is a unique content company whose distribution strategy has expanded and evolved over the years.
"REVOLT has transformed from its origins as a domestic cable channel with a web component to evolve into a global media powerhouse. Today, our distribution extends far beyond traditional linear channels, embracing OTT, website delivery, and app delivery in addition to linear channels. Beyond the USA, we’ve also expanded into international markets, underscoring our continued growth and commitment to delivering cutting-edge content globally," says Silveira.
Managing the growing pains of expanding platforms and audience demand
Amidst such rapid growth, REVOLT quickly needed solutions to empower and leverage its distributed workforce and connect multiple sites. The company was faced with the challenge of figuring out how it could set up its media delivery operations in a scalable way.
The stakes were high for REVOLT. New platforms were regularly entering the market, and the demand for REVOLT’s special brand of content was spreading around the world. Without a streamlined workflow for distributing content, the company risked losing its competitive edge and falling behind in the fast-paced media industry.
The company wanted to make sure that the user interface remained simple, while the complexity was handled behind the scenes. "That's where the iconik integration with the Envoi platform helped make this a reality," said Silveira.
Integrating iconik and Envoi for content delivery
REVOLT uses iconik for media asset management, where master versions of shows are ingested into the system. Because Backlight provides the iconik API to everyone, REVOLT was able to configure its own iconik integration with Envoi, its chosen workflow automation and orchestration solution.
The integration manages cloud-to-cloud file transfers, metadata packaging, and data normalization, making content distribution more efficient at REVOLT. And it couldn’t be a better time. REVOLT distributes media content to multiple endpoints using iconik as the source of truth for media and metadata. But more than that, this provides more options to automate and orchestrate workflows to distribute shows to various video-on-demand and live TV platforms.
"Our integration with iconik has opened a lot of possibilities. By utilizing iconik's asset management capabilities and seamlessly integrating with Envoi, we've been able to streamline content delivery and distribute media to mobile apps, YouTube, OTT services like Roku and Sling, and cable providers like Xfinity and DirecTV." Nick Stokes, Founder, Envoi Cloud
Dramatic time and cost savings with frictionless metadata management
Every organization will define “important data” differently. At REVOLT, the data they need to manage media relates to things such as programs, episodes, and featured guests. And while having technical data like creation dates and file formats are useful, one still needs specific, meaningful metadata to keep track of the 20,000+ media assets that REVOLT manages in iconik. This is where custom metadata becomes crucial for effective media management. It allows REVOLT to organize media in a way that makes sense for its needs, making it easy to find important files.
Iconik gives the freedom to set up custom metadata fields and views at a moment's notice.The result is that REVOLT can organize media in a way that makes sense for its business and save time and money without the need for technical specialists or custom development.
Silveira explains how much of an impact this has had on her work: "Previous MAMs at REVOLT were excruciatingly complicated. It would require a multitude of engineers creating configurations for you to be able to manipulate metadata or really anything—at a cost reaching tens of thousands of dollars. Now I'm able to do these things within minutes in iconik."
REVOLT's experience with iconik demonstrates the importance of having software that empowers users with customization options rather than forcing them to adapt to the limitations of the software. Frictionless metadata management is critical for media businesses because it helps with categorizing, organizing, and finding assets, leading to increased productivity and better ROI.
"With iconik, I know that REVOLT is saving thousands of dollars a month, and at least 50% of the admin time required by other systems." Chantelle Silveira Chief Product & Technology Officer
Next steps: post-production power-ups
Moving forward, REVOLT is weighing how to leverage iconik's post-production workflows. More specifically, REVOLT is exploring how its in-house field production support team can use the iconik Adobe Premiere Pro panel to work remotely with assets that are stored on-premise. The same panel has project management capabilities to streamline project management workflows too.
Overall, Silveira says adopting iconik has allowed REVOLT to work more efficiently and has simplified its media operations. As REVOLT continues to grow, Silveira and her team are excited to explore iconik's capabilities and see how it will further benefit their business.
With the flexibility of iconik supporting their management-to-distribution workflows and their chosen tech configurations REVOLT is well-positioned to continue serving their target audiences great content experiences at increased scale.